RIYADH, 14 December 2006 — Over 400 male and female Saudi students who have come from all over the Kingdom will compete today for a six-week scholarship at two of United States’ most prestigious universities: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Johns Hopkins University.
King Abdul Aziz & His Companions Foundation for the Gifted announced yesterday that admission tests for the enrollment of exceptional male and female secondary school students will take place in Riyadh today.
According to the foundation, the National Center for Standards will test students on general knowledge and skills. The British Council will supervise and arrange tests for English proficiency. The tests for boys will be held in the gymnasium of the foundation. The tests for girls will be held in the Prince Sultan Private University theater.
According to an official at the foundation, 288 males and 163 females have officially submitted requests for admission to the tests. Students will compete to earn one of the 15 scholarships offered by the two American universities.
The scholarships will be for the summer of 2007 and are part of collaboration efforts between the foundation and the two universities. The efforts are aimed at enriching the talents of gifted young people and also enlightening them about the universities’ programs.
“The foundation seeks to support and enhance the skills of talented young Saudis by offering them scholarships,” explained Mahmoud Al-Naqqadi, adviser to the secretary-general. “These scholarships will encourage students to pursue their education and develop their skills at top-notch universities abroad,” he added.
Al-Naqqadi said that the scholarships were for gifted students who had submitted proof to the foundation that they had won a scientific award. He also said the program was open only to students in the secondary school science stream. Students, he said, would have an opportunity of learning about the universities’ distant learning programs in addition to their own scientific ones.
