Sabeeh’s Reflections
We are proud to introduce Sabeeh Al-Khayyat, our 2024 – 2025 Leiden University Fund – Lutfia Rabbani Foundation Scholar. In this blog post, Sabeeh shares his personal reflections on his time in the Netherlands, offering insight into his academic journey, cultural experiences, and life as an international student. His story captures the spirit of curiosity, determination, and growth that defines the scholar experience.
As I enter the final stages of my degree, and in particular, the final stages of writing my thesis, I find myself reflecting almost daily on the journey that led me to this point. And so, I wanted to share these thoughts with the wider Lutfia Rabbani Foundation family, which has been my foundation (excuse the pun) throughout these last few months.
As I write these words from Amman, where I have returned to attend my younger brother’s high school graduation, I think back to my own graduation from school almost a decade ago. It reminded me of a younger version of myself; an idealist and an optimist with grand ideas of making the world a better place. In some ways, those parts of me have not changed at all. At the same time, harsh realities all around us have made it difficult to cling to that youthful hopefulness. Nonetheless, I do my best to hold on to my optimism. When I wake up in the morning, I remind myself why I am here—to earn my degree and be able to benefit those in my community, and beyond, who need it the most.
Notwithstanding the occasional challenges, this year has been filled with unforgettable highs. I have lovely memories from cycling up to Scheveningen (which still remains the singular Dutch word I can confidently say that I can correctly pronounce) whenever things have gotten a bit overwhelming. Indeed, it has been wonderful to experience the breathtaking natural beauty of the Netherlands this past year, even though I have only barely managed to scratch the surface!
If I may, at this juncture, give some advice to future scholars: while your programme will no doubt be your number one priority (I often joke that I am married to mine), make sure you take in all that this remarkable country has to offer, and immerse yourself in its culture.
You will find, not only that people appreciate it immensely when you try to embrace their culture, but also that the experience as a whole becomes much more rewarding.
Another standout moment from the past year was the privilege of being invited to speak at the MENA Trade Dinner. I still feel incredibly humbled by the overwhelmingly kind response to the short address I gave, and I will cherish the plethora of insightful discussions I had with many of the attendees that night. Yet another highlight was the pleasure of attending the signing of the renewal of the Leiden University Fund – Lutfia Rabbani Foundation scholarship agreement. Being a part of celebrating the partnership between the Fund, the Foundation and the University was a truly special moment.
And it made me think about the role that scholarships have played in shaping my own educational career. I still remember arriving to a new school in Amman in the winter of 2005 (my first time seeing snow!)—having moved with my family from warm Sharjah—and sitting entrance exams in Arabic, English and mathematics. Those entrance exams earned me not only a spot at the school, but also a scholarship, which, through my academic performance, I was able to extend year after year.
After I graduated school, another scholarship opened the door for me to attend the University of Leeds to complete a bachelor’s degree in law. That was a truly life-changing experience. At Leeds, I had the privilege of being taught by an alumna of the same programme I am now almost about to complete, and—bringing the journey full circle—the person who wrote my recommendation letter for this scholarship!
This is all to say that I could not have made it to where I am today without the kindness and generosity of so many. I am deeply indebted to everyone who has helped me advance my education. Among that long list, no doubt, are my parents, who have constantly strived to put mine and my siblings’ education above all else. Thank you.
On a final note, I wish to share a quote by the late King Hussein, who once said that
“peace comes from understanding”—a result that can only be furthered by the twin catalysts of education and cultural exchange.
