Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 8 | Page 28

28 | JADE
HIGHLIGHT #1 | 29
SAUDI TO STAFFS: LEARNING EXPERIENCES FROM SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS’
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH VISITS TO KEELE UNIVERSITY 2011 TO 2016
PAUL ROACH & MARK SMITH
ensuring the students have a safe space such as kitchens in
which they can relax as a group in the evenings.
3. Professionalism: Many of the students seem comparatively
immature and so sensitive guidance is given around the conduct
that is expected in lectures, when contacting members of
clinical and research staff, and the self-directed learning for their
projects. A tutor from Al Imam University has accompanied the
students for at least part of their stay and can assist in broaching
any difficult issues. Timekeeping and punctuality can be a cause
for concern, the students need occasional reminders about
attendance, so registers have been kept for key sessions.
4. Cultural activities: A part of the original brief, some cultural
activities have always been provided so the students get a
broader idea of what life and work in the west is like, not just the
typical tourist’s view. In the first few years, weekend visits included
a museum or a castle, and a church, as well as a tour of Keele
Hall as a typical English country house to explore a little about
history, architecture and class. More recently this has varied to
include visits offered through Keele’s International Office, and a
social evening of traditional fish and chips at the home of one of
the authors. The latter has been an experience of different foods,
eating and socialising habits, and a chance for the students to
see ISTM staff alongside their families, with children and partners
brought along to the social evening to furthr broaden student’s
interaction with western culture. This has been very well received
and is always a point of reflection during student feedback
sessions. The students have gained in confidence over the years,
based on the experience of those who visited Keele in past years
and also the recognition of Keele’s programme within Al Imam.
Students now tend to organise their own excursions, including
Old Trafford, Alton Towers, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool and
London, being a mix of fun and adventure, alongside those who
want to learn more about English culture.
A long-term objective of running the Saudi medical student visit
programme here at Keele has always been to encourage some of the
students to return to Keele for a Masters level course or a PhD. While
there have been many very bright and well-motivated students, and
some visits from individual students in their later years for deeper
research or clinical experience, so far none have opted to come to
Keele for a higher degree. But several have produced posters and
journal articles, the visiting Saudi tutors have explored research
links with Keele, and in all other respects the programme has met
its objectives. There has been interest in the new Keele MMedSci in
Oncology to suit those students finishing their medical degree and
with an interest working in medical research before specialising.
So far there have been a total of 92 Saudi undergraduate students
visit Keele under this programme with a total of £180,000 income
generated. Of this, direct payments are made to staff who supervise
their individual projects, this money is then used to fund research
projects in ISTM’s laboratories so Keele’s research has benefitted
by at least £50,000. Once all staff costs and overheads have been
accounted for, the clear profit made by the programme is over
£25,000, which ISTM has re-invested into new initiatives, including
the encouragement of international links. In addition the students and
the accompanying tutors have brought accommodation bookings
to the University exceeding £45,000, creating clear benefits for the
local economy.
Overall, the success of the programme has been the
internationalisation of our research teams, the stimulation of having
new students in the labs over the summer, and the generation of ideas
for new international postgraduate programmes to tap new markets.
The Dean of Medical & Health Sciences, Prof Andy Garner, flew out
to Riyadh in 2015 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Dean at Al Imam University, which cements the relationship. It is
hoped that in the future the programme can be expanded to bring
female undergraduates from the same medical school too.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge to following colleagues
without whom the Saudi visiting medical student programme would
not have flourished:
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All the lecturers and tutors in the Faculty of Medical & Health
Sciences who took part in the programme, members of the Royal
Stoke University Hospital who helped with tours of hospital
clinical and research facilities (with special thanks to Prof Josep
Sule-Suso for his unfailing enthusiasm)
Faculty Dean and Directors of ISTM: Prof Andy Garner, Prof
Gordon Ferns, Prof Alicia El Haj, Prof Nicholas Forsyth
International Office team: Elissa Williams, Sian Colley and Mark
Coates
Facilitators: Mrs Paula Marsh and Mr Joseph Clarke, plus the
technical and reception teams at GHRC who have helped
maintain a high standard for our visitors