The inaugural forum will bring together over 100 undergraduate, postgraduate and Ph.D. women students from the Kingdom currently studying in the UK and Ireland. It will take place at the University of Sheffield on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The forum will be co-hosted by the University of Sheffield and the Saudi Students’ Clubs and Schools — UK and Ireland, in association with the Saudi Cultural Bureau.
The forum was the brainchild of Ahlam Al-Zahrani, a Ph.D. student from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Sheffield in the north of England, who is conducting ethnographic research into women’s health in Saudi Arabia. She said she wanted to organize an event where all Saudi women students living in the UK and Ireland could get together to showcase their academic work, exchange ideas and support each other in their academic endeavors.
“There are many extremely talented professional women from my country studying in the UK and Ireland,” she said. “The generosity of King Abdullah has meant that I have been able to attend the University of Sheffield, one of the UK’s best universities, and pursue my studies for the benefit of my country. His Highness has opened the doors for all women to study overseas, and has invested heavily in the education of girls and women, and Saudi women are extremely grateful.”
In 2009, Al-Zahrani was elected as the Saudi Students’ Clubs and Schools Chief Female Students’ Coordinator for the UK. The Saudi Students’ Clubs and Schools in the UK and Ireland is a student organization representing all Saudi students studying in the UK and Ireland. It partners with the Saudi Cultural Bureau in London to ease the way for Saudi students wanting to study in the UK and Ireland.
In her role as Chief Female Students’ Coordinator for the UK, Al-Zahrani recognized the need for an academic forum for women from the Kingdom as a way of getting branches of the clubs around the UK and Ireland together.
“The staff at the University of Sheffield have been so supportive of me from day one,” she said. “With their support, kindness and understanding I have been able to achieve the right balance between my doctoral studies and my family responsibilities. It’s now my turn to share my knowledge, and to support other female students from Saudi Arabia who need help; whether it be a listening ear, or someone to assess academic work. I am confident the forum will be the start of many new friendships and collaborations.”
The forum will highlight and showcase the academic and practical achievements of Saudi female students in the UK and Ireland, encouraging them to discuss what they have learned as well as providing them with an opportunity to display their research projects to an academic audience.
The forum will also offer opportunities for academic discussions between female students that will enhance their studies and build strong academic relationships for the future.
Carrie Warr, Director of External Relations at the University of Sheffield, said: “The University of Sheffield is immensely proud and delighted to be co-hosting the very first academic forum for Saudi female students studying in the UK and Ireland. The University’s international students — and particularly those from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general — represent some of our most exceptional students. These talented students are tomorrow’s leaders, and we are honored to be able to partner with them on their academic journey.
“The University of Sheffield prides itself on offering a cutting edge academic environment in which all our international students can enrich their lives, and make a difference when they return home. His Highness King Abdullah’s strategic plan for education, and his country’s investment in the education of women to enable them to reach the higher echelons of academia is exemplary. Saudi women studying at the University of Sheffield show commitment, passion for their subjects and a determination to excel.
“We are extremely proud of Ms. Al-Zahrani, of her dedication and energy in all she achieves at the University of Sheffield, and we would like to thank her wonderful work in organizing this landmark event, which we hope will be the first of many.”
Turki bin Shalhoub, President of Saudi Students’ Clubs and Schools — UK and Ireland said: “We are very pleased to be part of the first academic forum for Saudi women students in the UK and Ireland at the University of Sheffield. Our organization plays a vital role in helping students — both male and female — arriving from KSA to acclimatize themselves to life in the UK and Ireland. We support Saudi students in their quest to settle temporarily in the UK and Ireland and make the most of their studies while there. We partner with schools and clubs in the UK and Ireland, and assist where we can. We congratulate Al-Zahrani on her vision in organizing this event and look forward to welcoming delegates to the forum on March 27 at the University of Sheffield.”
