Two faculty members in the Graduate School and International Education's interdisciplinary graduate program in cell and molecular biology visited Saudi Arabia last month to explore academic collaborations and recruit international students to the U of A.

Douglas Rhoads, director of the cell and molecular biology program, and Adnan Alrubaye, associate director, spent two weeks in the Middle Eastern country in April, where they visited numerous universities, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and the WEQAA Center, which focuses on the prevention and control of plant pests and animal diseases.

"The visit aimed to strengthen academic partnerships, explore joint research initiatives and promote international educational opportunities for Saudi students," Alrubaye said. "Our visit was part of an international outreach effort focused on student recruitment, research collaboration and institutional partnerships. During our visit, we participated in strategic meetings with representatives from SABIC, Prince Sattam University, the Saudi FDA, WEQAA Center, Princess Noura University, Qassim University and University of Shaqra. The discussions centered on collaborative research in health and life sciences, recruitment and expanding academic exchange programs."

The U of A, and specifically the cell and molecular biology program, actively recruits Saudi Arabian students, particularly for graduate education. Twenty-three Saudi Arabian graduate students were enrolled at the university in fall 2024, with 12 currently enrolled in the cell and molecular biology program, according to Rhoads.

"The University of Arkansas has been host to a large number of scholarship students from Saudi Arabia as they build their technology-based economy," he said, adding that many of those students returned to their home country after graduation to positions in government and at universities. 

In addition to many U of A alumni working as faculty members at universities in Saudi Arabia — connections that help facilitate collaboration — the research interests of the country overlap considerably with the U of A's, according to Rhoads.

"The Saudis are interested in agricultural output, food security and biotechnology," he said. "Saudi Arabia is building a large poultry industry with the aim to produce most of the chicken meat for their growing population. We have seen strong interest in partnering on training technicians and senior researchers in poultry-related education, disease research and food certification."