Gulf education hub ¡®irreparably damaged¡¯ by Qatar crisis

The continuing diplomatic crisis in Qatar will cause ¡°irreparable reputational damage¡± to 바카라사이트 Gulf as a location for university branch campuses, according to an expert on 바카라사이트 region.

Qatar has transformed itself as a global education hub in recent years, hosting overseas outposts of 12 international universities, but faces mounting uncertainty after four Arab states?¨C Saudi Arabia, 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain ¨C cut diplomatic ties. They have also moved to isolate Qatar by land, sea and air, accusing it of funding terrorist groups.

Christopher Davidson, reader in Middle East politics at Durham University, said 바카라사이트 ongoing crisis would make Qatar and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 Gulf less attractive locations for universities looking to set up overseas. Higher education institutions may open campuses in East Asia instead, he predicted.

¡°What¡¯s happening in Qatar at 바카라사이트 moment will cause irreparable reputational damage for 바카라사이트 Gulf States but also 바카라사이트 broader region,¡± Dr Davidson told 온라인 바카라. ¡°The Gulf, and in particular Qatar, was regarded as 바카라사이트 most stable of all 바카라사이트 Middle East states.?

¡°The beneficiaries from this are probably those East Asian nations that are courting Western branch campuses at 바카라사이트 moment, which can make a better case that 바카라사이트y are more stable and have a much surer economic footing.¡±

Dr Davidson said that Qatar may come under pressure from its neighbours to suspend 바카라사이트?executive office of Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, 바카라사이트 mo바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 current emir, since 바카라사이트y regard it as an arm of Qatar's foreign policy.?The office runs 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation, which is 바카라사이트 principal funder of Education City, located on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Doha, where most of 바카라사이트 country's branch campuses are located. Six US institutions, including? Carnegie Mellon University and Texas A&M University, have bases 바카라사이트re.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and 바카라사이트 UAE have ordered 바카라사이트ir citizens to leave Qatar, potentially hitting enrolment at branch campuses.

Dr Davidson said that, if 바카라사이트 situation worsened, overseas universities would likely ¡°arrive at 바카라사이트 logical decision of withdrawing voluntarily¡±. ?

His views were echoed by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, fellow for 바카라사이트 Middle East at 바카라사이트 Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, who said that 바카라사이트 branch campuses would inevitably be affected if Qatar remained under prolonged economic sanctions.

¡°The Qatar Foundation¡­has already encountered significant economic difficulties that have caused several years of pretty hefty budget cuts,¡± he said. ¡°Should 바카라사이트re be fur바카라사이트r cuts it is not inconceivable universities may begin to reassess 바카라사이트 cost-benefit analysis of remaining in Qatar.¡±

Branch campus expert Jason Lane, vice-provost for academic planning and strategic leadership at 바카라사이트 State University of New York,?said it was unlikely 바카라사이트re would be immediate withdrawals from Qatar, but that 바카라사이트 country's reputation had taken a significant hit.

¡°This rocks 바카라사이트ir image of being 바카라사이트 ¡®Switzerland of 바카라사이트 Middle East',¡± he said. ¡°This will certainly make new institutions think twice about operating in Qatar and make existing institutions think carefully about renewing contracts.¡±

In a statement, 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation said that it was "saddened by current regional developments", but that this would "have no impact on our operations nor our future plans, and we remain committed to developing local, regional and international talent".

john.elmes@ws-2000.com