Jeddah - Dr. Faysal Alaquil, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, of the Faculty of Engineering in Effat University for Girls, praised the Council of Ministers decision for the implementation of the scholarship programs.

Under the terms of the approved proposal, the government will bear  50 percent of the annual tuition fees of students admitted in private universities and community colleges for a period of five years.

According to Dr Alaquil, this confirms the government’s keen efforts to support higher education and encourages investment which leads to the development and improvement of the quality of higher education.

The scholarship program complies with the strict terms and conditions required for scholarship approvals, including certification from the National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment.

The ten disciplines covered by the resolution include Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medical Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, Information Technology, Management, Law, and Accounting. “The comprehensive coverage of the scholarship program reflects the keen concerns of the government to meet the strong market need for practical interdisciplinary education in the light of the current unprecedented boom in the country’s economy across all sectors, and its tendency to shift to a knowledge society where roles of practical and science disciplines are required,” Dr. Alaquil added.

Moreover, Dr. Alaquil praised Construction Products Holding Company (CPC) for their support of the program, and said: “CPC acknowledges the importance of supporting students who wish to enroll in private universities which offer high levels of education for their students, therefore, CPC has decided to establish a scholarship fund to finance the enrollment of female high school graduates to enroll in the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering in Effat University for Girls.”

He added: " Our decision  to establish this Fund  is part of CPC efforts to support the educational system in Saudi Arabia, especially in  view of the keen efforts of  the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, and the  Crown Prince and Deputy Premier, and the Second Deputy, for the advancement of Science and  Education.”   

Dr. Faysal Alaquil urges major national companies and institutions to support higher education and the government’s efforts in this regard, and to offer similar scholarships in order to generate generations of university graduates that are more aware of the ongoing developments and innovations worldwide. This will enable them to continue to build and elevate their home country and the welfare of its citizens, as well as to achieve hopes for a brighter tomorrow for their homeland.

On the other hand, Dr. Haifa Jamal-Al Lail, president of Effat University for Girls, assured that the Cabinet’s approval on private universities and community colleges scholarships program confirms the confidence of the government in these institutions and their ability to graduate highly educated graduates in their respective fields.  “This approval will also add much to the higher education sector in Saudi Arabia and will help achieve its objectives. Let our all efforts combine together to achieve the common goals that we all are after."

Dr. Jamal-Al Lail, on this occasion, expressed the thanks and appreciation of Effat University to CPC for its contribution to the provision of scholarships for a number of students for admission to the University, and said: "We do hope that other national companies follow the lead of CPC and share with us the task of uplifting the educational system in Saudi Arabia, as well as of producing graduates at the highest level, which can be only achieved through mutual cooperation between private sector  and educational institutions."