WENR, July/August 2003: Middle East
Iraq
U.S. Schools Given Lead in ‘Modernizing’ Iraqi Higher Education
U.S. universities will lead the effort of rebuilding Iraq’s war-torn higher-education sector. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in June asked U.S.-accredited institutions of higher education to submit bids for a US$30 million scheme designed to “invigorate and modernize” Iraq’s colleges and universities. Other coalition partners have been barred from submitting applications and will be involved only if lead U.S. institutions choose to “collaborate” with them.
Applications for the program had a due date of June 30, which has since been revised to the end of July and, at the time of writing, Aug. 8. Up to six U.S. universities or consortia, which can include non-U.S. institutions, will then be chosen to handle one-year grants of US$3 million to US$5 million.
The Coalition Provisional Authority has counted 24 Iraqi institutions of higher education that the market-led program is designed to aid. The initiative’s main focus will be:
- Replacement of antiquated equipment and rehabilitation of educational and library facilities
- Promotion of national, regional and international partnerships and the fostering of intellectual diversity and growth
- Innovative subject material and new courses to develop the quality of higher education and to prepare Iraqi youth for leadership and employment in a competitive market economy
- Modern administrative practices that “orient higher-education institutions to the demands of the market”
USAID expects benefits to be reciprocal, “strengthening Iraqi universities while enriching U.S. universities with respect to the culture of Iraqi higher education and related development issues.” Knowledge of the social, political and economic circumstances of the Arab region — Iraq, in particular — and a demonstrated ability to build bridges across ethnic, religious and other fault lines are among selection criteria.
— USAID
June 30, 2003
Saudi Arabia
Private Universities Set for September Openings
According to recent figures, 72.6 percent of the Saudi population is under 30. And with an increasing number of women being given access to education, demand for higher education is far outstripping supply.
In response and after several years of planning, the government in June officially approved 36 private colleges and Saudi Arabia’s first two private universities, developed in cooperation with foreign companies and universities.
Dar Al Faisal University is to be located on the site of Riyadh’s sprawling King Faisal Palace. The project is being undertaken in close collaboration with the Steven’s Institute of Technology, a private technical university in New Jersey and French telecommunications giant Thales. The university will be offering degrees in engineering, sciences and business technology. The new institution is expected to open in September for graduate students and a year later for undergraduates.
The other private university to receive ministry approval is the Prince Sultan University, which is also slated for a September opening (See January/February issue WENR).
— Arab News
July 17, 2003
British Council Luring Saudi Students
Twelve British universities have clubbed together with the British Council in an attempt to attract increasing numbers of Saudi students to the United Kingdom.
The “UK4” program has been designed to ease entry into the British higher-education system for Saudi students through a four-year preparatory package leading to direct entry into the program of their choice. The admission score of 85 percent is based on the Saudi secondary-school examinations (Thanawiyah Al-Amaa).
The Saudi Ministry of Education is said to be pursuing this initiative following the recent restrictions on Saudi students wishing to study in the United States. It is hoped that the UK4 program will attract as many as 20 percent of Saudi undergraduates currently studying in the United States.
— Not-So-Foreign
June 11, 2003
Syria
Virtual University Addressing Needs of the Nation
The Syrian Virtual University started in September 2002 with a modest 400 students and a temporary office at the Ministry of Education. The institution represented a first in the Arab world, and although it attracted mainly Syrians, it did enroll from a number of other Arab countries.
A quick scan of the university’s list of partners reveals an impressive array of North American institutions that will enable Syrian and other Arab students to have access to the best in modern Western education without the expense of studying abroad, which the university hopes will help stem the brain-drain by keeping educated Syrians at home.
The university has been flexible in its approach to courses and has already added a preparatory year in order to ready students to meet the language and other standards required for studying at foreign universities. All programs are currently in English, but SVU plans to develop its own Arabic-language curricula and will also add courses in French, Spanish and German. SVU offers 800 extra courses in areas such as business, information technology, writing skills and proposal writing that are open to everyone, not just SVU students. A two-year Higher National Diploma (HND) in computing and business applications has been developed to address Syria’s need for trained technicians; like many Arab states, Syrian education suffers from a serious imbalance, with students keen to study prestige fields such as medicine, while society has more need for nurses and technicians.
To garner equal access to SVU’s programs, telecenters have been set up for those who cannot afford the necessary hardware. To date, of 80 planned centers, 15 have been established. It also maintains an office in Dubai Internet City and two in Lebanon. If SVU gets its formula right, its graduates will be qualified to work in any of the world’s advanced economies, but they will choose to use their skills at home.
— Emerging Syria 2003, Oxford Business Group publication
The United Arab Emirates
Private University Opens in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi University will start its first academic year on Aug. 30 in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The University has gained accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for the following academic programs: B.Sc. Computer Science, B.B.A. Management, B.B.A. Marketing, B.B.A. Finance, B.A. Information and Library Science, B.A. English Language Translation, B.A. Teaching of English as a Foreign Language, B.A. Education – Field Teacher in Arabic Language and Islamic Education, B.A. Education – Field Teacher in Science and Mathematics, B.A. Education – Field Teacher in Social Sciences.
A wide range of other bachelor’s and master’s degrees are awaiting accreditation.
— Gulf News
June 30, 2003
Knowledge Village Continues to Attract Big Names
The London School of Economics (LSE), Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) and the University of Wollongong, in Australia, are the latest institutions to sign agreements with Knowledge Village, a collection of education and media interests based in Dubai, designed to spur a knowledge economy in the Middle East.
The University of London (UoL), in association with LSE, will be offering bachelor’s degrees in business, economics, finance and information systems. LSE will be offering a diploma in economics, which will serve as an entry route into UoL’s degree programs and will itself be a stand-alone qualification. The programs are set to start in September and will be available through the International Institute for Technology and Management, part of Knowledge Village.
The University of Wollongong joins British University in Dubai — a collaboration of leading British universities currently spearheaded by Edinburgh University — as the only institutions offering research and graduate opportunities at Knowledge Village.
BITS will open its first campus outside India and will be offering undergraduate programs in computer science, electrical and electronics engineering and electronics and instrumentation engineering. Manipal Academy of Higher Education will be offering a wide range of undergraduate programs as well as master’s degrees in finance, business and computer science.