The Saudi-US Higher Education Partnership Forum kicked off in Riyadh, bringing together leaders from Saudi and US institutions to strengthen knowledge exchange and establish long-term collaborations between universities in both countries. The forum seeks to implement innovative projects aligned with national priorities and strategic goals.
The event saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding to enhance educational exchange, foster new academic and scientific partnerships, and facilitate the mobility of students and researchers between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Michael Ratney, the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, stated that the forum is the fruit of a year-long collaboration between the US Embassy and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education, and aim is to expand and deepen bilateral educational exchange.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ratney noted that while hundreds of thousands of Saudi nationals have studied in the US over the years, the forum aspires to establish a reciprocal relationship, including bringing American students and educators to Saudi Arabia.
The forum explored areas for collaboration and identified opportunities through discussions between the participating universities.
Asked about plans to open US university branches in the Kingdom, Ratney noted that educational exchange can take various forms, such as student mobility, faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and the establishment of shared research centers.
He highlighted a recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Arizona State University, one of the largest universities in the US, to establish a joint campus in the Kingdom in collaboration with a local university. The campus will offer degrees recognized in both countries, reflecting an innovative approach to educational cooperation and the expansion of bilateral ties.
The forum featured sessions on opportunities for student and researcher exchange, the objectives of the King Salman Scholarship Program, the transformation of Saudi cultural missions, mechanisms for developing joint academic programs, and the establishment of international university branches in Saudi Arabia.
Rafik Mansour, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Culture, emphasized the strong historical ties between the two nations. He noted that approximately 700,000 Saudi students have studied at American universities over the past decades, making Saudi Arabia the largest source of students from the Middle East studying in the US.
Looking to the future, Mansour stressed the importance of enhancing educational exchanges to meet critical needs in fields such as artificial intelligence, arts, and medicine. He expressed optimism that the agreements reached through the forum would accelerate collaboration and further strengthen the Saudi-US educational partnership.
