Saudi Gazette Saudi scholarship students who have completed their graduation abroad encounter a 'clash of civilizations' when they return home. After acquiring higher qualifications from highly advanced countries and developed societies, they eagerly return to their country to make a difference in the lives of their people, however they face bitter realities. They soon realize that their countrymen are not at all prepared for changes; all the hard work they had put in abroad and the success they had achieved sound irrelevant to them. Their independent personality struggles to find a place back home as their very own society refuses to adapt to those changes. Speaking to the Saudi Gazette, a number of scholarship graduates who have completed their higher studies abroad said that they feel the difference between general situations, standard of education and progress achieved by other countries and their home country. People in general are not keen on developing or updating themselves with the latest happening around the world, especially in scientific fields. Such a situation frustrates them, and they see their years of hard work going down the drain, which obviously disappoints them. Turki Al-Tuwaireqi is a typical example of these young graduates. After graduating in accountancy from King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, he secured his master's degree and fellowship from abroad. "The Kingdom is unfit for university graduates, especially for those who have completed courses under scholarship program. When I came back home after a gap of over six years, I was shocked to encounter with a completely different environment, where middlemen continue to play a great role in most affairs of daily life," he said. "It is not possible for us to develop the nation by ourselves. It is easier for us to adapt to new customs and embrace different cultures that are regarded among the best; but it is impossible to return to backwardness after achieving advancement and progress," he further said. Al-Tuwaireqi was disappointed to see the plight of his people upon returning home for it was still the same and he fears that it may get worse. "Our people still refuse to adapt to development and breathtaking changes. All these impediments stand in the way of realizing a world that we dream, and such problems force us to leave for abroad once again," he said. Amal Assiri, who has obtained her bachelor's degree from a British university, also shares Al-Tuwaireqi views. She said it was very difficult to adapt to the situation back home when she returned after completing studies. "I was very eager to return to my country after studying abroad for many years but here I have had to confront traditions, customs and cultures that are totally contradictory to what I have absorbed from abroad. I see these customs quite unacceptable and illogical because they prevent me from working in several fields and force me to work in fields that are not at all related to my studies," she said. Assiri does not disrespect her country and neither does she have any bad feelings for the great nation, it's just certain things which upset her. "I am striving hard to adjust to the situation as much as I can over here. However, there are several basic deficiencies in our society which refuses to embrace any new cultures or even adjust to little changes that do not harm our religion or morality, on the contrary, they contribute substantially to elevate our position besides re-emphasizing the fact that our religion of Islam is a religion relevant for all periods and time," she said. She also feels that education and presence of middlemen in the affairs of public life is in a bad state. "Our society still believes that all that represents the West is unsound even if we strove to embrace only positive and beautiful elements of the Western culture and customs," she added. Saud Murad, a graduate from University of Oxford, said he was reluctant to return to the Kingdom because of the unstable situation prevailing in the Arab world. He feels that the Arab world is still sentimental and refuses to have any changes. "Even after having such a frustration, I tried to return to the Kingdom and find a job suitable to my educational qualification, but I realized that a foreigner with a similar certificate that I have gets more recognition than me. Even though there are efforts to send us abroad on scholarship programs in order to improve the education system in the country, there is still reluctance in our acceptance; and they are biased while granting them most of their rights. Murad is of the view that the society still looks up to certain traditions and have attitudes that have nothing to do with religion. "It is very difficult to fight most of these negativities single-handedly against the society as a whole," he added.
