Students sent abroad on scholarships by Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) are directed toward technical specializations it needs, Dr. Ali Al-Ghufais, Governor of the corporation, has stressed. TVTC scholarship students, he said, differ from those given scholarships by the Ministry of Higher Education with regard to choices available for them in foreign universities. However, several TVTC scholarship students have expressed frustration over the restrictions on areas of study and universities they can attend. They added that they do not have the range of choices given to the Ministry of Higher Education's scholarship students. Dr. Al-Ghufais said that because the Ministry of Higher Education focuses on academic subjects, it sends its students to universities with those types of specializations. He said the TVTC's attention, though, is focused on applied and practical subjects so it sends its students to universities and institutes that concentrate on those realms, Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Dr. Al-Ghufais as saying. TVTC scholarships have been awarded to 1,100 students in the first stage of the program. Dr. Al-Ghufais said controls for giving students scholarships are the same for all government authorities, but each authority lays down specific criteria to suit its needs. “This is what the TVTC does and it informs the Cultural Attaché offices supervising Saudi scholarship students,” he said. The TVTC sends students on scholarship to several countries including the USA, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Holland, Finland, Norway, Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and India. The list of eligible students has been extended to include 50 universities and institutes of technology in Canada, Australia, Sweden and Malaysia that meet the TVTC requirements, Dr. Al-Ghufais said.
