More than 120 Saudi Aramco-sponsored students recently traveled to Birmingham from 18 universities to participate in an open discussion with Samir A. Al-Tubayyeb, executive director of Employees Relations and Training, and representatives of Saudi Aramco's Career Development Department office in the United Kingdom. The participants were undergraduates in the College Degree Program for Non-Employees (CDPNE) and post-graduate degree candidates. Al-Tubayyeb said the aim of the visit was to see things from the students' perspective. “I want to see first-hand their experiences in order to deliver complete and well-informed solutions to the current issues they face,” he said. Nabeel Y. Al-Ajaj, head of Career Development's UK office, said that among the most challenging issues any organization faces are managing and developing talent, a press release issued by Aramco said at the weekend. “Our people are our most important asset,” he said, “and thus we value their training and career development because they are the backbone of the company and an important driver of our success.” The discussion began with Al-Tubayyeb encouraging students to speak out and share their thoughts, and to embrace their new environment and learn from the people they encounter. “You are not alone,” he said. “There is a strong system behind you.” Once viewpoints had been raised and aired, Al-Tubayyeb and Al-Ajaj presented high achievers with awards. One of these was Badr Waleed Alrumaih, a geophysics major at the University of Leeds, who received an outstanding achievement award for his contribution to the Leeds Saudi Cultural Group and his role in the Saudi International Innovation Conference 2008-009. “We are fortunate to be a part of this unique project and we realize its value,” Alrumaih said. “As well as studying full time, many students take their role as ambassadors for the company and their country very seriously.” Another student, Munira K. Al-Abdulqader, the first Saudi Aramco-sponsored woman to graduate from a UK university, commented on her undergraduate studies in computer science at the University of Surrey. “Living in a multicultural society has given me confidence,” she said. “My time here has been amazing, and has definitely made me a stronger person.” Over the last 18 months, about 420 Saudi Aramco-sponsored students have moved to the UK to pursue their career paths in areas as diverse as petroleum and electrical engineering, geology and geophysics, and management information systems. They are enrolled in some of the country's top academic institutions, including the universities of Nottingham, Leeds and Birmingham.
