THREE years ago, an ambitious scholarship program was launched for several brilliant Saudis, men and women, to pursue higher studies at the world's best universities and institutes. King Abdullah's Scholarship Program has attracted wider attention and is a source of relief for many officials who have increasingly become skeptical of the universities' ability to run its teaching and research programs due to an acute shortage of qualified staff. During ‘80s and ‘90s of the last century, scholarship programs were scarce due to lack of funding. This vastly curtailed any attempt to expand higher education programs despite the fact that the existing universities were running with their full capacity. Such shortage of scholarship programs had a detrimental impact on growth, particularly economic. Moreover, earlier programs were initiated in universities and institutes and no one else was eligible to apply. Thus the number of applicants was limited. However, King Abdullah's Scholarship Program is different in many ways. As opposed to previous scholarship programs, all graduate students with exceptional skills can easily be granted a position at world's renowned universities. Also, not only male students are eligible to take advantage and get a degree from an American or British university but also women can compete, cheek to jowl, with their male compatriots. The long-term advantages of King Abdullah's Scholarship Program are quite numerous taking into account the gradual expansion of universities and academic institutions in the Kingdom. More of these academic institutes have been opened, and many of them are in need of well-qualified Saudi cadets. Another advantage is that more deserving students are getting an opportunity to attain higher goals. Providing them with such an important opportunity is a great encouragement to contribute academically to the world of science and technology at a time when there is virtually a brain-drain in many developing countries. Unlike many previous scholarship programs where students were sent to mostly American and European universities, they now have a broad chance to pursue studies in the world's top universities. They can join Japanese, Malaysian or even Korean universities, thus breaking the years-long monopoly of the American scholarship programs. Further, the processes of application and registration have been carried out so smoothly using a website run by the Ministry of Higher Education. Application forms are carefully scrutinized so as to ensure transparency. To eliminate favoritism, applicants should fill in forms using an Internet-based program that, later on, informs scholarship recipients of the time and place where they could submit their papers to the Scholarship Committee. The committee's major role is to ensure that all applicants have entered valid data regarding their qualifications, grades and other formalities needed for the program. This ambitious, long-awaited scholarship program solves the many problems universities are faced with. Among the longer-term challenges encountered by many of these universities were that many of the teaching staff were getting older and could no longer be affective to meet the academic challenges. To avoid the unpredictable consequences of this situation, universities' officials urged retired professors to sign personal contacts so as the academic life is not threatened. Some of them are frustrated at the low privileges they enjoy in government-run universities compared with the lucrative offers presented by the private sector. As a result some resigned or sought early retirement and moved to work for private companies as consultants. Acute shortage of staff has forced many universities to recruit teaching staff from other countries. However, some would only stay here for a while and go back to his/her country due to lack of monetary incentives here. Some of them may also look for more lucrative opportunities here and there and distance themselves from academic professions. Recipients of the Scholarship Program, who are currently studying abroad, are facing a difficult time in many foreign countries. The skyrocketing prices of basic commodities there have forced several of them to severely rationalize their expenditure. Worse, fluctuations in the value of dollar as against other key currencies make it difficult to make reasonable predictions regarding their financial status. Also, managing such a huge program requires well-trained staff to handle the huge number of applicants. Although part of registration process is done online, still much labor work is needed particularly from cultural representatives abroad. Some students genuinely complain about the bureaucratic procedures which also affect their studies. In the end, there is a clear revolution in higher studies in the Kingdom. More students are getting a chance to study at the world's finest universities and institutes. More universities and institutes have been set up in Kingdom's different regions, more students are enrolled and more research projects are generously funded. __
