As Western economies continue to sputter, this kind of thing will become increasingly common, and will lead to Saudi purchases of many other things (as of course it already has done). And with Saudi money comes Saudi dictation. “Dalhousie medical school to sell Saudis 10 seats,” by James Bradshaw in the Globe and Mail, March 17 (thanks to Rosine):
In an urgent bid to plug a hole in its budget, Dalhousie University”s medical school will sell 10 vacant first-year seats to students from Saudi Arabia for $75,000 annually.
Dalhousie’s medical dean, Tom Marrie, says a reduction in provincial grants last year left the program underfunded, and that generating money from empty spaces is crucial to balancing the books.
The scheme is a targeted, stopgap solution, and may not be repeated. But most Canadian universities, including Dalhousie, are trumpeting Canadian education and looking to increase their foreign student enrolment as global competition for top talent — including those with deep pockets — heats up….
The Saudi students will pay considerably more than their domestic counterparts, whose tuition and government funding amounts to less than $40,000, but Dr. Marrie said “that’s not unreasonable” when compared with other international fees. The 10 students are expected to return to Saudi Arabia for their residencies.
“We”ve got to find a way to run the place. This is one of those ways,” he said. “We just need this money to function.”…