Based on the ideas of service-learning theory and social capital theory, the study examines the role that educational programmes play in encouraging students to engage in volunteer work for sustainable development in Saudi Arabia. A total of 251 usable responses were gathered through an online survey. The conceptual framework for the study was established to analyse direct and indirect impacts. The study used partial-least-squares–structural equation modelling to estimate the inter-construct correlations that exist among the postulated variables and ran bootstrapping to examine the potential for causality in the research hypotheses. The impact of service work for sustainable development is broken down into two categories: service learning and social capital. The study has demonstrated that the antecedents of social capital theory, such as norms and values (β = 0.0293) and social support (β = 0.0001), exert a strong and positive influence on volunteering work in Saudi Arabia, whereas the antecedents of service-learning theory, such as service activities (β = 0.2288), learning outcomes (β = 0.9879), social ties/connections (β = 0.1167) and community engagement (β = 0.1601), have little or nothing to do with influencing volunteering work. This indicates that for volunteering to become accepted by society, policymakers need to give volunteers work that is rewarding by nature and focused on norms and values (NV) and social support (SS). The authors of this article propose a new strategy for managing knowledge in future volunteer activities due to the dearth of empirical research on the integration of service-learning theory and social capital theory in volunteering for sustainable development.

The current study investigates the factors affecting students' behavioral intentions to utilize "artificial intelligence" (AI) applications in learning by extending the "unified theory of acceptance and use of technology" (UTAUT) model with the inclusion of cognitive flexibility. Data were collected from 315 undergraduate students and analyzed employing a two-step approach involving "structural equation modeling" (SEM) with AMOS. The measurement model was first run to assess and confirm the reliability and validity of the variables, followed by the structural model to test the hypothesized relationships. The results revealed that "performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), and social influence" (SI) exerted significant positive effects on students' behavioral intentions to use AI applications, while "facilitating conditions" (FC) exhibited no significant impact. Additionally, "cognitive flexibility" (CF) did not directly influence behavioral intention but exerted a significant indirect effect through its influence on PE, EE, and SI. These findings underscore the significance of students' cognitive adaptability in shaping their perceptions of technological usefulness and ease of use and highlight the value of integrating psychological variables into technology acceptance models in educational contexts. Implications for educational technology implementation and future research directions are discussed.

The developments of countries are always based on the efforts of their creative people, as the spread of an organizational culture that stimulates creativity and innovation and sponsors its owners. Therefore this study aimed to explore the creativity and innovation involvement in educational curriculum and to assess the challenges and opportunities in educational system among youth in Hail Region. To achieve these objectives, explanatory and descriptive research designs were employed with quantitative research approach. The questionnaire was the instrumental tool for collecting data with simple random sampling technique. 341 valid responses have been analyzed by using SPSS software. The study's findings revealed that students perceive themselves as engaging in creative thinking activities and receiving creativity and innovation training at the university. The respondents strongly agree that incorporating technology tools and techniques into education enhances creativity and innovation, and there are other factors that also contribute to these opportunities. Resistance to change and limited access to information were identified as significant challenges to developing creativity and innovation skills among the respondents. The study found a moderate, positive correlation between involvement in creativity and innovation and the educational curriculum. Based on these results, it is recommended that the university continue prioritizing creative thinking activities and innovation training for students while addressing challenges related to resistance to change and access to information. Further integration of creativity and innovation concepts into the curriculum may also be beneficial, along with continued use of technology tools and techniques to enhance these skills in education.

The labour market is witnessing a significant increase in the levels of demand to learn new skills in areas such as data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, which are among the most prominent features of the new industrial revolution. Universities have a vital function in the knowledge economy and innovation, as they generate and share knowledge through research, education, and creativity. The knowledge economy (KE) and innovation are key drivers of economic growth, as they promote innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. It creates new industries and jobs that require highly skilled workers. Weakness and inadequacy of the educational and research system have been considered as one of the main issues in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study is to identify the role of universities in the knowledge economy and innovation in Saudi Arabia from the perspective of academics at the University of Hail. To achieve the objective of this research, a cross-sectional explanatory and descriptive research design with a quantitative approach was adopted by the researchers. A sample size of 83 academicians was chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. The analysis method employed was structural equation modelling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS). The adopted instrument for collecting the data were a survey. The questionnaire measures were based on a 5-point Likert scale. To measure the reliability and validity of the instruments, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and Fornell-Lacker criterion tests were conducted. The findings of the study revealed that educational curriculum, educational policy, infrastructure, and scientific research have a significant role in (KE) and innovation, whereas the results of teaching methods showed no significant role in (KE) and innovation. To remain competitive in the ever-changing economic landscape, policymakers in Saudi Arabian universities must prioritize curriculum design, infrastructure, teaching methods, policies, and skilled manpower while paying more attention to science, technology, and innovation. In addition, universities should focus on developing the skills of their graduates to meet the demands of the job market. This can be achieved by offering internships and apprenticeships, as well as providing training in soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Social sustainability is a stated goal of higher education, but institutional commitments do not show how students experience inclusion, belonging, and cultural recognition in everyday university life. This exploratory qualitative field study examined how Saudi university students understand cultural identity and relate it to social sustainability in one regional public university. Twelve students from eight colleges took part in semi-structured interviews conducted in Arabic; reflexive thematic analysis generated two themes, each with two subthemes. Participants described cultural identity as dynamic and enacted through relationships. They did not frame institutional openness and cultural continuity as competing demands, and their accounts associated social sustainability chiefly with respect, recognition, belonging, inclusion, and participation. These findings are preliminary and do not establish causal mechanisms or represent Saudi students generally. For higher-education managers, they indicate the value of assessing students’ accounts alongside institutional indicators and of creating curricular and co-curricular settings for respectful interaction. Further multi-site research is needed to examine variation within Saudi student populations and test the transferability of these interpretations.