Scholarships for 12,000 more students in US

[Zarvan]

• 
  
  SUCCESSFUL TALKS: President Barack Obama waves to the media after talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (SPA)
  

• 
• 
• 

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman instructed authorities Thursday to include some 12,000 male and female Saudi students studying in the US at their own expense in the government’s foreign scholarship program.
The royal gesture came on the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, who are currently in the United States.
However, the directive said the students should fulfill certain conditions to benefit from the scholarship program.
Saudis living and studying in the United States pledged Wednesday their allegiance to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The citizens met the two princes at their residence in Washington. The two leaders, who are attending the Camp David summit, used the opportunity to speak with their fellow citizens and listen to their concerns.
The Saudi leaders also met with Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Jim Comey and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to discuss issues of mutual concern.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, meanwhile, held talks with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and National Security Adviser Susan Rice on the prospect of expanding cooperation between the two countries.
Also on Wednesday, Prince Mohammed bin Naif met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates’ armed forces, and discussed the agenda of the Gulf Cooperation Council talks with the US.
Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday ahead of the Camp David summit.
Obama welcomed the two Saudi princes to the Oval Office, where he lauded “an extraordinary friendship and relationship” between the two countries. “We are continuing to build that relationship during a very challenging time,” Obama said, a reference to conflagrations in Yemen, Syria and Iraq that have reverberated across the Middle East.
Obama praised his guests for their work on counterterrorism, which he described as “absolutely critical” to the US.
During the summit, the Gulf states will seek assurances that Obama is ready to push back against Iranian proxies, particularly in Syria where he has been reluctant to act, even if it causes turbulence in sensitive nuclear talks. They will also want assurances the nuclear deal does not represent a broader “grand bargain” with Iran.
“What they fear, above all, is that for one reason or another, American policy is beginning to tilt toward Tehran and away from traditional US allies in the region,” said Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute, the think-tank based in Washington.
Scholarships for 12,000 more students in US | Arab News

 

[Saif al-Arab]

@azzo

Bro do have to make a Twitter user to be able to embed Twitter feds on a forum like PDF?

How do I embed this Twitter feed below in it's entirety, meaning photo and everything.

https://twitter.com/x/status/593076514813423617

https://twitter.com/x/status/600690419366797313

https://twitter.com/x/status/570482269959430145

Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission Graduation Ceremony, United States 2012

Please help me out, lol.

@JUBA bro do you know?

What about @Horus ? He for sure would know.

 

[azzo]

@azzo

Bro do have to make a Twitter user to be able to embed Twitter feds on a forum like PDF?

How do I embed this Twitter feed below in it's entirety, meaning photo and everything.

https://twitter.com/x/status/593076514813423617

Please help me out, lol.

I really don't know..

 

[Serpentine]

@azzo

Bro do have to make a Twitter user to be able to embed Twitter feds on a forum like PDF?

How do I embed this Twitter feed below in it's entirety, meaning photo and everything.

https://twitter.com/x/status/593076514813423617

https://twitter.com/x/status/600690419366797313

https://twitter.com/x/status/570482269959430145

Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission Graduation Ceremony, United States 2012

Please help me out, lol.

@JUBA bro do you know?

What about @Horus ? He for sure would know.

You can't, the only way to post Twitter feeds is the way you did it in your post, in which pics appear as links. If you want pictures to be shown, you can post them separately, which again, you did.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

You can't, the only way to post Twitter feeds is the way you did it in your post, in which pics appear as links. If you want pictures to be shown, you can post them separately, which again, you did.

That's very strange. I know you can do that on other forums so why not on PDF? Has such a function not been made yet? I once had a Twitter ages ago but did not really use it much so forgot the password. Maybe you need to have a Twitter user to fully embed it?

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S.​

The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566, a nearly 30% increase from 2011, largely fueled by a new scholarship program that encourages them to study abroad.

November 24, 2013|By Jason Song​

Noura Islam, a sophomore at UC Irvine from Saudi Arabia, chose the school… (Spencer Bakalar, Los Angeles…)
​

At first glance, the Facebook photo doesn't look like a USC alumni gathering: No cardinal and gold in sight, not a single Tommy Trojan to be found.

But, on closer inspection, it's apparent that half of the smiling men are flashing the Trojan "victory" sign.

"At USC, you quickly develop a sense of pride being a top university," said Bahjat Zayed, the past president of the 120-member USC Alumni Club of Arabia, one of the university's fastest growing graduate groups.

The club is one sign of the rapid rise of Saudi Arabians studying in the United States. Those numbers fell dramatically after the Sept. 11 attacks; the number of Saudi students dropped by almost a quarter in 2002 and continued to fall for the next two years.

But the numbers have grown steadily since 2005 and doubled from the 2010 to 2012 academic years, according to a recent survey. The number of Saudi students in the U.S. last year grew to 44,566 — a nearly 30% increase from 2011.

The country ranked behind only China, India and South Korea in the number of students studying in U.S. colleges and universities.
Experts say the change is largely fueled by a new Saudi Arabian scholarship program that encourages students to study abroad. Other countries have adopted similar programs. Of the four nations that made the biggest percentage gains in the recent survey, Kuwait and Brazil also offered government-sponsored scholarship programs.

"Countries that are trying to leap from their population into a 21st century economy need to do that very rapidly and they don't have the capacity in their own universities," said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of the Institute of International Education, which conducted the recent survey in partnership with the U.S. State Department.

When King Abdullah assumed the Saudi Arabian crown in 2005, he began to emphasize science education and foreign travel as a way to modernize the country. The scholarship program offers qualified students free tuition, travel funding and expenses, according to media reports and students, and has made it possible for middle-class students to go abroad.

Traditionally, only children from wealthy Saudi families moved out of the country for college. Osama bin Laden's father, a billionaire construction magnate, sent more than a quarter of his 54 children to study in America and other foreign countries, according to "The Bin Ladens," a history of the family.

The government requires females to be accompanied by a male relative, although many students say that compliance is not strictly enforced.

Officials with the Saudi Arabian Cultural Ministry, which oversees the scholarship program in the United States, did not return calls for comment.

Several Saudi students studying in the U.S. said it would have been difficult for them to do so without the financial assistance.

Public U.S. colleges prize foreign students, especially during tough economic times, because they pay more in tuition than American citizens.

Reem Alattas grew up in western Saudi Arabia and enjoyed studying cognitive science, which examines brain processes, but knew that no colleges in Saudi Arabia offered programs in it.

The daughter of an aviation engineer, Alattas thought it would be difficult for her family to afford to send her overseas to study and she assumed she would stay in Saudi Arabia.

But she heard of other students who had received financial aid to study abroad. Her parents, who had studied in the United States during college, encouraged her to apply.

She received a scholarship but did not apply to U.S. schools right away. Like many of her classmates, Alattas went to a college prep program at Virginia Tech for a year after high school. She lived in an apartment with other Saudi students while improving her English and also took the SAT and other college admissions tests.

Alattas decided to go to UC Berkeley, where she is now a sophomore and intends on majoring in cognitive science. "I like that it's very diverse and multicultural and that people are not afraid to identify themselves," Alattas said. "It's a very intellectual place."

One of Alattas' Virginia Tech classmates, Noura Islam, chose UC Irvine for its engineering program and because "I'm a beach person," she said.

The number of Saudi students at Irvine has almost tripled since 2010, going from eight to 23 this year.

By comparison, there were 172 Saudi Arabians last fall at USC, almost five times more than in 2007.

Islam said the transition has been relatively seamless, although figuring out how to get around in Orange County has been difficult, especially since she doesn't drive.

Women are not allowed to get behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia.

"Back at home, I'm used to getting a driver," she said. "Here, you have to [do] everything on your own."

More Saudi Arabians studying in the U.S. - latimes
​

 

[Saif al-Arab]

The last video is hilarious.
​

All power to our women. Wish more could happen at home on this front. So much talent.

 

[JUBA]

@azzo

Bro do have to make a Twitter user to be able to embed Twitter feds on a forum like PDF?

How do I embed this Twitter feed below in it's entirety, meaning photo and everything.

https://twitter.com/x/status/593076514813423617

https://twitter.com/x/status/600690419366797313

https://twitter.com/x/status/570482269959430145

Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission Graduation Ceremony, United States 2012

Please help me out, lol.

@JUBA bro do you know?

What about @Horus ? He for sure would know.

Sorry bro, no idea lol

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Video is from 20th May of this year. So a few days old.
​

@azzo you are by no means a student in the US?

 

[azzo]

@azzo you are by no means a student in the US?

Yes. Been here for a long while.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Yes. Been here for a long while.

Good to see the booming community in the US. KSA has the highest number of foreign students at US universities and colleges in the world by far per capita. Impressive. We will see the gifs of that in the upcoming years/decades. Add to that the huge investments in education at home and the establishment of world class universities that are already leading in the region.

The future is very bright. I would personally just hope that some of the silly laws/restrictions were removed especially when it comes to our talented and hard-working women.

That's sometimes the misfortune of a conservative, traditional and very proud society. Changes tend to be a little slower.

 

[HAIDER]

• 
  
  SUCCESSFUL TALKS: President Barack Obama waves to the media after talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (SPA)

• 
• 
• 

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman instructed authorities Thursday to include some 12,000 male and female Saudi students studying in the US at their own expense in the government’s foreign scholarship program.
The royal gesture came on the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, who are currently in the United States.
However, the directive said the students should fulfill certain conditions to benefit from the scholarship program.
Saudis living and studying in the United States pledged Wednesday their allegiance to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The citizens met the two princes at their residence in Washington. The two leaders, who are attending the Camp David summit, used the opportunity to speak with their fellow citizens and listen to their concerns.
The Saudi leaders also met with Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Jim Comey and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to discuss issues of mutual concern.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, meanwhile, held talks with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and National Security Adviser Susan Rice on the prospect of expanding cooperation between the two countries.
Also on Wednesday, Prince Mohammed bin Naif met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates’ armed forces, and discussed the agenda of the Gulf Cooperation Council talks with the US.
Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday ahead of the Camp David summit.
Obama welcomed the two Saudi princes to the Oval Office, where he lauded “an extraordinary friendship and relationship” between the two countries. “We are continuing to build that relationship during a very challenging time,” Obama said, a reference to conflagrations in Yemen, Syria and Iraq that have reverberated across the Middle East.
Obama praised his guests for their work on counterterrorism, which he described as “absolutely critical” to the US.
During the summit, the Gulf states will seek assurances that Obama is ready to push back against Iranian proxies, particularly in Syria where he has been reluctant to act, even if it causes turbulence in sensitive nuclear talks. They will also want assurances the nuclear deal does not represent a broader “grand bargain” with Iran.
“What they fear, above all, is that for one reason or another, American policy is beginning to tilt toward Tehran and away from traditional US allies in the region,” said Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute, the think-tank based in Washington.
Scholarships for 12,000 more students in US | Arab News

These are future voters of democratic Suadi Arabia. Getting oriented with western social values. Academically they are ok , but well mannered , some of them addictive branded product shoppers, watches and clothing....well obviously they are rich. Anyway, US already accommodating Suadi student groups and another 15,000 scholarship are set in Canadian Universities by KSA.

 

[azzo]

Good to see the booming community in the US. KSA has the highest number of foreign students at US universities and colleges in the world by far. Impressive. We will see the gifs of that in the upcoming years/decades. Add to that the huge investments in education at home and the establishment of world class universities that are already leading in the region.

The future is very bright. I would personally just hope that some of the silly laws/restrictions were removed especially when it comes to our talented and hard-working women.

That's sometimes the misfortune of a conservative, traditional and very proud society. Changes tend to be a little slower.

I agree. Btw, Female graduates outnumber their male counterparts IIRC.

Hmm about the numbers, I know that we outnumber all countries in foreign students (in US or otherwise) only in per-capita. In pure numbers we come fourth after the more populated China, India, and South Korea. Which is still high.

The best thing IMO is that the scholarship is granted to any major, no matter how niche or useless it is. Which will allow for new creative initiatives being created back home. Especially in the stagnant culture of Najd (Which I come from).

 

[Saif al-Arab]

I agree. Btw, Female graduates outnumber their male counterparts IIRC.

Hmm about the numbers, I know that we outnumber all countries in foreign students (in US or otherwise) only in per-capita. In pure numbers we come fourth after the more populated China, India, and South Korea. Which is still high.

The best thing IMO is that the scholarship is granted to any major, no matter how niche or useless it is. Which will allow for new creative initiatives being created back home. Especially in the stagnant culture of Najd (Which I come from).

Yes, but they do that at home too! I doubt that you can find more determined women in the region than Saudi Arabian women.

I edited my post before your post. Of course per capita. 4th spot is still VERY impressive considering our population. China and India have 35-40 times the populations, lol. South Korea almost twice.

Exactly. Is Najd that bad? Come on. Many famous authors, thinkers, poets, innovators, businessmen have hailed from Najd. Just look at a city like Unaizah. Many infrastructural changes are occurring too. Riyadh is booming and becoming a true international metropolis.

Anyway this scholarship program was a masterstroke by the late King Abdullah. It's such details that make people remember him fondly. Shame that old age caught up with him but we will all go through that process if we reach old age.

 

[azzo]

Academically they are ok

Depends on the University. Saudi students in Ivy league universities and MiT/CalTech are very good. But don't forget that there are thousands of colleges across the US, and more than 150,000 students..In my experience, on average, we're as good as the Koreans, Indians are a "little" better, but the Chinese are away above everyone else. I think they only send the most hardcore students to the US, unlike the other three, where they seem to be less selective.

Yes, but they do that at home too! I doubt that you can find more determined women in the region than Saudi Arabian women.

I edited my post before your post. Of course per capita. 4th spot is still VERY impressive considering our population. China and India have 35-40 times the populations, lol. South Korea almost twice.

Exactly. Is Najd that bad? Come on. Many famous authors, thinkers, poets, innovators, businessmen have hailed from Najd. Just look at a city like Unaizah. Many infrastructural changes are occurring too. Riyadh is booming and becoming a true international metropolis.

Anyway this scholarship program was a masterstroke by the late King Abdullah. It's such details that make people remember him fondly. Shame that old age caught up with him but we will all go through that process if we reach old age.

Najd's population is extremely polarized, most of the people here are either religious nuts, or hostile liberals. And the government tries not to cross either, especially the religious nutters. Things are changing to the better though.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Depends on the University. Saudi students in Ivy league universities and MiT/CalTech are very good. But don't forget that there are thousands of colleges across the US, and more than 150,000 students..In my experience, on average, we're as good as the Koreans, Indians are a "little" better, but the Chinese are away above everyone else. I think they only send the most hardcore students to the US, unlike the other three, where they seem to be less selective.



Najd's population is extremely polarized, most of the people here are either religious nuts, or hostile liberals. And the government tries not to cross either, especially the religious nutters. Things are changing to the better though.

That was my impression too when I studied in the US (California) for 1 year a few years ago. Once the language barrier is gone there are no problems at all. Yes, I think the Chinese are sending their best students because the competition is simply huge. We are talking about a 1.25 billion big nation after all and I can imagine that there is a big rift for US scholarships among them.

I don't consider any religious and conservative people in KSA for being nuts outside of the tiny minority that is pro-ISIS. My main problem with them is rather their support for some of the silly laws that are in place in KSA and for their unwillingness to accept necessary changes. That's all.

Of course it depends on your definition of "religious nuts" and "hostile liberals".