An adviser to the French Minister of Higher Education promised to look into the problem of Saudi students who are sent to France to study on scholarships and have trouble obtaining residence permits. He emphasized that the French minister of higher education is working with the French authorities to grant the Saudi students resident permits covering the entire period of their scholarship and expects that it will be resolved in the next few months. The adviser made a comment during a banquet held by Saudi Cultural Attaché in France, Abdullah Al-Khatib, to honor Saudi students who graduated from French universities. Present at the banquet were Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khaled Bin Muhammad Al-Anqari, a number of presidents of French universities, deans of medical colleges, senior officials from French Education Ministry and members of the Saudi diplomatic mission in Paris. The number of Saudi graduates from French universities in the 2009-10 school year reached 166, including 47 doctors who obtained specialization certificates in medicine and other areas. The certificates are similar to those given to the French doctors. In addition, 69 graduates obtained masters and doctorate degrees in specializations including engineering, law, linguistics, political science and mass communications. Dr. Al-Anqari said his office plans to increase the number of Saudi students sent on scholarship to France and expects that it will reach 3,000 in the next three years. He said the health institutions at the Ministry of Health and medical colleges in the Kingdom have expressed their satisfaction with the experience of Saudis studying in French colleges. He said about 200 Saudi students are studying medicine in France and do not face language barriers. It is expected that the two countries will sign an agreement on medical cooperation, once the responsible French authorities gave their consent to the program, that includes a provision for Saudi doctors trained in France to be offered a specialist job to practice in the French hospitals for two years.
