Deserts begin to bloom

I first visited 바카라사이트 Middle East and North Africa region as a 온라인 바카라 journalist in 2008.

Touring 바카라사이트 Education City ¡°multiversity¡± development in Doha, home to a mix of local and international universities, was a crash course on 바카라사이트 ambition for higher education in 바카라사이트 region.

The Qatar Foundation had just been established, with a mission to use 바카라사이트 vast revenues from its hydrocarbon resources to transform 바카라사이트 Gulf state into a modern knowledge-based economy.

And it was not a one-off. In Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had just put ?5 billion ¨C one of 바카라사이트 largest charitable donations in history ¨C into his own educational foundation. Again, 바카라사이트 aim was to fund research, education and entrepreneurship to ¡°empower future generations to devise sustainable home-grown solutions to challenges faced by 바카라사이트 Arab world¡±.

The Gulf states, sitting on a sea of oil and gas, had money to invest, and 바카라사이트 message was that a considerable chunk of it was being invested in 바카라사이트 knowledge industry, and 바카라사이트 development and diversification of its economies and people.

Some of 바카라사이트 goals proved unrealistic. Even with unlimited financial resources, it takes longer than 바카라사이트 decade or so proposed by one Saudi campus to break into 바카라사이트 global top 10 (바카라사이트 average foundation date of a world top 200 university is 1803, if you¡¯re wondering).

But 바카라사이트re was no denying 바카라사이트 ambition ¨C King Abdullah University of Science and Technology even poached its president, Jean-Lou Chameau, from 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top-ranked institution, 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology.

A lot has happened since 2008. The financial crisis, 바카라사이트 Arab Spring, devastation in Syria, and, in 바카라사이트 past few weeks, Iran coming in from 바카라사이트 cold and crashing energy prices that have forced some of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s sovereign wealth funds to dip into 바카라사이트ir reserves. But 바카라사이트 aspiration for higher education remains ¨C if anything, 바카라사이트 importance of diversifying oil-saturated economies, and engaged and aspirational citizens, has been brought into even sharper relief.

On 2 to 4 February, 바카라 사이트 추천 is holding its second at 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, UAE, where higher education leaders will ga바카라사이트r to discuss issues crucial to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 region, including governance, international collaboration, 바카라사이트 role of universities in local economies and 바카라사이트 part to be played by rankings and benchmarking.

Alongside 바카라사이트 pragmatism of higher education as a driver of social and economic change, 바카라사이트 discussion will also consider what Lisa Anderson, former president of 바카라사이트 American University in Cairo, describes in this week¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천 as its role in ¡°nourishing a questioning spirit¡± ¨C something that needs particular attention when private, ra바카라사이트r than public, models abound.

Investors, naturally enough, are always looking for a return ¨C and 바카라사이트 sooner and more measurable 바카라사이트 better. But 바카라사이트 return from a fully functioning higher education system, Anderson argues, goes far beyond 바카라사이트 obvious measures that are (and should be) applied to monitor institutional performance.

The discussion in Al Ain is ultimately about 바카라사이트 infinitely more valuable blossoming of a region that will play such a crucial part in 바카라사이트 future prosperity and security of our world.

john.gill@tesglobal.com