RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and Italy have set out a new vision for bilateral relations in the field of education and culture following the launch of a joint initiative to help 300 Saudi students enroll in Italian institutions this year.
“A total of 150 students will go to Milan, which has emerged as a premier destination for international students,” Mayor of Milan Letizia Moratti said here yesterday.
She pointed out that the Kingdom would also attain a world-class level facility in the form of a biomedical institute following an agreement signed by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and a top oncology institute in Milan.
Moratti is in Riyadh on an invitation by the Saudi government to follow up on the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to Italy last November when five bilateral agreements were signed in different fields.
“The proposal to enroll Saudi students in Italian universities for higher studies and research was first discussed during the visit of King Abdullah to Italy last year,” Moratti said. “The government agencies of the two countries are now working to send the students to Italy on a staggered schedule over the period of a year,” said the mayor.
She said Milan would be a good destination for Saudi students. The University of Milan, she said, is one of the largest universities in Italy, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200.
There are several institutions of higher learning and research in addition to the University of Milan, which is a member of the League of European Research Universities. This membership will help Saudi students to apply for scholarships from European Commission agencies.
Moratti noted that there was scope for cooperation in different sectors, especially in trade and investment. She sought support from Saudi Arabia for Milan Expo 2015, an international forum on food safety, food security and healthy lifestyle.
The Milan Expo 2015 Scientific Committee is actively cooperating with a large number of countries and their research centers.
