Sheffield student to represent Saudis in the UK
A student from the University of Sheffield has been elected to a prestigious position in the Saudi Students' Clubs and Schools UK association.
Ahlam Al-Zahrani, a PhD student from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, has been elected to the post of Chief Female Students Coordinator in the UK.
Saudi Students' Clubs and Schools in the UK and Ireland is a student organization which represents all Saudi Arabian students who study in the UK and Ireland. Members in the club vote in free elections to decide upon the administration board.
The organisation is the first link between the students and the Saudi Cultural Bureau in London. It aims at supporting the students who are studying in the UK by helping to organise lectures, training courses, exhibitions, and sport activities.
Ahlam was the coordinator of female students at the Saudi Students Club of Sheffield last year and beat two other candidates to gain this position with a small winning margin of five votes.
Ahlam said: "I am delighted to have been elected to the prestigious post and look forward to the challenges of the next year. I am passionate about the work I do and the most important way to succeed is to stay connected with coordinators around the UK and have regular meetings with them to share views and ways to improve the female student's role in the Saudi clubs."
Dr Mark Haytor, Ahlam's Supervisor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, said: "We are delighted that Ahlam has been recognised nationally by her fellow students. Ahlam is conducting some very interesting ethnographic research in Saudi Arabia exploring women's sexual health and we are sure she will continue to figure nationally and internationally in the future."
Dr Penny Curtis, Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, said: "We were delighted to hear about Ahlam's election, which builds upon the support that Ahlam has provided for her fellow students in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the wider University. Ahlam is a valued member of the academic community within the School and I am sure that she will bring the same passion from her academic work to the work that she does over the coming year with the Saudi Students' Clubs and Schools UK association."
For further information please contact: Lauren Anderson, Media Relations Officer, on 0114 2221046 or email l.h.anderson@sheffield.ac.uk