Australian Embassy

Saudi Arabia

Embassy address: Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh - Telephone: 966 1 488 7788 - Fax: 966 1 488 7973

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NEW POST-STUDY WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA

SPEECH BY THE AMBASSADOR OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA, DR MANAYER AL-NASSER REGARDING SAUDI STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA

Al Riyadh Newspaper, 3 October 2011

The Ambassador of international students in Australia, the poet Dr. Manayer al-Nasser, assured that sending students on scholarships from Saudi Arabia has achieved the goals planned by the leader of our mission, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Manyer said: `Most of the problems of scholarship students studying in Australia are caused by the ignorance of some students with the scholarship’s systems and the laws and regulations of the Australian Government, lack of understanding of the culture of the Australian people, and controversy and improper conduct related to some issues out of curiosity, which negatively reflected on them and exposed them to problems’.

She added: `the Saudi Ambassador to Australia, Hassan bin Talat Nazer, has already stressed the need to avoid places that may cause problems for the veiled women, or what would provoke or cause disputes with others around the issue of the veil, and the Saudi Embassy in Australia issued its direction to Saudi women warning them from being in the places of provocation and the need to walk around along with a Mahram’.

Regarding the educational aspects, she said: `the most prominent obstacles to scholarships in general and Saudis in particular are related to some language institutes, where some students come with a weak level of qualification due to the level of language taught in our public schools. This made the student stay for long period at the Institute of language, which may have a bad psychological effect on the student. The Ministry of Higher Education worked to avoid this problem by opening language institutes within the Kingdom, and not to send the student on a scholarship but after receiving a degree that qualifies him to the study’. She also said that: `some scholarships arrive to Australia as soon as they obtain the visa, and without completing the scholarship requirements for their study plan, which may expose them to delays in the completion of their files at the Attaché and may also delay receiving their entitlements. For some students whom are studying at their own expenses, who could not get accepted in the Saudi universities due to their poor grades and lack of acquiring the required percentage in the admission tests, they come to study at some private Australian universities where the language program may not be specialized, the thing that keeps the student for a long time at the Institute due to the students’ poor level and the keenness of the Institute to make financial gains. Manayer said that the scholarship student must comply with the regulations and standards of scholarship and placement so that we can achieve the objectives of the scholarship. Manayer added: `this was discussed in the meeting we had with the Ambassador of Australia to the Kingdom, Mr. Neil Hawkins, accompanied by the President of the Saudi students’ Club in Sydney, and a selected number of scholarships. Mr. Neil Hawkins understands very well the culture of the Arabs and Muslims, he speaks Arabic fluently, and he listened to us with great interest. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Hawkins thanked us and confirmed that he will refer all the comments to the officials for consideration and finding solutions’. She continued: `the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Hassan Talat Nazer, praised the meeting that participated in building bridges of relationships and cultures between the Kingdom and Australia in order to support and develop education for scholarship students’. Manayer al-Nasser confirmed that there is beautiful responses from the Australian universities towards the Muslim Students, she said: `types of such responses and understanding included that, during last Ramadan most lectures were delayed to begin at ten in the morning, allow the students to leave early taking into account the time of breakfast, reduce the lectures during Eid holidays, and arranging prayer areas within the Australian universities due to the large number of international Muslim students whom are keen on the performing their prayers and breakfast in groups.’ Manayer confirmed that the Attaché’s usage of the internet portal contributed to the speedy completion of scholarships transactions despite the large number of students, over 10,000 male and female students. She said `we, as students, should excuse the attaché in case of a delay in any transaction because each Attaché staff has undergoing transactions of more than 300 students’. Manayer concluded her speech by saying: `I would like to thank the Ambassador and the Cultural Attaché and the Saudi Club in Sydney for my honorary during the graduation ceremony of 2011 on the occasion of receiving the position of the Ambassador of international students in Australia, which is an honorary voluntarily position granted by the city council based on a nomination by universities for excellent and students of highest caliber, who are considered active members of society. My Hijab and proud of my religion, values, and principles did not hinder me from representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in many international forums, and wishing many happy returns to our Kingdom, its leaders, and people’.