RIYADH: More than 300 candidates seeking to pursue higher education in national and international universities attended the roadshow organized in Riyadh Monday by a multinational networking company for career and education. Nunizio Quacquarelli, Managing Director of UK-based QS World MBA Tour, said $1.6 million worth of scholarships were on offer for candidates who attended the roadshow in Riyadh, the first such networking event in Saudi Arabia in which 26 national and international universities participated. QS World MBA Tour and the universities that participated in the roadshow jointly contributed to the scholarship program. “The candidates both men and women who attended the event automatically qualify for the scholarship program,” Quacquarelli told Saudi Gazette. Representatives from the British Council and 26 universities including five from Saudi Arabia, 10 from the UK, six from the US, two from Spain and one each from Australia, Austria and France set up stands and responded to queries of candidates, mostly Saudi nationals. However, admissions are open for all nationalities. The British Council was targeting women candidates for its Springboard self-development program. “The Springboard program is pro-women but definitely not anti-men. It has been designed for women because research has shown that on personal development programs, women succeed better in a supportive all-female environment,” read the British Council brochure given away to a large number of women candidates who visited the stand. A day-long seminar was also held which discussed admissions procedures, scholarship criteria and a number of issues related to study abroad. Most of the queries were about scholarships, admissions procedures, and methods to keep in contact with foreign universities, said the QS World official. Quacquarelli said the basic aim of the roadshow, which was organized in close cooperation with King Saud University (KSU), was to help young professional Saudis choose from a number of internationally-renowned business schools and to get a better understanding of MBA programs and how they could help them in their careers. People can pursue an MBA in a number of disciplines that include finance, marketing, economy, accounting, and human resource development (HRD) among many other areas. “We encourage candidates to speak with university representatives, do their own online research on the business schools whose representatives they have already met in Riyadh and form an opinion about the types of institutions that might be right for them,” said Quacquarelli. He said many of those who attended Monday's roadshow would come to attend the QS World MBA Tour next year with a final decision as to which business school they have chosen to apply to. He said that the majority of Saudi candidates whom he met during the day-long seminar have proficiency in the English language, an added advantage to pursue MBA in foreign business schools. Once Saudi candidates are enrolled in a foreign educational institution, QS World will act as a facilitator by guiding them on visa procedures. He said unlike the UK and Canada which have a point-based visa qualification system, entry to the United States is a bit difficult. “It is true that gaining entry to the US is challenging these days for those who want to study there,” he said. Abdulkareem Dariwees, a Masters degree holder from a US university present at the roadshow, said he wanted to know about the procedures for applying for an MBA scholarship. “I can meet all the criteria to be eligible for a scholarship,” he said. However, he was a bit confused as to whether he could pursue an MBA program in areas of his interest, such as accounting, business administration or HR. Similarly, Abdullah M. Al-Ruyalat, a Jordanian employee of a multinational company, wanted to know if he could study for an MBA in business schools in Canada or Australia.
