Prince Sultan University hosts a delegation of Johns Hopkins University students in an event sponsored by Al Mashrik Contracting Company
November 2017
Students exchange academic experiences and promote cultural dialogue within the framework of the “Hayakem” program
The University hosts a delegation of Johns Hopkins University students
The University, represented by the Department of Public Relations and Information and in cooperation with the Office of International Relations, hosted an event on November 19, 2017 welcoming a delegation of students from Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.
The group included 22 students from various nationalities and cultures.
A banner to welcome the students outside the University.
The delegation was hosted by the Ministry of Education to showcase the comprehensive renaissance witnessed by the Kingdom. Event planners identified prominent universities, research centers, and tourist attractions with the goal of discussing ways to enhance academic and research cooperation between Saudi and American universities, especially Johns Hopkins University. The event was sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Al Mashrik Contracting Company.
A program to highlight the exchange of academic experiences and the promotion of cultural dialogue.
For the event, Prince Sultan University prepared a program to highlight the exchange of academic experiences and the promotion of cultural dialogue. The delegation was received enthusiastically on campus with an elaborate entrance experience before hearing about the university and its programs, which serve as a model for the Kingdom’s developments in university education in general and private education in particular.
Details of the day were intended to showcase Saudi culture, heritage, and customs in a variety of ways. A tent was installed in the university’s main lobby to receive the delegation. The Office of International Relations and the Deanship of Student Affairs hosted the students.
A tent was installed in the university’s main lobby to receive the delegation.
The delegation participated in cultural and folk activities, such as a Najdi show, a taste of Saudi folk dishes, the experience of wearing the pasht, the cloak and the henna, a workshop in the Arabic calligraphy, and the practice of some old games. The university also distributed souvenirs to students, including Saudi uniforms such as pasht, shemagh, hat, headband, cloak … and other gifts and activities.
The visiting student delegation attended a meeting with university officials, led by HE Dr. Rima Bint Saleh Al Yahya, Vice Dean for Student Affairs. An exchange of questions and ideas with their counterparts from Prince Sultan University ensued.
University officials welcomed the visit of the student delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressing the importance of scientific exchange, cultural communication and constant dialogue among different civilizations.
Exchange—especially with a leading scientific institution as Johns Hopkins University—has a positive impact on students at both universities.
The delegation participated in cultural and folk activities, such as a taste of Saudi folk dishes.
As a program, “Hayakem” focuses on university students from outside the Kingdom, facilitating the exchange of scientific and cultural communication with leading scientific universities. It was initiated by the students of Prince Sultan University in 2016 with the aim of building bridges between their student body and those of other universities around the world, exchanging experiences and understanding of cultures and creating friendships. The program invites students from universities abroad to visit Prince Sultan University and conduct joint cultural activities outside it. By promoting relations between the university and many universities in different countries, Prince Sultan University is seeking foreign exchange study opportunities and organizing summer trips for its own students in addition to expanding hosted events on its own campus.
The delegation was received enthusiastically on campus with an elaborate entrance experience.
A short video of the event.
Last year, the University hosted a delegation of researchers and graduate students from the United States’ Harvard University. Twenty-six Harvard students from different nationalities and civilizations, led by researchers from the Gulf, convened at Prince Sultan University.
In addition to hosting delegations from abroad, the university promotes an array of other cultural and scientific exchanges, including an external semester program. During this study opportunity, a group of students are invited to spend a full semester at another international university. An annual international summer trip for male and female students is also offered. Other universities abroad host a delegation of university students for two weeks within the framework of an integrated program of cultural exchange. In addition, the FULLBRIDGE program has been in place for years, led by professors from a consortium of universities, including Harvard. The program fills the gap between theoretical and practical study, giving students applied learning opportunities in their chosen field of study.