60 Saudi students graduated from elite American universities 

Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — As many as 60 Saudi scholarship students were graduated from a number of elite universities of the United States of America. The Saudi Club at Harvard University organized a ceremony to honor the graduates from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University, and Tufts University at the Harvard Medical School in Boston on Friday.

The graduation ceremony was held in the presence of Muhammad Khashaan, director of Public Diplomacy Department at the Saudi embassy in the United States. Khashaan honored 60 students, who were graduated this year, while giving away their certificates. They include nine graduates with the bachelor’s degree, 32 obtained master’s degree, three secured doctoral degree while another16 obtained fellowship and one received doctorate along with fellowship. There are 27 graduates from Harvard University, 18 from Boston University, eight from Tufts University, and seven from MIT.

Addressing the graduates, through a recorded speech, US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney congratulated the graduates and thanked the Saudi Club for organizing the event to celebrate the students’ brilliant achievements during this year. He highlighted the value of human capabilities. “Your country is rich in resources, but what is most valuable is its human capabilities. I have only been in Saudi Arabia for a year and the professional and personal opportunities here have never been greater than what they are from now on,” he said.

Ratney emphasized the remarkable diversity he is witnessing in many fields, from filmmaking to video game development, to space travel. He also expressed his happiness over this remarkable growth achieved by the Saudi students.

Speaking on the occasion, Khashaan said that the graduation of this distinguished batch of students from the elite US universities coincided with the transformations that the Kingdom is witnessing, thanks to the Vision 2030 and the investment in the creative people of this nation.

“The Kingdom is witnessing economic, industrial and environmental growth, accompanied by renewed opportunities for the people of the nation to discover their dreams and contribute to building the future of the nation and the world,” he said.

On her part, the Saudi Club President at Harvard University, Malak Al-Hadlaq, who is a graduate of the doctoral program from the university’s College of Dentistry, thanked the wise leadership. On behalf of her fellow students, she appreciated the unlimited support they received from the leadership all throughout their scholarship study period. “This support enabled them to graduate from the most prestigious international universities. Many male and female graduates have scored distinguished research and scientific achievements,” Al-Hadlaq said while expressing their aspiration to return to their homeland to contribute to its development, cashing in on the vast knowledge and incredible experiences that they have acquired so as to enable them to give them back to the homeland.

It is noteworthy that the number of Saudi graduates from elite universities in the city of Boston shot up by approximately 20 percent compared to last year, which constitutes a qualitative achievement added to the paths of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Scholarship Program, especially since each of these four universities occupies the top of international rankings such as Shanghai, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), and The Times.