RIYADH, 10 July — Seven Saudis received British Chevening Scholarship awards at a function held at the residence of the British Ambassador Derek Plumbly here last night.
Hanan Ali Sherif, a psychology teacher working at the Girls School for the Blind in Riyadh, will do M.Ed. at the University of Bristol under the scholarship program. Other recipients are: Faisal Al-Fadhel, Muhammad Yaghmour, Hamad Ali Al-Hulaibi, Salehi Al Qahtani, Waleed K.A. Nahas and a government official who wishes to remain anonymous. They will pursue higher studies in law, international relations, economics and mass communications.
Present at the function were representatives of Saudi British Bank, British Airways, Rezayat Co., BAe Systems and British Petroleum — sponsors of the awards. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Plumbly said the Chevening Scholarship program, named after the British foreign secretary’s country residence, has been available in Saudi Arabia since 1989. A total of 68 Saudi graduates have benefited from this program. He said 1,500 Saudis took up full-time studies in Britain every year. “Obviously, we are keen to develop this relationship and make it stronger,” the ambassador said.
Plumbly said the British government invests £43 million annually on the scholarship scheme which has helped thousands of outstanding professionals from over 150 countries around the world. Some 2,300 scholarships are awarded every year.
Meanwhile, Saudi nationals have been invited to apply for the Chevening Scholarships for 2002/03. Graduates under 40 seeking further study or training in an area of importance to Saudi-British relations are eligible.
The awards are for study in any British university for a period ranging from three to 12 months and include tuition fees, air tickets, and a monthly subsistence allowance. Applications should reach the British Council by Nov. 15. Short-listing of applications will take place in early December and interviews will be held around mid-January. — Javid Hassan
