RIYADH, 18 October 2006 — With a view to paving the way for Saudi students to pursue higher education in India under a special scholarship program, Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari will be taking a senior-level delegation to New Delhi on Nov. 6-10.
The visit comes within the framework of the “Delhi Declaration” signed during the landmark visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to New Delhi on Jan. 26 this year. King Abdullah was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations.
Saad A. Al-Hagan, manager of public relations at the ministry, said the delegates include Deputy Minister of Higher Education for International Cooperation Dr. Abdullah Al-Moajel and the presidents of King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran and King Khaled University in Abha.
Al-Hagan said the upcoming visit is in response to an invitation extended by India’s Minister for Human Resources Development Arjun Singh, who visited Saudi Arabia in May this year. During that visit, which was intended to promote cooperation in the field of education, Arjun Singh met King Abdullah and delivered a letter from the Indian prime minister.
Besides Dr. Al-Anqari, the Indian minister also held talks with the presidents of King Saud University, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University and King Abdul Aziz University to identify areas in which Saudi students would be able to go to India on scholarships.
Al-Hagan said the Kingdom recognizes India’s strength in the field of higher studies, especially in IT, scientific research and technical education. A memorandum of understanding would also be signed during the visit to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field of higher education and scientific cooperation.
According to an Indian Embassy source, students from around 30 countries are pursuing higher education in India.
India has over 310 universities consisting of 52 deemed universities, 162 traditional universities, 40 agricultural/forestry/fishery /veterinary universities, 36 engineering and technology institutes, 18 medical universities, 11 open universities and 18 national institutes. In addition, there are 15,500 colleges of engineering, medicine, arts, humanities, social sciences, commerce and science.
