No recognition for Ukraine universities, students left in lurch

Saudis studying at Ukrainian universities are calling for the Ministry of Higher Education to solve their problems, which started when the ministry withdrew its recognition of universities in Ukraine. Saudi students who study at these universities face a big problem when their certificates are not authenticated in the Kingdom. Most Saudis in Ukraine are studying at their own expense. They traveled to Ukraine escaping the difficult procedure of getting admitted at Saudi universities. Amira Sabbah, a Saudi who graduated from a medical college in Ukraine, claimed that she and her sister applied to the university after receiving the green light from the Ministry of Higher Education. According to Sabbah, the Saudi students in Ukraine met with a Saudi delegation, which told them to continue at the same university. They also promised to approve their certificates. “After we returned to Saudi Arabia, the ministry refused to approve our certificates. As a result, we are now jobless,” said Sabbah. Ibrahim Al-Marzougi, a Saudi who studied the preparation year at his own expense in Ukraine, has shifted to the UK after the Ministry of Higher Education warned him that his university was not recommended. “I spent SR35,000 in my first year. A delegation visiting the university warned me that the university was not on the recommended list, so I switched to a university in the UK,” he said. Abdullah bin Ali Al-Qahtani, general director of the certificate equivalency department in the Ministry of Higher Education, told Arab News that there was no approval for any certificate issued from Ukrainian universities. He said, “Education delegations from the Ministry of Higher Education have arranged several visits to Ukrainian universities in the past few years to assess the quality of education. They reported numerous violations in the universities, who accept foreign students with very low grades even in medical schools.” According to Al-Qahtani, many students who studied medicine in Ukraine had originally been graduated from literary sections in Saudi schools. “The Ministry of Higher Education has issued a strict rule not to approve certificates from any Ukrainian university. We sent delegations to warn Saudi students not to study in Ukraine or at any university that is not recommended by the ministry,” said Al-Qahtani. He added that any Saudi studying at a university not included in the recommended list should transfer to another university within six months. Otherwise, the certificate would not be authenticated. Al-Qahtani also said they noticed that the private sector was hiring students with certificates from universities not included on the list. “To avoid this, we are going to form a committee with representatives of several authorities that will be in charge of authenticating the certificates in each sector,” said Al-Qahtani.