Saudis at UNT for global educational exchange

UNT hosted 10 educators and three translators from Saudi Arabia on Aug. 29 as part of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored visit.

While on campus, the delegation met with President Gretchen M. Bataille and attended discussions about the role of public education in the United States and how religion, culture and politics are taught at America's public universities.

UNT is the only public, four-year university that the delegation visited in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

View the photo gallery from the visit >>

 

Telling UNT's story

"This is an exciting opportunity for UNT to offer the Saudi Arabian delegation insight about four-year public institutions of higher education in Texas and to showcase our university," Bataille said. "Reaching out to members of our global community and welcoming this delegation to our campus is consistent with our commitment to internationalization as outlined in the UNT Strategic Plan. I aim for UNT to engage in more of these opportunities to partner and share information with international institutions."

The delegates toured the main UNT campus and attended a reception with a group of UNT's Saudi students.

Earl F. Gibbons Jr., UNT vice provost and associate vice president for international education said the opportunity for the delegation to meet directly with UNT's Saudi students is especially important as this is the first opportunity for most members of the group to visit the United States. Of the 10 visitors, only three have traveled to the U.S. before this trip.

 "The students are excited to be involved in the visit," he said. "They will be able to tell the delegation firsthand about their personal experiences as UNT students."

Sharing the U.S. education model

The Saudi delegation will visit a variety of public, private and religious schools in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta to learn the role of the state and federal government in education policies and operations, equality of opportunity between religious and public institutions, and the diversity of approaches to education.

"This is recognition that UNT is seen as a national and international actor on a large scale," said Gibbons. "State Department visits are very important to U.S. relations, and since Saudi Arabia is one of our key allies, this is significant. We want to show the visitors that universities in the United States, and UNT in particular, seek to educate students about the complex global environment while encouraging them to have an appreciation for other cultures and traditions."

The UNT/Saudi connection

The delegation visit is another event in a growing history between UNT and Saudi Arabia.

"I am especially honored to welcome this delegation to our campus because of UNT's strong connections with Saudi Arabia and the influence of our alumni in that country, including Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States Adel A. Al-Jubeir," Bataille said.

Al-Jubeir earned a UNT bachelor's degree in 1982 and a master's in 1986. He was awarded an honorary doctorate and the university's Distinguished Alumnus award in 2006.

In January 2007, more than 80 UNT alumni and friends joined Bataille for an alumni reception at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. In addition to the public reception Jan. 22, Saudi Arabia Ambassador Prince Turki Al-Faisal welcomed Bataille and about 30 UNT and Saudi guests to his home for dinner, including Nawal Al-Jubeir, also a 1982 UNT graduate and sister of Adel A. Al-Jubeir, who now serves as academic advisor for the education office of the Saudi embassy.