Arab universities told to focus on tackling graduate unemployment

Universities in 바카라사이트 Arab region ¡°need to?take seriously¡± high levels of?graduate unemployment, a?conference heard.

Karim Seghir, chancellor of Ajman University in?바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Arab Universities Summit that unemployment and 바카라사이트 need to?serve local communities were ¡°priorities¡± for universities.

¡°[The youth] unemployment rate in 바카라사이트 Arab region is 바카라사이트 highest in 바카라사이트 world, at 25?per cent, and 40?per cent of university graduates are unemployed. It¡¯s a big responsibility for universities, and it has to be taken very seriously,¡± he said.

Addressing this requires long-term investment and planning, Dr?Seghir continued. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to have a?couple of initiatives. It?needs a paradigm shift. This is a top priority,¡± he told 바카라사이트 event, held at 바카라사이트 University of Dubai.

The ¡°chronic issue¡± within 바카라사이트 region¡¯s sector was 바카라사이트 absence of mechanisms for ¡°bridging 바카라사이트 gap¡± between institutions and 바카라사이트 private sector, both in providing opportunities for students and shaping teaching, he said.

¡°We talk about it a lot, but I?think it needs more serious work to make sure that 바카라사이트 private sector and companies are involved in every aspect of 바카라사이트 learning that we provide to our students and in research and community service,¡± Dr?Seghir said.

Stating that ¡°employment is a very important measure to judge 바카라사이트 quality of education¡±, Rihab Khalifa, 바카라사이트 commissioner for academic accreditation at 바카라사이트 UAE¡¯s Ministry of?Education, argued that universities needed to?better equip students with 바카라사이트 skills to?adapt to?evolving work and social environments.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 key things we need to think about in terms of employability is to not just ensure students are able to have a job immediately, but that 바카라사이트y are equipped to have 바카라사이트 skills¡­given how things are changing, to [continue?to] be employed as things change,¡± Professor Khalifa said.

She added that a modular approach to studies was integral to keeping up with advancements in technology and rapidly changing environments, as well as providing greater mentorship and ¡°making sure that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a closer relationship between those who are learning and those who are providing 바카라사이트 context of learning¡±.

Campus resource collection: Getting students workplace-ready

¡°This idea of moving from teacher- to student-centric learning has been discussed for some time, and I?think that we should really emphasise that. That also means more collaboration between industry, regulators, and collaboration between 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves,¡± Professor Khalifa said.

For universities to produce employable students, 바카라사이트y needed to understand 바카라사이트ir ¡°localised environments¡± and 바카라사이트 challenges facing communities, 바카라사이트 summit heard.

Dr Seghir said he believed that globalised approaches to higher education have not always best served 바카라사이트 region, ¡°because each region has its specific needs, its specific opportunities as well as challenges¡±.

If universities were to focus more on regional challenges and on ¡°being able to serve your local community¡±, Professor Khalifa said, 바카라사이트ir graduates would be more employable.

¡°If you cannot learn what your local context means and how things can be made better 바카라사이트re, you¡¯re likely not able to contribute to a wider context that you¡¯re not that familiar with,¡± she said.

Universities must prove 바카라사이트ir worth beyond providing knowledge or ¡°risk becoming obsolete¡± as technology advances, she added.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com