The Quality of Education Abroad and in the UAE Institutions - Essay Example

McKeown (2009), states that the good reputation statuses of the higher-education institutions in the foreign countries also attract the Emirati students to enroll with them. Institutions like Harvard University, University of Cambridge or Yale University are some of the renowned centers of excellence that attract foreign students due to their reputational statuses. The institutions also encourage cultural and social interactions, co-curricular activities and academic experiences that make a student feel at home. The student-related programs are unique to establish a favorable learning atmosphere that an Emirati student cannot get at the local universities. The institutions also boast of renowned professors, graduates and degree programs that attract potential employers to recruit from them. It is believed that graduates from the recognizable institutions like Harvard University get numerous job offers around the world than those from the low-profile colleges (McKeown, 2009). As a result, an Emirati student would want to join the league of alumni that passed through the one of the high-profile learning institutions in the world. The facilities and resources available in those universities also attract Emirati students. The facilities may include fully equipped libraries, modern laboratories, experienced scholars and various platforms for research works. The fringe campuses available in the UAE have been hit by negative cases of fraud, academic incompetence, exam cheating and plagiarism, forcing the Higher Education Ministry to strip them of the university statuses. Such cases discourage the Emirati student to join the privately owned universities that do not care about the quality of education they offer.

< http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED530914>

Availability of Academic Options and Programs

In a research conducted by McKeown (2009), universities in the overseas countries offer several courses and programs tailored to suit the needs of the employers and the graduates. The courses also vary according to the specifications of the Majors undertaken by the students. The other courses incorporate technology to boost the students with modern computer proficiencies that match the job-market requirements. Studying abroad helps one to gain education and career attainment in that a graduate gets the opportunity to learn new perspectives on life and career (McKeown (2009). The skills acquired by studying abroad prepare an individual to gain interpersonal abilities, personal growth and discovery of a new career path. This implies that the worldly knowledge of staying in a foreign country is beneficial for seeking employment in a multi-cultural environment. The university programs offered in abroad institutions equip a person to view the world in a different perspective that would not be applicable when studying at home (Hatherley-Greene, 2014). For instance, the fashion industry is slowing growing into a big business venture after the introduction of custom-made dresses, hijabs, niqab, burkas and scarves (Bristol-Rhys, 2010). Studying abroad has also transformed the business, music and journalism sectors through the social media platforms since people in the UAE can transact businesses through online McKeown (2009).

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Globalization and Intercultural Development

Globalization aspects, cultural and foreign experiences are some of the reasons that inspire Emiratis to study abroad instead of enrolling in the local universities. Intercultural development is essential for interactions with people from diverse backgrounds because it instills respect and appreciation of other cultures (Donn & Al, 2010). For instance, studying abroad offers an opportunity to interact with Christians, Buddhists, Monks or Hindus as opposed to the normal Muslims in the UAE. It is apparent that UAE nations do not allow their women to walk around without male companions. However, when a woman visits other countries for education, she will have the privilege to be independent and enjoy the freedom that comes with living in a free world (Hopkyns, 2014). In this regard, globalization has enhanced the international trade transactions between the UAE and the rest of the world. This is because the country accepts business associates irrespective of their religious, cultural or political affiliations. Similarly, a new culture increases one’s circle of friends and associates for academic, social or business activities, providing a healthy aspect of networking (Hopkyns, 2014). Exposing a child to different cultural variations widens their scope of the world and enhances international recognition of the happenings. An Emirati student gets to follow up on activities happening around the world because of the exposure he or she acquired in campus (Donn & Al, 2010).

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Talent Development and Personal Career Goals

According to Dickson & Le Roux (2012), students from the Gulf regions do not take academics seriously because of the oil-rich wealth owned by the families. The parents use international universities to encourage them to pursue higher-education degrees instead of working in the family businesses without experience and academic credentials. The parents prefer the overseas institutions because of the far distance that will make the child to forget about home and study. The author further says that parents send their children to the foreign universities for them to hone their skills in co-curricular activities like sports, Arts or music other than the normal teaching courses (Dickson & Le Roux, 2012). The UAE government does not have enough facilities and academies that can help in the development of talents. In this regard, an Emirati child may join a music or drama school to improve on his or her singing and acting skills. The talent schools are all over the European and American countries as compared to the Gulf States that do not put a lot of emphasis on co-curricular activities. The privilege of allowing a child to pursue his or her interests creates a mutual understanding in the family. The UAE countries have been investing in sports infrastructure by hiring qualified coaches and building modern facilities, but do not have enough schools for talent development (Alphin, et al, 2016).

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Philanthropy and Fund Raising

Funding of overseas education is not a reserve of the Emirati government alone, but well-wishers and wealthy individuals sponsor deserving students. It is also apparent that some students organize for fund drive events where the community joins them in mobilizing resources. Higher education is costly and it this requires a joint effort to facilitate the needed requirements, such as accommodation, tuition fees and traveling funds. Some institutions also set aside funds that would support and sponsor their employees or the neighboring community for overseas higher education. According to Alphin et al (2016), learning institutions also use social media platforms to create awareness and reach out for donors. For instance, the University of Memphis uses twitter to raise funds by tweeting for donors. Such schools support international students by offering them academic scholarships and would supplement their education through donors and funds drive initiatives. Philanthropy has enabled many Emirati students to access higher education in foreign countries because of the oil trade that requires numerous skilled personnel. The concept of philanthropy is to promote social development in society by giving back to the community and empowering the less privileged individuals to enjoy certain services. The Emirati students can attest to fund raising and philanthropy as some of the avenues that have promoted education standards in the country.

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International Scholarships

Akli Madalina talks about the intercultural learning in overseas education systems that affect international students. For instance, Emirati students are among the international students who face cultural changes in overseas institutions of higher education (Madalina, 2010). This is because of the international scholarships that aim towards creating a universal atmosphere for all students. The Fulbright program gives American students the privilege to attend other universities for intercultural appreciation. The exchange program also allows Emiratis to attend the American universities to experience how cultural aspects may affect education. As a result, such international programs also enhance the migration of Emiratis to seek higher education in other countries. The cross-cultural experiences are positive for the generation of ideas that might inspire the Emiratis to accommodate divergent values in their countries (Madalina, 2010). Education offers a platform that brings different cultures together, which exposes various values and beliefs to the community. The UAE is a reserved Islamic nation that observes strict Muslim customs and regulations, but higher education in distant countries has exposed new perspectives to the citizens and the students. The author suggests that the Fulbright program is a double strategy that helps both the American and international student community in different angles (Madalina, 2010).

< https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-2980107961/study-abroad-and-cultural-learning-through-fulbright>

Parental Influence on Education

Parents normally influence the career paths of their children through cultural aspects. The study tries to explore how parents can take part in the education of their children without cultural attachments that might hinder from taking some courses (Crabtree, 2007). For instance, the Emirati women have their career choices determined by the parents because of the marriage, child bearing and religious requirements. The focus is on family attitudes and perceptions towards education in which the women should appreciate careers that give time to attend to the family matters. The gender norms have affected the higher education attainment by the Emirati women with only a few of them opting for the foreign universities (Crabtree, 2007). However, social changes across generation and perception of the different genders have reduced due to education. Women can now apply for various courses that fit their credentials or career aspirations without considering the cultural limits. Higher education in other countries has led to the changes in the perception and appreciation of education in the country (Crabtree, 2007). It is evident that parents still participate in the selection of careers and courses for their children, which is a positive gesture. Another essential focus of the study is the negative role of culture in influencing gender roles as opposed to educational values in which the Emiratis maintain their status quo in society (Crabtree, 2007).

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Evaluation of the Literature Review

The above sources revealed that Emiratis prefers studying abroad to the local universities due to various reasons. The common reasons entailed gaining of exposure, learning the English language, intercultural development and human capacity development. The government encourages college education by setting aside funds that sponsor the citizens to various foreign universities. Parents also support the idea of studying abroad by allowing their children to seek greener pastures outside the country. I learned from the articles that the local universities in the UAE are costly and offer very few courses as compared to the reputable and recognized institutions. The local campuses also imitate what other institutions are offering without concentrating on the content and demands of their clients. As a result, they do not offer viable solutions to the needs of the countries’ labor shortage and skilled workforce. It is also evident that the aspects of globalization have influenced the needs to acquire higher-education credentials to keep up with the rest of the world. Technological advancements and social enhancements have made the Gulf States to embrace education with the seriousness it deserves.

Conclusion

Higher education offers numerous benefits to both individuals and the country because of the human capacity creation, increase of employment opportunities, intercultural variations and connections with others. Most governments offer education sponsorships and scholarships to the citizens to help with the acquisitions of knowledge and skills necessary for the advancement of the country. The UAE government sends hundreds of her citizens to overseas schools to equip them with knowledge that will steer the country to greater heights and levels. The benefits of such opportunities are immense and entail the ability to nurture a local skilled workforce instead of going for the expensive expatriates. It also comprises the development of local talents that can compete with others in international forums and sporting events. Business executives, engineers, computer techies and teachers are some of the products of the overseas studies, who have contributed to the economic developments of the UAE in the recent years. The successes of studying abroad are more than the challenges and it would be essential to send more students to different countries to seek knowledge and intercultural experiences.