british council newsletter saudi arabia

1 Spring2010

In thisissue

Editorial ............................................................................................... 1

Global luminaries view future of education at London forum......................................................... 2

Saudi delegation visits British education show in London ................................................................................ 4

New education collaboration under consideration ............ 5

Strong UK presence at education show.................................. 6

Outstanding Cambridge students in Saudi Arabia to be honoured ...................................................... 8

First Springboard Network Forum held in Riyadh .................................................................................10

Understanding heritage .............................................................12

Inaugural ELT session held in Al-Khobar...............................13

Saudi Changemaker calls on Gordon Brown.......................14

Jeddah-Birmingham community .............................................15

Visiting language expert gives teaching ..............................16

Connecting Clasrooms ................................................................18

PDSR Programme 2010...............................................................19

New batch of Saudis set for UK ...............................................19

Jeddah women’s centre..............................................................20

Saudi students briefed on undergraduate study in the UK ...............................................................................20

InTouch Newsletter is

compiled by

Andrew Mead at

MMSL,

UK Telephone:

0044 7940 55 99 25

KSA Telephone:

00966 506 271 151

email:

[email protected]

in co-operation with

Jumana House, Riyadh

Tel: 01 292 0451

Fax: 01 472 6962

[email protected]

Printed by

Star Printing Press,

Tel: 00966 1 241 2297

© Copyright of articles and photographs rests with the British Council Saudi Arabia.

1 Spring2010

EditorialDear Friends

Welcome to the latest edition of In Touch. I have now been back in the Kingdom for five months, and am enjoying it enormously. I am very grateful to colleagues, friends and contacts for their friendship and the work we do together.

In January we were delighted to join a senior Saudi delegation to the Learning & Technology World Forum in London, the largest educational meeting of its kind in the world, and the BETT education fair. The delegation was led by the Vice Minister of Education, HE Faisal Abdulrahman bin Muamar. The event was opened by the UK’s prime Minister, and attended by 70 ministers and more than 700 delegates – who between them are responsible for the education of 1 billion of the world’s children!

We were also delighted to support the International Exhibition of Higher Education, organised for the first time, extremely professionally, by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Higher Education. 67 British universities took part, which was the largest of any country, and demonstrates once again the strength of educational ties between our two countries, as well as the UK universities commitment to even closer cooperation.

In March we launched a new project, Global Xchange. We run this project with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) which has 50 years experience managing volunteering around the world. In Saudi Arabia we are delighted to be launching the project in partnership with Al-Majid Society in Jeddah. The project will share the UK’s experience and policy for managing volunteering at a national level, and support an exchange of community practitioners. Later in the year young male volunteers from each country will exchange visits to work on volunteer projects. This exchange will help build understanding between our two kingdoms, and, importantly, give young British people a chance to learn more about Saudi Arabia and share these positive impressions and experiences in their communities.

I look forward to seeing many of you at these and other events.

With best wishes

Adrian Chadwick

1 Spring2010

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2010

Prominent ministers, policymakers

and influencers in the education and

skills sector gathered in London on 11

January for the official opening of the

three-day Learning and Technology

World Forum 2010 (www.latwf.org), the

largest international event on the use of

technology in education.

Global luminaries view future of education at London forum

Gordon Brown

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The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown,

described the Forum as “an invaluable

opportunity for countries to learn from

one another; I am proud that the UK

nurtures and attracts so many learners

who benefit from the expertise of our

teachers and lecturers.”

This year, the forum’s overarching theme

was ‘re-imagining education’, covering

three major international concerns:

enabling regeneration and economic

recovery, striving for excellence, and

preparing for the future.

Sessions focused on a range of topics,

including eradicating social exclusion;

using education to stimulate economic

growth, the future of children’s

online safety, and transforming lives

in disadvantaged communities. The

delegation went on to visit a ‘Future

School’ in Gravesend to look at modern

approaches to teaching and the learning

environment.

Faisal bin Muammar, Deputy Minister of

Education, headed the Saudi delegation

and said, “This forum comes in the

context of major advances in the use

of IT in international education. We

seek to benefit from it for our ambitious

development projects. We also had the

opportunity to discuss the future direction

of our education reform programme.”

HE Faisal bin Muaamar (left), Vice Minister of Education and Dr. Ali Al-Hakami, TATWEER General Manager

3 Spring2010


2010

Saudi delegation visits British education show in London

Six men and two women from the Saudi Ministry of Education and the King Abdullah Project for the Development of Public Education (Tatweer) attended the week-long British Education and Training Technology (BETT) exhibition in London recently.

To complement the BETT Show, the British Council has for the last four years organised study tours for Saudi partners. This year’s delegation was delighted to be involved in the event and found the experience quite inspiring. “It is wonderful to see such a broad range of exciting new products, resources and seminars,” said

Ali Al-Dossari.

“We are in the phase of enhancing the use of ICT in our schools in Saudi Arabia and therefore found this a good opportunity to observe the UK practice and products,” said Najyah Al-Thubyani, an ICT expert from the Tatweer project.

Saudi delegation at the BETT Show and LATWF forum.

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From right: Dr Mohammed Al Hamed, Dr Abdulhalim Mazi, Professor Gunther Kress, Dr Raphael Wilkins and Mr. Chris Price.

New education collaboration under consideration

The Institute of Education, University of

London (IOE), and the Centre for Higher

Education Research and Studies (CHERS)

are considering the possibilities of

collaboration in the field of education.

Officials from both institutions met

in Riyadh on January 30 to discuss

establishing academic links between

CHERS and IOE.

They discussed research cooperation,

academic staff exchanges and leadership

in education programmes. It was decided

that academics from both institutions

would meet and explore joint research

opportunities.

Speaking after the meeting, Christopher

Price, International Relations Manager

at IOE, said, “We are left very optimistic

that a sound basis for collaboration exists

between the IOE and CHERS.”

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Strong UK presence at education show

UK educational institutions formed the largest contingent at the first International Exhibition for Higher Education hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education, under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, at the Riyadh International Exhibition Centre in January.

The largest of its kind in Saudi Arabia, the exhibition proved a big success in terms of number of participants and visitors – over 250,000, according

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to Othman Al-Thabit, vice-chairman of the exhibition committee.

The British Council organised a seminar and networking session, bringing together 12 new Saudi universities and 28 UK universities. The two groups identified points of contact and discussed future links, joint supervision programmes and

academic and research cooperation.

Allen Swales, International Officer at Cambridge University, congratulated the Ministry of Higher Education for successfully organising such a large event: “I think it was a wonderful exhibition, the best educational event I have attended in Saudi Arabia.”

7 Spring2010


2010

Outstanding Cambridge students in Saudi Arabia honoured

University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), in partnership with the British Council, recently hosted the Cambridge Outstanding Achiever Awards 2010 in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam to celebrate the impressive academic achievements of secondary school students in the Kingdom.

CIE Regional Manager for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, William Bickerdike, said: “As the awards indicate, performance in Saudi Arabia this year has been particularly strong, with over 20 students ranked in the global top five, and eight students winning CIE’s prestigious

Top in the World award. The results in the June 2009 examinations are proof that quality education and an international perspective, such as the one Cambridge provides in its teaching, have motivated the talent that exists in Saudi Arabia.”

Head teachers from the schools attended a Principals’ Forum after the awards. Mr Bickerdike presented an overview of the Cambridge International Curriculum, including Cambridge IGCSE and the new suite of syllabuses. Participants also heard about a range of CIE activities and the extensive support available to teachers in Saudi Arabia.

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Seated from left: Mr. William Bickerdike, Regional Manager Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan, University of Cambridge International Examinations, Dr. Samir AlUmran, Director of Girls’ Education in Eastern Province, KSA, Mr. Kashif Chauhan, Deputy Regional Exams Manager, British Council and Mr. Wissam Al Hassanieh, Development Manager, Cambridge International Examinations. Behind are

the high achiever students and British Council staff in Eastern Province


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First Springboard Network Forum held in Riyadh

130 Springboard graduates, trainers,

guest speakers, and women interested in

self-development programmes gathered

for the first Springboard Network Forum in

Riyadh on January 4.

In an inspiring speech, Dr Hessah

Alsheikh, Dean of the women’s college

at Al-Yamamah University, discussed the

development of Saudi women and their

achievements in education. She praised

the Springboard initiative, aimed at

building a world of integrated activities

and opportunities for Saudi women.

Huda Balbeisi, a Springboard graduate,

said, “Springboard is my spaceship to

conquer the world of self-development. It

empowers me with what I need to build my

personality.”

The large gathering reflected the

enthusiasm and commitment of

Springboard graduates towards the

programme. Springboard now has a

strong network of members from various

backgrounds, and the forum participants

expressed their interest in joining

specialised networks that meet their

needs in various fields such as education,

employment and health.

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2010

Understanding heritage through photography

Marcus Gilbert, British Council Director, West Saudi Arabia.

A Treasure Hunt was also held at the National Museum in Riyadh over two days; one for women and the other for men. The

participants looked for clues in different departments representing different periods in Saudi history. The judging panel included Dr Abdullah Al-Saud, Director of the National Museum, and Dr Delail Al-Qahtani, Director of the Women’s Section at the National Museum.

One participant said, “This is an amazing activity. We worked closely together despite not knowing one another. It was a new way of using photography to learn about our heritage.”

More than 130 photographers and their families participated in a Social Treasure Hunt for Cultural Heritage that involved photographing historical sites in Jeddah and Riyadh.

The event was held in partnership with Jeddah Municipality, Association of Arts and Culture Jeddah, Jeddah Shooters, the Association of Photographers and the British Council.

Participants followed clues and took pictures around historical sites in Al-Balad, Jeddah’s old town. The entries were evaluated by a panel comprising renowned photographer Dr Esa Angawi; Sami Nawar, Director of Tourism and Culture for Jeddah Municipality; and

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Inaugural ELT session held in Al-Khobar

The British Council hosted its inaugural English Language Teaching (ELT) Network meeting in Al-Khobar recently. The aim of these meetings is to provide a chance for ELT professionals and organisations to come together to share their expertise and experience. This first meeting was hosted by Jon Gore, Deputy Director of the British Council in Saudi Arabia, and Michael Manser, ELT Consultant. Participants included Dr Nabeel Samarkandi, Head of English at the Ministry of Education; William Harrison and Dr Mohammed Khattab of Saad Schools; Ian Griffin of the British International School (BISAK); and Philipp Fernald of the International House Eastern Province and SASREF.

Participants identified opportunities for potential future co-operation in areas including teacher training, testing and

assessment, the Connecting Classrooms project, and teaching children with communication disorders. The British Council introduced its range of online resources, including www.teachingenglish.org.uk and www.learnenglish.org.uk. We aim to raise participation among Saudi teachers in local, regional and international ELT conferences, and participants explored the internet link to this year’s IATEFL presentations:

http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2009/media/video

Similar local networks are planned in Riyadh, Jeddah and in the south of the country, all of which will eventually be linked to a national network. A programme is also planned for professional ELT women.

13 Spring2010

A class in the English Language at the British Council Allied Centre, Liverpool, UK.


2010

Saudi Changemaker calls on Gordon Brown

A young Global Changemaker from Saudi

Arabia met British Prime Minister Gordon

Brown at 10 Downing Street recently, to

report on the outcome of the Global Youth

Summit held in the UK at the end of 2009.

Twenty-year-old Amnah Fakieh was one

of 12 young people selected to meet

Mr Brown, out of a group of sixty Global

Changemakers from forty countries who

had attended the 5-day summit to share

best practice in social work.

Global Changemakers is an international

network where young people between 16

and 25 share ideas and work on projects

that directly impact the lives of people in

their local communities. Each year, a select

group of Global Changemakers is chosen

to participate in high-profile political and

economic events, to act as advocates and

to raise decision-makers’ awareness of

key issues on the global agenda.

Six Global Changemakers were selected

during the summit to attend the World

Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland in

January. They attended a number of high-

level panels, engaged with the world’s

most influential business and political

leaders and lent a grass-roots perspective

to the Forum’s proceedings.

Founded for the Annual Meeting of the WEF

in Davos in 2007, Global Changemakers

has since participated in the forum’s

events in Davos, Sharm El-Sheikh and Cape

Town, as well as the Global Humanitarian

Forum, the World Climate Conference and

the G20. Individual supporters include

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, former

US President Bill Clinton, and actress

Emma Thompson. Gordon Brown serves

as its patron.

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A new international exchange programme involving community practitioners in Jeddah and Birmingham was launched recently.

Jointly initiated by the British Council and the Majid Society for Development and Social Services, the Community Xchange (CX) identified 14 Saudi and 13 British participants. The Saudi volunteers travelled to Birmingham in February and worked with their host community for three weeks. A return exchange, hosting the British volunteers, will take place in Jeddah.

Community Xchange is a component of Global Xchange, and draws on the British Council’s global expertise in cultural relations, Voluntary Service Overseas’ (VSO) skills in international volunteering programmes and the Jeddah-based Majid Society’s knowledge of local community needs. Global Xchange has been running

Jeddah-Birmingham community exchange programme launched

since 2005, bringing together over 1000

volunteers in communities throughout the

UK with volunteers in 25 other countries,

including Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia,

Bahrain and Oman.

Key programme components include

training, job shadowing, skills sharing,

networking, community field trips and

living in local host homes. Participants also

work together to set up an intercultural

community event, where the entire

community is invited to meet and share

their skills, experiences and stories.

Community Xchange aims to build the

skills of youth and community workers

to be active global citizens in the

development of their communities. We

hope to strengthen the volunteering

sector in Saudi Arabia and encourage

young people to take up volunteering and

community service opportunities.


2010

Visiting language expert gives teaching tips to ELT professionals

The British Council organized a presentation on English teaching for a group of ELT professionals in Riyadh on March 1.

The presentation was made by Robert McLarty, Publishing Manager for Business English and ESP Courses, Oxford University Press (OUP), who was on a visit to Saudi Arabia recently. Among those who attended the presentation were professionals from King Saud University, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Development and Training Academy, and Technical and Vocational Training Corporation.

The two-part presentation began with a session titled, ESP Today. McLarty used practical, interactive methods to demonstrate how to achieve a balance between content, language work and communicative practices. Examples were

drawn from the pharmaceutical, telecom and oil and gas industries.

Moving on to “A five-point plan towards better business English teaching,” McLarty encouraged the participants to try out a range of activities from recent OUP publications which help students to experience interesting and useful language learning. The stress was on using materials that are serious and reflect the modern world.

The presentation was followed by a dinner where participants interacted with McLarty and shared their own experiences of being an ELT professional in Saudi Arabia.

The event was the result of a successful collaboration between the Skills for Employability and the English for Workplace project teams.

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2010

70 teachers from Saudi Schools attended

a series of ‘Effective Communication Skills’

training programme between February

and March 2010 in Jeddah, Dammam and

Riyadh. The programme was conducted

by Maureen Franks, an English adviser and

consultant to the ‘English for the Future’

project in Saudi Arabia.

The purpose of the training was to

help the teachers gain confidence in

communicating with their UK partner

schools. As most of the communication is

carried out in English, the training covered

various topics to help develop writing

skills. They included: How to write clear

and concise emails using formal English;

How to write to someone that I don’t know;

Passing information as clearly as possible;

Asking questions and seeking clarification;

and Writing and formatting an informative

document.

The highly collaborative Jeddah session

gave the participants ample opportunity to

practice the required skills, ask questions

and share their experiences. The

communication tools used were specific

to meet the needs of stakeholders.

The initiative is seen as a good example

of teacher-development using ‘English for

the Workplace’ skill sets.

Connecting Classrooms teachers brush up communication skills

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BAE to continue support for research programme

BAe Systems Saudi Arabia has announced that they will continue to support the Post-Doctoral Summer Research (PDSR) Programme in 2010.

The PDSR Programme, an academic research collaboration programme developed by the British Council, enables Saudi academics to work alongside their UK counterparts. It is designed to

New batch of Saudis set for UK studies under SABB scholarshipSABB has selected a new intake of five Saudis for study in the UK under its Scholarship Scheme for 2010.

The Scholarship Scheme, funded by SABB and managed by the British Council, aims to increase the availability of post-graduate level education to Saudi nationals. The

introduce Saudi university staff, many with US research experience, to research facilities and methods in the United Kingdom. The programme also increases their insight into the range and quality of British higher education.

Unique to Saudi Arabia, the programme has been sponsored by BAe Systems Saudi Arabia since 1991. Over 400 academics have undertaken research attachments in the UK under the programme in the last 19 years. This year, 26 researchers are taking part.

Speaking about her placement in 2009, Dr. Maisa Al-Korashy, Vice Dean of the Mathematics Department at King Saud University, commented, “The PDSR Programme gave me the opportunity to work and meet with qualified researchers in top UK universities and learn at close hand how research teams work together to produce highly beneficial results.”

scheme supports five Saudis each year on

finance or banking-related MBAs in the UK;

since its inception in 1997, it has enabled

48 people to study in the UK. For more

information on the programme, contact

the British Council or visit our website:

www.britishcouncil.org/me

From left: NV Rajendran, Assistant Director Networks at the British Council, Monther Tayeb, Head of PR

and Comms, BAE Systems, Adrian Chadwick, British Council Director, Jon Gore, Deputy Director British Council and Jamal AlSahaf, PR and Comms Officer,

BAE Systems


2010

Saudi students briefed on undergraduate study in the UK

Jeddah women’s centre MOVES to new locationThe British Council has upgraded its women’s centre in Jeddah, bringing it onto the same floor as the men’s centre. Previously women’s operations took place in a rather unsuitable building in a different area of the city. Saudi architect Reda Sijiniy drew up the new floor plan,

maintaining real segregation for male and female students and creating extra classrooms by doing away with the previous somewhat palatial reception area. The end result is a new look, new classrooms and a wonderful new working environment for our staff and customers.

33 Saudi students interested in studying in Britain attended a presentation by Diana Rayan, Promotion Advisor for Education and Exams, at the British Council’s Jeddah office recently.

The presentation highlighted the UK’s world-class education system, and the students were briefed on various subjects including degree courses, admission requirements, overseas qualifications,

quality assurance, choosing the right institution, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) application process, scholarships, and visa information. The students came prepared with many questions of their own, asking about accommodation options, living expenses and cultural diversity. 17-year-old Zahar Al-Gain said that “the presentation was very useful - it guided me on how to choose colleges in the UK.”

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201021 Spring2010

british council newsletter saudi arabia

Education

vice minister of education

new education collaboration

saudi students

education andskills

bett education fair

saudi delegationgrowth

saudi changemaker

uk telephone