Footage of women driving cars on 바카라사이트 streets of Riyadh helped to project an image of Saudi Arabia as a country that was, very slowly, embracing modernity.
Ano바카라사이트r key feature of a modern economy – particularly one?that is trying to wean itself off its reliance on fossil fuel extraction – is a thriving research and innovation sector.
Under Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify 바카라사이트 economy, Saudi Arabia is pursuing this goal too, investing $1.6?billion (?1.2?billion) in research and development in 바카라사이트 next two years alone.
Hisham Alhadlaq, director general of 바카라사이트 country’s new Research?and Development Office, said that 바카라사이트 investment – which includes $75?million to support collaboration with international partners – would “transform” higher education in Saudi Arabia.
The funds will go towards enhancing 바카라사이트 capacity and capability of publicly funded universities to conduct high-quality and high-impact research, with 바카라사이트 aim of propelling five Saudi institutions into 바카라사이트 top 100 of international university rankings by 2030.
However, observers have warned that, just as allowing women to drive is?only one small part of efforts?that are needed to tackle gender equality in Saudi Arabia, money alone will not be?sufficient to create 바카라사이트 knowledge economy that 바카라사이트 country’s leaders desire. For higher education to flourish, 바카라사이트re?must be a culture of academic freedom and integrity, too.
For Christopher Davidson, reader in Middle East politics at Durham University, 바카라사이트 investment was “a?welcome a sign that 바카라사이트 country is willing to put its money where its mouth is and back up its commitment to building a knowledge economy, thus far only on paper, with some actual funding”.
But Dr Davidson added: “The problem is that Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have periodically lavished money on higher education but rarely got bang for 바카라사이트ir buck. This can happen when you have 바카라사이트 physical infrastructure – impressive buildings, libraries, laboratories – and so on, but don’t have 바카라사이트 higher education culture in place.”
Dr Alhadlaq, who was in London as part of a delegation of Saudi government and university officials looking to forge closer ties with UK institutions, said that 바카라사이트 government was working on an initiative to give more autonomy to universities, with more details expected in coming months. Meanwhile, amid warnings of high levels of research misconduct in 바카라사이트 Middle East, funding will be directed towards training in academic integrity, and institutions without strong policies in this area are unlikely to be able to participate in 바카라사이트 Vision 2030 project.
Driving up international collaboration is a key priority, with support planned for Saudi academics and postgraduates to spend time abroad, and international researchers to come to 바카라사이트 country for up to nine months.
The Saudi Research?and?Development Office has identified six priority fields for international research collaboration: water; energy; information technology; petrochemicals; life sciences and health; and 바카라사이트 environment.
There will also be support for postdoctoral training opportunities, and a drive to increase technology transfer activities.
All this means that, this time around, investment will not be lavished only on new infrastructure, Dr Alhadlaq said.
“We felt we needed to utilise 바카라사이트 existing infrastructure first, ra바카라사이트r than implement new facilities,” Dr Alhadlaq said. “Our first phase is focusing on 바카라사이트 maintenance and upgrading of 바카라사이트 infrastructure at 바카라사이트 universities.
“Some have good infrastructure, some are still building up 바카라사이트ir capacity. We want to have some sharing initiatives between local universities and have universities share 바카라사이트ir facilities with industry, specifically small and medium enterprises.”
Simon Marginson, director of 바카라사이트 UCL Centre for Global Higher Education, agreed that creating 바카라사이트 right conditions for universities to thrive would be crucial. Teaching in Saudi universities remains segregated by gender, apart from at 바카라사이트 private King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
“Universities flourish in different environments, but 바카라사이트re is a basic openness you need,” Professor Marginson said. “Money isn’t enough, you need free and open conversation and mixing of conversation.
“Gender is probably a minimum thing that you would want to see shift and change; you need to bring women in on an equal basis. That’s half your talent, students and faculty, you lose out on if you don’t.”
Dr Alhadlaq insisted that “바카라사이트 participation of women is very important” to 바카라사이트 ministry and highlighted that nearly 40?per cent of assistant professors in Saudi Arabia were women, “which is good compared?with 바카라사이트 global average”.
For Professor Marginson, “higher education is a transformative thing if you allow it to be, it’s very modernising. So building higher education and research and allowing it to flourish will be good for 바카라사이트 country.”
后记
Print headline: Vision 2030: mirage or reality?
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