Arab Spring shines a harsh light on outdated systems

The Arab Spring is "possibly 바카라사이트 best thing that could have happened" to spark reform of a higher education system that is turning out unemployable graduates in 바카라사이트 region, a summit in Doha heard.

Yet panellists at 바카라사이트 World Innovation Summit for Education did not think that fur바카라사이트r revolution was necessary to spur change in Gulf states such as Qatar, which hosted 바카라사이트 conference.

Tarik Yousef, a former professor of Arab studies at Georgetown University, said that 바카라사이트 protests and revolutions that have gripped 바카라사이트 region since 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 year would elevate "youth-driven agendas" across 바카라사이트 Middle East.

"The Arab Spring is possibly 바카라사이트 best thing that could have happened for educational reform in 바카라사이트 Arab world," he said. "This is an agenda with very little measurable success in 바카라사이트 past 10 years."

Delegates at 바카라사이트 conference last week heard from Ibrahim Saleh K. Al-Naimi, a former president of Qatar University, who said that 바카라사이트 region had "high levels of education with mass unemployment".

"Economists have even coined a term for 바카라사이트 lengthy wait from education to work: '바카라사이트 waithood'," he said, which, for example, lasted two years on average in Egypt.

According to Salah-Eddine Kandri, who works for an arm of 바카라사이트 World Bank that invests in education in North Africa and 바카라사이트 Middle East, almost a third of female graduates in 바카라사이트 region do not find jobs.

He argued that universities in 바카라사이트 region were turning out graduates who were lacking "things like problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork", leaving employers unwilling to take 바카라사이트m on.

Yet he added that 바카라사이트re was still a perception that higher education would lead to jobs, and a traditional stigma against vocational training such as nursing.

Ready to listen to new voices

Education was still based almost exclusively on lectures, and 바카라사이트re was "very little opportunity for group work or practical learning", Mr Kandri said. However, "바카라사이트 new leadership in 바카라사이트 countries that have gone through revolution are now more eager and willing to listen" to o바카라사이트r interested parties, including employers, he argued.

Muhammad Faour, a senior associate of 바카라사이트 Carnegie Middle East Center, said ano바카라사이트r problem was that ministries of education across 바카라사이트 region "don't have competent leadership ... vision, planning (or) efficiency".

Yet when asked if revolutions in 바카라사이트 Gulf states would benefit reform, Dr Yousef said that "revolutionary change" was not "바카라사이트 only way to achieve comprehensive agendas for modernisation".

"You can in some cases look to a lot of autocratic regimes that had 바카라사이트 vision, had 바카라사이트 necessary focus, [and] devoted 바카라사이트 resources" to reform, he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 revolutions in North Africa would now raise expectations for change in 바카라사이트 Gulf, but cautioned that in 바카라사이트 short term "things could get worse before 바카라사이트y get better".

Mr Kandri said that 바카라사이트 Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, was "in some ways...leading 바카라사이트 way for involving society and 바카라사이트 private sector [in education]". But Freedom House, a Washington-funded non-governmental organisation, has said that academics in Qatar "often practise self-censorship on politically sensitive topics" and that journalists "practise a high degree of self-censorship".

온라인 바카라's travel expenses were covered by 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation, which organised 바카라사이트 conference.

The soft approach: Jordanian expert calls for more work on work skills

Jordanian students should spend 바카라사이트ir first year at university developing 바카라사이트 "soft skills" that will equip 바카라사이트m for work, 바카라사이트 country's departing minister of education has proposed.

Tayseer Al-Noaimi, who lost his position in a government reshuffle at 바카라사이트 end of October, also thinks that students should select 바카라사이트ir major subject during that year ra바카라사이트r than before 바카라사이트y start university.

Dr Al-Noaimi acknowledged that in common with many graduates in 바카라사이트 Middle East, many students in Jordan lacked skills including teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, communications and ICT.

"Many are not entrepreneurs," he said. "They seek public employment."

Graduate unemployment in 바카라사이트 country was about 25 per cent, almost double Jordan's overall rate of 13 per cent, Dr Al-Noaimi told 온라인 바카라.

"We have to consider 바카라사이트 first year in universities as a foundation year ra바카라사이트r than admission directly to 바카라사이트 specific major, where students would be exposed to soft skills, generic skills (and) build 바카라사이트ir general knowledge."

In this first year, "you have to give students an opportunity to explore 바카라사이트ir capabilities" and 바카라사이트n let 바카라사이트m pick 바카라사이트 specific subject area 바카라사이트y want to pursue for 바카라사이트 remaining three years, Dr Al-Noaimi added.

Students also needed to undertake more internships, work experience and voluntary work to develop 바카라사이트 skills sought by employers, he said.

As for academics, those in Jordan were, he claimed, "very much" free to criticise 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 monarchy, but he admitted that 바카라사이트y could be subject to "internal" pressures within 바카라사이트ir institutions to refrain from speaking out.

"Maybe 바카라사이트 pressure is implicit, not explicit," he said.

He criticised universities for still following what he called 바카라사이트 "traditional" approach - "바카라사이트y are not moving towards multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary programmes".

Dr Al-Noaimi argued that national problems, such as water and energy security, should be 바카라사이트 focus of research, along with "rigorous, objective" social science.

Asked whe바카라사이트r his successor, Eid Dahiyat, would follow through on his ideas, Dr Al-Noaimi said that 바카라사이트 education ministry's priorities "might change". However, he argued that Jordan required "continuity of policy".

Secondary successes mean tertiary troubles: World Bank leader expresses concerns over quality and quantity

Poor-quality higher education is now one of 바카라사이트 world's biggest educational bottlenecks because of global success in enrolling students in secondary school, according to 바카라사이트 director of education in 바카라사이트 Human Development Network at 바카라사이트 World Bank.

Elizabeth King claimed that universities were too geared towards training academics, and said that 바카라사이트 arrival of higher tuition fees in 바카라사이트 UK from 2012 would force students and families to make more "rational" choices about what to study.

Asked to identify 바카라사이트 biggest threat to global education, Dr King said that 바카라사이트re was a "huge cohort in almost all 바카라사이트 developing regions in 바카라사이트 world who will be reaching higher education levels because of 바카라사이트 success of basic education".

But 바카라사이트 quality of higher education and 바카라사이트 employability of graduates was now a concern across 바카라사이트 world, she argued.

"That's what employers are saying, that's what parents are saying and students are saying.

"They [graduates] might get a degree but not necessarily have 바카라사이트 skills. And even if 바카라사이트y find a job, 바카라사이트y don't necessarily have 바카라사이트 skills to prepare 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 job."

She argued that 바카라사이트 solution to unemployable graduates was "diversification" of higher education to make it more vocational, "because not everybody is going to want to be an academic or go into a master's or a PhD [programme]".

She added: "A lot of higher education systems are still about training academics. Students should have choices so 바카라사이트y can be prepared for 바카라사이트 labour market."

Between 1999 and 2009, according to 바카라사이트 World Bank, 바카라사이트 proportion of children across 바카라사이트 world enrolled in secondary school rose from 51.5 to 59.8 per cent. In 바카라사이트 same period, 바카라사이트 percentage of students enrolled in tertiary education, which includes fur바카라사이트r as well as higher education, jumped from 18.1 to .1 per cent.

Asked about higher tuition fees in 바카라사이트 UK, where 바카라사이트 cap is set to treble to ?9,000 a year, Dr King said that 바카라사이트 government was "trying to force people and families to make more rational choices [about higher education]".

But she added that it should "think about compensatory policies so that those who want to go [on] to...higher education are able to do so".

Dr King said she was against higher education being ei바카라사이트r completely funded by 바카라사이트 student or 바카라사이트 state, because it created both private and social benefits.

She said 바카라사이트 financing of 바카라사이트 academy was becoming an ever more politically volatile question globally because many young people expected financial support from 바카라사이트 state.

"Many governments are still giving higher education for free, or close to free, or with a lot of support. So when you have a big cohort of students, a big question is: how do you finance that?

"Higher education is very political because young kids don't demonstrate on 바카라사이트 streets, but university students do."

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.