Universities in the UAE & GCC Countries - Research Paper Example

 Universities in the UAE & GCC Countries 1. Introduction Education is a core part of a country’s social and economic life; in fact, the specific sector is related with the development of knowledge of citizens at such level that they become able to manage their activities but also to manage the issues of the state. Because of its direct effects on the political and social framework of countries’ worldwide, education has been highly supported by governments – even if the level of this support is differentiated in countries worldwide. Current paper focuses on the operational aspects and needs of universities in UAE and GCC countries; reference is made to the history of universities in the specific area but also to their problems and their challenges. The research developed on the particular subject has revealed the following facts: a) the establishment of universities in UAE and GCC countries has been recent; however, their rate of development is significant – due mainly to the support provided by the state, b) there are no restrictions in regard to the potential entrance of foreign educational sites in the UAE; rather these efforts are considered to be important for promoting the quality of the region’s education system (see Table 2, Appendix), c) public universities and private universities have an equal role in the development of the quality of education in UAE and GCC countries (figures referring to the demographic characteristics of universities in UAE are presented in Table 3, Appendix) and d) there are certain problems related to the structure and the operational methods of these institutes – however these problems are effectively addressed – both in financial and non-financial terms. The current structure and operational methods of universities in UAE can lead to the assumption that the efforts for the improvement of quality of the specific educational sites is continuous; however, the problems related to the operations of these institutions are many – as analytically explained in the paper. It is concluded that the intervention of the government in the improvement of the country’s education system needs to become more critical; the financing of the relevant projects is not sufficient for developing a successful strategy in regard to the improvement of the quality of educational services provided through the universities of UAE. It is also necessary to introduce the necessary legislative framework – where the rules of the specific effort will be clearly explained but also to establish the mechanism that will be responsible for the enforcement of these rules – either in national or local level. 2. Universities in UAE and GCC countries – history The history of universities in UAE is rather recent; more specifically, up to the formation of UAE the access of local people to formal education was quite difficult (Darraj et al., 2008, p.67); in fact, it was only after the development of oil – related activities across the country that the local government decided to support the improvement of the country’s education system (Darraj et al., 2008, p.67). The role of the oil in the improvement of education system in UAE is also highlighted in the study of El-Naggar (1993); in accordance with the above study it was just after ‘jump in oil prices in 1974) (El-Naggar, 1993, p.148) that the government of the GCC countries decided to invest on the improvement of their countries’ infrastructure – the establishment of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) at that period is the most indicative example of this trend. The effort for developing the education system in UAE has been initially related to specific targets: the increase of ability of the natives to administer their wealth; however, the investment made on education in UAE has led to the significant improvement of this sector at such level that currently the plans regarding the role of education in the country have been changed: instead of its use just as a tool for the acquisition of knowledge related to the management of specific activities, education in UAE is expected to become a significant source of wealth – supporting the local economy along with the country’s industrial activities. The most important characteristic of the historical development of UAE universities is the fact that even if their presence in the country’s education system is short, they have managed to achieve a high level of continuous growth which has been resulted: a) because of the high support provided by the country’s government – which aims to develop the quality of its universities at such levels that students from many countries will be attracted; this target is being pursued mostly by the improvement of the universities’ infrastructure but also by the increase of investment on scientific research, b) because of the development of a wide range of agreements with foreign universities and businesses which are well established in their industry; in this way, the resources required (financial and technological) for the improvement of quality of the country’s education system can be retrieved. 3. Current structure and forms of universities in UAE and GCC countries The quality of education provided by the national universities in UAE has been significantly improved the last decade mostly because of the increase of the government’s funding in the particular sector (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.113). The governors in the GCC countries have adopted a similar policy; the attraction of foreign universities in the specific region is one of the local governments’ initiatives in order to achieve a radical improvement of quality in their countries’ educational systems. In Abu Dhabi an important project of such type has been developed – reference is made to the country’s Education City, which has achieved to attract well-known foreign universities, such as the Sorbonne (Paris). The role of the local governments in the success of the relevant plans is critical. In UAE the government has decided to improve the quality of education across the country up to 2020 – a series of plans have been introduced and are currently in progress – a five-year period has been set as the time limit for most of these plans. In regard to the strategic planning process used for the development of the country’s educational system, an ‘hierarchy of priorities’ plan has been developed by the government aiming to ensure the stable growth of the local educational system; at the first level, education has been set as a priority in terms of its financing; it is estimated that about 25% of the annual expenditure of the government in UAE is invested on the education (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.113). Furthermore, the local ministry (Ministry of Higher Education) has introduced a series of quality management principles, which need to be applied on all universities operating across the country. In their current form, educational sites in UAE – including universities – are expected to meet specific requirements: the acquisition of technological skills is a necessary requirement for the pupils and the students across UAE; the continuation of the studies – after the secondary school – are also highly promoted and enhanced; however, it seems that this target is not fully achieved, at least for the male population in UAE; in accordance with a series of statistics presented in the study of Darraj et al. (2008, p.68) the percentage of women who choose to continue their studies after the secondary school reaches the 95% - while for man this percentage is 80%. The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) which first established in 1977 is among the leading universities of the country offering accreditations recognized at international level; another advantage of the specific educational institute is the fact that it offers a range of professional courses through which students can be prepared for their future job position – i.e. to acquire all skills and the expertise necessary for a particular job (Darraj et al., 2008, p.68). Apart from the UAEU, a series of private universities operate in UAE offering a wide range of courses; students can choose the course that best suits their needs – referring not only to the theoretical but also the practical needs of a specific job. The most known private universities operating in UAE are the following ones: a) the American University of Sharjah, b) the American University of Dubai, c) the Ajman University of Science and Technology, d) the Abu Dhabi University and e) the Al Hosn University (Darraj et al., 2008, p.71). Each of the emirates of UAE develops its own initiatives in regard to the promotion of its education system – in their overall context, these initiatives all aim to achieve the same targets: the provision to the natives of the knowledge required for the management of the national affairs and the attraction of foreign students – a fact that will result to the accumulation of profits, which, however, are expected to be used for the pay-back of the investment made – at least for a specific, initial, period. Qatar focuses on the development of scientific research; for this reason, in 2008 an arrangement was signed in the context of which ‘a subsidiary of the German companies KMG and Isima, has been established in Qatar focusing on the development of biotechnology and medical research’ (Oxford Business Group, The Report: Qatar 2008, p.33). Moreover, in 2008 an agreement was signed between the ‘University of Michigan Ann-Arbor, one of the top ranked universities in the USA, and the UAE University’ (AME Info, 2008). Recently, in 2010, the United Arab Emirates University ‘has launched an educational program in cooperation with Dubai Aluminium Company and other leading businesses’ (Sawahel, 2010); through this program the level and the quality of scientific research developed by the University will be significantly improved. In the context of this agreement the above universities cooperate in a series of scientific sectors – including’ scientific research and academic programs’ (AME Info, 2008). Dubai has also developed its educational schemes – especially by the help of foreign universities that have established a branch in the emirates. A joint effort is also made by the UAE universities in order to incorporate sustainability principles in their activities (Swan, 2010). The effort of UAE to improve its education system is made clear in the case of Qatar; the emirates has developed a region devoted specifically to education: the Education City; the quality of infrastructure of the specific area has attracted many well-known foreign universities, including ‘the Carnegie Mellon University, the Weil Cornell Medical College and the Virginia Commonwealth University’ (Ramady, 2010, p.416); the courses taught in the specific area focus on business and computing; however, both males and females are permitted to participate; a fact that is quite important for female students who did not have access to the specific courses – reference is made to female students from Saudi Arabia (Ramady, 2010, p.416). The role of these initiatives in the improvement of quality of UAE’s education system is important – in fact, in their 2000 report on the specific field, the United Nations note that ‘in 1989, the estimated literacy rate in the UAE was about 53.5%; by 2000 the literacy rate had reached an estimated 79%’ (Arabian Campus, 2010). 4. Problems related to universities in UAE and GCC countries One of the problems faced by the universities in UAE – both those of the private sector and those of the public sector – is the low representation in them of male students; this problem has been highlighted by the country’s Ministry of Higher Education (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.113). Another problem faced by the universities in UAE – especially those of the public sector – is that the level of scientific (academic) research currently developed in the country’s universities is rather low. The specific problem has been also addressed by the Ministry of Higher Education and is expected to be resolved in the near future through the increase of funds invested on the relevant activities (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.113). The infrastructure of the national education system should be also improved; in the research developed by the Ministry in regard to the specific issue it was revealed that there are many educational sites across the country the status of which and the facilities available are not aligned with the economic status of UAE. The investment made on the specific sector needs to be increased; however, the relevant decision should be appropriately planned – taking into consideration the fact that the current level of the investment on the country’s education system reaches the 25% of the total government expenditure; moreover, a series of needs have to be addressed – as indicatively explained above. Another issue, which should be appropriately addressed by authorities in UAE, is the recognition of credits acquired in foreign universities; the specific issue is highlighted in a report published by Al-Bawaba (2010); in this report the view of Wassim Hamadah, marketing manager in the Middlesex University on the operational problems of UAE universities; it is noted by Mr. Hamadah that one of the most crucial weaknesses of the UAE universities is their refusal to recognize the credits acquired in foreign universities – reference is made to ‘those who obtain BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications and who are interested in participating in Bachelor programmes’ (Al Bawaba News, 2010); furthermore, it is noted that only three of all UAE universities recognize the credits acquired in foreign university: ‘the Middlesex, the Heriot-Watt and the American University in Emirates’ (Al Bawaba News, 2010). In accordance with Al Abed (2001) the main problem of universities in UAE seems to be the lack of appropriately skilled educational staff and the lack of infrastructure required for the development of scientific research. In fact, it is noted that the improvement of education system cannot be enhanced without the participation of appropriately educated and skilled staff; at this point, the following problem could occur: is there an appropriate framework in UAE for evaluating the skills of staff involved in the country’s education system? (Al Abed, 2001, p.274). The term ‘staff’ in this case refers to the teaching staff of all educational levels, i.e. from the primary school up to the university. Local authorities avoid referring to a particular framework of this type – only a recent statement of the Minister of High Education (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.113) refers to rules of such type – in the specific statement the Minister refers to the introduction of a series of rules that will guarantee the quality in education – it can be assumed that the methods for checking the skills of educators in educational sites of all levels – also the universities – are included. 5. Suggestions for the improvement of performance of universities in UAE and GCC countries – expected benefits The improvement of education system in UAE can be characterized as a two-directions effort; in terms of the local educational needs, the increase of investment on education could help to improve the quality of education provided to natives. However, education in UAE seems to have an additional role: to support the national economy. Indeed, by attracting foreign universities that offer accreditation accepted to their countries (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.118) it is expected that the number of foreign students who choose the UAE for their studies will be increased – even if it is admitted that the relevant project may not be able to produce profits in the near future – a period of 10 years has been set as the estimated time for the pay-back of the investment made on the education system of UAE (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.118). However, the level of the expected profit is significant if it is taken into consideration the universities in UAE have a high capacity – being able to respond to the educational needs of about 15,000 students (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ras Al Khaimah, 2008, p.118). In accordance with Thameer Salman (Vice President of the Ajman University of Science and Technology) the priority of government in UAE in regard to the reform of the country’s education system should be the increase of quality of the particular sector; the quantity of courses cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the country’s education system – at this point reference is also made by Mr.Salman to the high unemployment rate for young people in UAE. In order for this problem to be controlled, it is noted by Mr. Salman that ‘the level of cooperation between the universities and the private sector is increased’ (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ajman, 2008, p.84). It is made clear that this practice has been already introduced in certain universities across UAE – for instance, the Ajman University of Technology and Science has developed its cooperation with two of the country’s major firms, CISCO and Nortel; through this cooperation the curriculum and the educational approaches used in the above university have bee appropriately alternated in order to meet the needs of the above two firms – a practice which is also expected to help towards the limitation of unemployment – even if additional measures would be required for the effects of such efforts to be clearly identified. The role of the government in the success of such initiatives would be also critical; in the case of the Ajman University of Technology and Science the development of the institution’s plans in regard to the introduction of innovative scheme and approaches has the support of the local government – which uses the ‘open-door policy’ in regard to its education system – meaning that any educational institute is welcomed (Oxford Business Group, The Report Ajman, 2008, p.84) 6. Universities in UAE and GCC countries – critical comparison with universities in Western countries As noted above, UAE and GCC countries are open to foreign universities; this policy is used in order to ensure the rapid growth of the country’s education system. In practice, the above rule leads to the assumption that in UAE foreign and native (national) educational sites coexist; their cooperation can be characterized as quite proactive – no conflicts have been reported up to now between the public and the private educational sites – including universities – in UAE. Under the above terms, the comparison between the Islamic and the Western universities in regard to the UAE’s education system would be of no particular importance – especially if taking into consideration the fact that the investment of the government on education is not restricted to the public universities – at least such issue is not clearly stated. Perhaps the only point at which such differentiation could be established would be the following one: the local (national) universities – both of the public and the private sector – are expected to operate in accordance with the principles of the Sharia law (Gher et al., 2000, p.27). On the other hand, the foreign universities operating across the specific region are also expected to have adopted such rules in regard to their operations but the presence of Sharia law in the foreign universities is expected to be lower compared to the local universities. 7. Conclusion The development of educational activities in UAE can be characterized as quite successful; the range of the universities operating across the country proves the willingness of the country’s legislators to support the continuous improvement of the quality of education available to students in UAE. The coexistence of national and foreign universities in the specific country is also an indicator of the following fact: education in UAE is not regarded as a tool for the promotion of specific ideas – behaviour; instead, it is open to innovation being able to be adapted to educational schemes of different type – referring to the educational schemes used in Western countries the culture of which is highly differentiated from that of the Islamic countries. On the other hand, the research on the performance of universities in UAE proved that delays often appear in the achievement of targets set by educators. The reasons can be many; the problem seems to be more critical in the foreign universities operating in UAE; students are used to follow specific methods of studying and developing the tasks delegated in the context of a specific course; the educational methods used in foreign universities across UAE should be reviewed and appropriately customized in order to meet the local needs and culture – as possible. This is an assumption involved not only in UAE but also in all GCC countries. The policies of foreign universities operating in this area should be rather reviewed as of their flexibility – i.e. their ability to be aligned with the policies used in the local (national) universities. Works Cited Abdelkarim, A. (1999) Change and development in the Gulf. Palgrave Macmillan Abdullahi, I. 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(2010) International Universities in Dubai, available from http://www.hziegler.com/locations/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/articles/international-universities-uae.html Appendix Abu Dhabi – Public Higher Education Institutes Date of Foundation Types of courses Accreditation Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) 2007 Undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes in engineering UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) 1988 Applied Communications, Business, Education, Engineering Technology, Health Sciences and Information Technology - Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (PSUAD) 2006 Humanities and Law - United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) 1976 Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Education, Business and Economics, Law, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences and Information Technology. National and international accreditations Vocational Education & Training Institute (VETI) 2007 Information Technology, services, business, design and environment. - Zayed University (ZU) 1998 Arts and sciences, communication and media sciences, Information Technology, business sciences and education Middle States Commission on Higher Education, United States. Table 1 - Abu Dhabi – Public Higher Education Institutes (source: Abu Dhabi (2010) E-government portal) Universities in UAE (indicative list) Ajman University Media Section - Al Ain Branch Abu Dhabi University Al Ghurair University American University In Dubai American University Of Sharjah Al Ain University of Science and Technology British University in Dubai (BUID) Boston University Institute for Dental Research and Education Canadian University of Dubai Dubai University College French Fashion University Esmod International Mahatma Ghandi University Michigan State University Middlesex University Murdoch University New York University Arabic Universal College Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus The International University St. Joseph University U.A.E. University University of Atlanta University of Phoenix University Wollongong Westfield University Zayed University Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Table 2 – Universities in UAE (source: UAE Interact, 2010) Kuwait 18 Qatar 13 Bahrain 52 UAE 12 Saudi Arabia 14 Oman 24 Table 3- Percentage of Science University graduates – from 1988-1990 (source: Abdelkarim, 1999, p.158) Read More