Presentation1

The Foresight of the Sheik: State-Funded Higher Education in the

United Arab Emirates Jana Kathryn JohanssenSIT Graduate Institute

Pim 71January IELR

18 August, 2011

The Matrix Indicators

• Field Focus- higher education• Scope- national• Lens- qualitative• Viewpoint- education for transformation• Timeframe- when the education policy was formed• Variables- financial resources, access, and equality. • Basis- social action research

Thesis

The Sheik of the United Arab Emirates, along with the new government, used great

foresight to include higher education in the government-funded education system, specifically when considering that the

country's purpose for schooling is to prepare students for their role in the global economy.

The Historical Background

“Traditional pearling boat as modeled by Thomas Tucker, WSSU” (Hawker, 2012)

“MAN IS THE MOST PRECIOUS VALUE AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE STATE” (UNESCO, 2011, PG. 2) -HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL-NAHYAN

Other quotes from His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan:

“The greatest use that can be made of wealth is to invest it in creating

generations of educated and trained people” (Embassy, 2012).

"The wealth of any nation is its intellectuals and the progress of

peoples and nations is judged by the level and extent of education they reach” (OHEOO, 2007, pg. 322)

The Current Policies

According to UNESCO's World Data on Education:

The main objectives of education include:• "Education [as a] major factor in the

achievement of stability and national security,”• Educational institutions' efficiency,• Adopting the principle of equal opportunity for

all levels and stages of education,• Prioritizing the eradication of illiteracy "since it

affects society and its growth” (pg.2).

“Teachers are not only instruments of policy but are agents of the policymaking process as well” (Fossum, 2007, pg. 273).

The Current State

At this point, Emiratis make up about ten percent of the total population. By far, the majority of the jobs in the country are held

by more-qualified foreigners.

Emirati Expatriates

• Of course, the U.A.E. is focused on bringing its citizens up to the same standards of ability in order to minimize its dependency on foreign workers, but the process is not immediate.

• The fact that quality education has only been available in the UAE for 40 years limits the amount of nationals already qualified for many jobs in the modern and global economy (El Nemr, 2007).

United Arab Emirates education system is:

• “Fitness-For-Purpose”

• “Transformational”

a Private institutes often employ qualified faculty and staff from its home nation, thus offering an education from an arguably more qualified school, thus resulting in a “better” education.

“We welcome [private] universities and value their approach to education… we

learn from their example with best practice in management and quality assurance, and the significant self-

sustained approach (they) provide to our country” (Williams, 2011, pg. 1).

At the INSEAD’s Global Leaders Conference in 2011, Sheikh Nahyan stated:

Positives for Private Schools

1. As examples

2. Are able to accommodate large volumes of enrolling students

3. May offer additional courses, degrees, and accreditation

Plans for the Future

- The UAE would build and operate its own universities.

-Qualified faculty that meet international standards would be employed.

-Instruction would be predominantly in English.

- Education was to be for all qualified Emiratis, and would include women" (OHEOO, pg. 11).

Key Decisions in 1971:

Educating the Next Generation of Emiratis: A master plan for UAE

higher education [now]

Opportunity and Quality

Opportunity for advanced schooling is imperative to increase the amount of workers, and education quality is crucial for developing highly trained workers ready for the field.

To not have opportunity for a substantial amount of students or education quality would lead to continuous dependence on skilled foreign workers.

Proactive Research for Funding Issues

The government is researching additional means for revenue, such as

MiningFinancial Institutions

PetrochemicalsPhilanthropy

No Simple Solution

“There is no single strategy, solution, or formula [which] provides consistent, good quality education on a global basis”

(Cuban, et al. as cited in Nicks-McCaleb, 2005, pg. 323).

Ultimately, a wise decision

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