Lakehead University is disappointed the Saudi Arabian government is withdrawing its students on scholarships from Canadian institutions including LU.
It comes after the Canadian government criticized the Islamic kingdom’s human-rights record.
Vice Provost International James Aldridge tells us students are shocked.
“Students are scrambling, as you can imagine. We’re just under a month away from the start up of a new semester and a lot of these students were back home, still here in Thunder Bay, or travelling elsewhere. But all of the students are now in a position where they have to transfer their lives somewhere else.”
Aldridge notes the school will feel financially the impact of removing up to 150 Saudi students this fall.
He says they are helping students transition to other schools.
“We’re answering questions, and helping them with the logistics of moving out of places, ordering transcripts that they will need to take with them to potential future education opportunities.”