The Future Of Higher Education In The Middle East And Africa

This book addresses some of the challenges posed by the globalization of higher education. It examines the emergence and resulting challenges of English as Lingua Franca (ELF) and of the decision to use English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) as part of a strategic policy of internationalization. It looks at survival challenges caused by globalization and expansion, the diversity challenge, the concept of marginality and how marginality can lead to creativity, teaching and encouraging entrepreneurialism, the tools needed for internationalizing higher education in developing countries, innovative approaches, the intelligent use of technology, and finally, the value of non-constraint engagement in driving teaching and course quality improvements. The expansion of higher education and the increasingly international body of students and staff continue to inspire and drive the development of global higher education systems. Whilst these systems began locally, many are now engaging with the challenges of retaining their local flavour whilst embracing the march of globalisation. The challenge is to find local solutions that also meet the requirements of the rapid development of what might be termed the ‘massification’ of international higher education. This book reflects these contemporary challenges through its variety of topics taken from countries as diverse as Hong Kong, Panama, South Africa, USA and Saudi Arabia. The topics are as diverse as some of the local solutions but each chapter represents a response to a rapidly changing global landscape.

This book explores the prospects for higher education development in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Adopting a South-South perspective (from the viewpoint of a developing country), it seeks to promote a deeper understanding of this colourful and highly diverse, yet volatile region. As such, it examines six selected MENA countries that serve as case studies for identifying the gaps and challenges as well as their potentials in terms of higher education development. Based on expert interviews and focus-group discussions with more than 85 individuals across the six countries and complemented by related facts and figures from both international and national documents, it presents an in-depth discussion and analysis of the countries’ respective political, security, and economic situations. These serve as preconditions for the cultivation of an environment conducive to facilitating the advancement of higher education. It also provides a critical overview of higher education in these countries, notably in terms of the current national system, legislative framework, accreditation, quality assurance, recognition concerns, and other critical issues that enable and/or constrain the development of their respective higher education sectors, and that of the region, as a whole.

This edited volume contributes a novel understanding of the past, present and future of higher education across the six countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Against the backdrop of intense political, ideological and epistemological disruptions across the Arabian Gulf Region over the last two decades, this volume adopts critical comparative perspectives in order to chart the history, present-day and future realities of higher education in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. By focusing on dynamics relating to neoliberalism, and using the notions of ‘tensionality’ and ‘locality’ to situate topics such as curricula, policies, practices, the volume engages with current discourses, controversies and themes such as the internationalization and marketization of higher education in these countries. In doing so, the book offers a theoretical framework to enable greater understanding of the contemporary functioning of higher education in the Arabian Gulf Region. This text will benefit scholars, academics and students in the fields of higher education and international and comparative education more broadly. Those involved with educational policy and politics, and Middle Eastern studies in general, will also benefit from this volume.

This multidisciplinary volume highlights the transformed nature of the relationship between higher education and society in the 21st century. In particular, it argues that the development of the global university, especially in the non-western world, has transformed the traditional understanding of the relationship between higher education and society. This has important implications for the relations of state, as education has not only become an object of national development policy but for many states an important export. The history of the university reflects the decisive social transformations which have given definition and identity to both new nations and modern societies. In the post-war period, universities in the industrialized world underwent a radical shift. The mass expansion of higher education ensured that universities were no longer centers designed to train youth to assume the leadership positions held by previous generations. Instead universities were to become centers where job skills could be imparted and knowledge produced, refined and used in the newly emerging Cold War economies, and where students could develop the skills necessary for employment in a changing world. Rather than focusing on the refinement of future leaders, the task of the university became linked to the development of economically exploitable technical knowledge. A shift of comparable magnitude is now ongoing in the nature of higher education itself. Globalization has led to the growth of knowledge communities around the world, mirroring the rise of centers for global finance in previous decades. In the Middle East and Asia the demands of the knowledge-based economy have led to the opening of new indigenous universities and branch campuses and partnerships with established European and North American universities. Education City in Qatar, for instance, has received or been pledged more than 200 billion dollars since its inception. The growth of new indigenous universities has altered the traditional role of the university further, increasing the emphasis on courses which are close to the marketplace. These new partnerships have contributed to the creation of what is now referred to as the global university.

This book provides a collection of the latest advances in engineering education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and sheds insights for future development. It is one of the first books to address the lack of comprehensive literature on undergraduate engineering curricula, and stimulates intellectual and critical discourse on the next wave of engineering innovation and education in the MENA region. The authors look at recent innovations through the lens of four topics: learning and teaching, curriculum development, assessment and accreditation, and challenges and sustainability. They also include analyses of pedagogical innovations, models for transforming engineering education, and methods for using technological innovations to enhance active learning. Engineering education topics on issues such as construction, health and safety, urban design, and environmental engineering in the context of the MENA region are covered in further detail. The book concludes with practical recommendations for implementations in engineering education. This is an ideal book for engineering education academics, engineering curriculum developers and accreditation specialists, and deans and leaders in engineering education.

This edited volume explores the educational reforms and challenges in higher education in the Gulf countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring a truly global spread of contributors and perspectives from countries such as Bahrain, India, Georgia, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, the book navigates experience-based and practice-linked research spectrum of the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education. It targets key challenges such as the move to online and distance learning, the impact of job-related stress, and the preparedness of institutional risk management. Using qualitative research, autoethnographic accounts, and case study findings, the book makes recommendations for reform implementation within higher education as well as discusses the wider socio-cultural and political landscape left by the pandemic in the Gulf region. Highlighting current trends and challenges based on empirical works of the authors, the book will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and academics in the field of higher education, international and comparative education, and leadership strategy more specifically. Those involved with educational technology, education policy, and middle eastern studies will also find the book of value.

This volume offers insights on English language education policies in Middle Eastern and North African countries, through state-of-the-art reports giving clear assessments of current policies and future trends, each expertly drafted by a specialist. Each chapter contains a general description of English education polices in the respective countries, and then expands on how the local English education policies play out in practice in the education system at all levels, in the curriculum, in teaching, and in teacher training. Essays cover issues such as the balance between English and the acquisition of the national language or the Arabic language, as well as political, cultural, economic and technical elements that strengthen or weaken the learning of English. This volume is essential reading for researchers, policy makers, and teacher trainers for its invaluable insights in the role of each of the stakeholders in the implementation of policies.