10-week course to equip candidates with language and soft skills capabilities under guidance of expert teachers and counsellors
The Royal Commission for AlUla is conducting an intensive 10-week language and skills development course for 168 young Saudi citizens who have qualified for the Commission’s international scholarship programme announced earlier this year. The scholarship pre-departure training, which began on April 8, will run until June 10, 2018.
The sessions have been designed to equip the selected students with the basic skills they require to study in a foreign country and enable them to adapt to their new life overseas. As part of the training, expert teachers and educational counsellors are constantly assessing the participants’ linguistic, academic and behavioural competencies to enhance capabilities. During the 10-week period, the students will also take part in project work, field visits and cultural activities.
“The future of Saudi Arabia is in the hands of its youth. The Royal Commission for AlUla is keen to give our youth population a chance to contribute to the Kingdom’s development as well as the region’s progress as ambassadors of a future Saudi Arabia. The current training course is part of the Royal Commission’s continued efforts to introduce our youth to the best global practices and build a generation that is open to the world’s cultures and capable of achieving sustainable development,” said Muhammad Al-Khamis, Director of Scholarship Programme for the Royal Commission for AlUla.
The programme features modules to develop the participants’ English and French language proficiencies. These modules, delivered by native-speaking professionals, will enable the students to build up their oral and written communication.
Other modules in the course include soft skills training to improve the confidence and critical thinking capabilities of the candidates, and raise their awareness levels about the latest trends and developments within their chosen fields of study. As part of the pre-departure programme, students will also be taken on field visits to Masmak Fort, Kingdom Tower, the National Museum, Al-Diriyah and Landmark Park.
The comprehensive training will also provide them knowledge about the countries they would be residing in, and of how they can contribute meaningfully to the cultures of these nations. Besides, visits of officials from US and French embassies have been organised to address key cultural and social issues of concern to students from Saudi Arabia.
During the training period, the participants will be familiarised with US, UK and French language school and university offerings and relevant visa requirements. On the conclusion of the programme, the students will depart to their host destinations, where they will start the academic year with language training. Upon fulfilling the prerequisites, they will enter their respective academic courses to gain their Diplomas and Bachelors and Masters degrees. For the next round of the scholarship programme, which will begin in the Autumn the Royal Commission for AlUla is aiming to accept up to 300 students. Students who could not gain entry in the first phase of the programme, can reapply for the scholarship in this phase.
The Royal Commission for AlUla’s scholarship programme offers a rare opportunity for the youth of AlUla to gain access to world-class learning at some of the most prestigious global academic institutions in the US, the UK and France as well as other parts of the world. Students selected for the programme will earn diplomas and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in fields such as tourism, hospitality, agricultural technologies, archaeology, history and other specialisations that can help expedite AlUla development efforts
