Egypt
Canadian University Among Latest Joint Initiatives
The Private Universities Council of Egypt [1] has recently accepted an application by the Al-Ahram Establishment (a business conglomerate that owns the state-owned daily newspaper) and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada [2] to establish the first Canadian university in the Middle East.
Al-Ahram Canadian University (ACU) is expected to be completed over a five-year period and will consist of 12 faculties, each one paired with a corresponding Canadian university. A main campus already has been acquired on the edge of Cairo. The university plans to start operating its first three faculties — journalism, with Université du Québec à Montréal [3]; computer science, with Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal [4]; and business, with McMaster University [5] — in September.
The ACU agreement follows other recent educational initiatives between the two countries, including an agreement between the Egyptian Olympic Group and the University College of Cape Breton [6] to build and operate Egyptian Canadian College of Advanced Technology in Cairo, and a joint bachelor’s degree in business administration between Sadat Academy [7] and the University of New Brunswick [8].
Other international higher-education initiatives in Egypt include university consortia from France and Germany (see November/December 2003 issue WENR [9]), plans in the pipeline for a partnership with the United Kingdom comprising a local educational foundation and a consortium of British universities; and the longstanding American University in Cairo [10].
— Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade [11]
April 26, 2004
Israel
Commission Calls for Education Overhaul
An education task force has blasted Israel’s education system and called for a complete overhaul after finding glaring deficiencies in a system that produces students who in international exams score the lowest among industrialized nations.
The commission charged with producing the “National Plan for Education,” which analyzes the education of children between the ages of 3 and 18, recommends basic changes affecting all current practices in the education system, involving students, teachers, the Education Ministry and its districts, municipal education and education-related legislation — to which there has been no comprehensive overhauls since 1953. The report recommends limiting the number of subjects studied in school, holding fewer matriculation exams and instituting a school year modeled after the university system: two semesters and a long winter break. The report also recommends higher teacher salaries and greater teacher accountability and training, as well as a cut in the number of civil servants within the ministry. In addition, the report calls for an independent examination body to publicize test results, to encourage greater accountability from individual schools.
The report has, according to Haaretz, received the full support of the government. A final report on reform implementation will be completed in October.
— Haaretz [12]
May 19, 2004
Jordan
Government to Downplay Humanities
The Council of Higher Education has announced plans to decrease the number of students studying humanities 50 percent over the next five years as the country attempts to realign higher education objectives with the demands of the labor market. According to a recent report from the Ministry of Higher Education [13], Jordan’s public and private universities currently offer 167 specializations; those receiving the greatest attention from university administrators are computer science, information technology and communications.
— AMIDEAST [14]
March 22, 2004
World Economic Forum Assesses Education Initiative
At the World Economic Forum in May, representatives from 34 information and communication technology (ICT) companies exchanged views on reinforcing public-private sector partnerships, especially in the field of computerized education. The discussions were held in the context of the Jordan Education Initiative (JEI), which was launched in June 2003 under a broader national plan known as Educational Reform for a Knowledge-Based Economy. The JEI is a public-private partnership between such major companies as Cisco, Intel, Corel and DHL and the government to explore innovative ideas for educational reform. Among the goals: Place 10,000 computers in Jordanian classrooms, connect all schools through the Internet, train 60,000 teachers and administrators in IT and redesign all curriculums. It is hoped the targeted groups will be computer literate by 2005.
Jordan was selected as the pilot nation for the project’s implementation. The kingdom has established 100 “discovery schools” with trainers and state-of-the-art technology, transforming them into model facilities for eventual expansion throughout the country. The companies have divided up tasks — for example, Intel is responsible for in-service training in use of computer technology for 5,000 teachers, while Cisco and Microsoft are working on curriculums. Emphasis in the classroom is on individualized learning supported by qualified teachers, two-thirds of whom are women. Boeing, General Electric and Nestlé all have contributed equipment.
The question now is what is motivating these major corporations, several of which talked of strengthening public education. Skeptics, however, might consider it a precursor of large-scale, private-sector involvement in a new model of technology-driven education.
— Education International [15]
Feb. 12, 2004
— Jordan Times [16]
May 15, 2004
The United Arab Emirates
British University Expands to Include UMIST Program
British University in Dubai [17] (BUiD) has signed an agreement with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology [18] (UMIST) to establish the Institute of Engineering at Knowledge Village, Dubai. Beginning in September, BUiD will offer full- and part-time master’s degree programs in project management based on programs offered at UMIST.
Knowledge Village (see July/August 2003 issue WENR [19]) is an education center that allows foreign universities to develop campuses with 100 percent foreign ownership. It was designed to spur a knowledge economy in the Middle East. Spearheaded by the University of Edinburgh [20], BuiD is a consortium of British research universities offering a range of postgraduate degrees.
— AME Info [21]
May 23, 2004