The exhibition, held for the second time and drawing a large number of visitors, realized most of its goals in acquainting the youths, officials and academics with Saudi and international universities. It also gave senior officials of Saudi universities the opportunity to meet with their counterparts of several internationally acclaimed universities, to exchange expertise, and to sign memoranda of understanding.
Visitors to the exhibition, however, went straight to the pavilions of foreign universities. They were impressed by the quality and simplicity of those items on display there, as well as the charming female and male officials. On a small pavilion whose area did not exceed six meters, for instance, a computer, brochures, and informative CDs were displayed. These pavilions shed light on the university, its specialty courses, and other things concerned with studying there.
After this, visitors moved a few meters to the pavilion of Saudi universities. There, they saw that the Ministry of Higher Education and some of its universities had spent lavishly to set up their pavilions and decorate the place. As for the ministry, it had erected a huge replica representing the multi-story ministry building. Some Saudi universities had spent hundreds of thousands of riyals to arrange their pavilions.
Perhaps the visitor would leave the exhibition pavilion with the general impression that some of our universities are competing with each other, and feel proud that they are fulfilling their responsibilities in their outward appearance. Nevertheless, one might wonder what the essence of these ornaments is? Apparently, this “ornamental” culture has reached out even to our educational and scientific organizations, up to the extent of wasting several millions of riyals to set up pavilions that last only for four days, after which they will be demolished. Aren’t the student and the scientific researcher supposed to be in the most prominent spot?
Here, the necessity to liberate all our scientific programs and activities from the bond of something ornamental in order to concentrate on realizing the objectives at the lowest cost becomes visible. “The public wealth is the trust that everybody must safeguard.”
This exhibition, which was successful in its vision and message, would perhaps be conducted in other regions as well, so that its advantage and final message reach out to all despite the aforesaid observations.
Thanking all the organizers of the higher education conference and exhibition.
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