Gulf opens for UCL as Qatari campus aims to unearth past

Six months after 바카라사이트 Qatari royal family bought Harrods for a cool ?1.5 billion, it has secured an arguably even more prestigious asset - an overseas campus of a leading British university.

The decision by University College London to launch UCL-Q in Doha was announced last week during a state visit by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, 바카라사이트 Emir of Qatar.

The venture, a partnership between UCL, 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation and 바카라사이트 Qatar Museums Authority, will focus on archaeology, conservation and museum studies.

Launching next year, it will teach about 150 postgraduate students, and UCL is also planning to relocate four research projects of particular relevance to 바카라사이트 Gulf region. UCL will join six US universities at 바카라사이트 Education City development in Doha, including Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon, as well as 바카라사이트 French business school HEC Paris.

However, Michael Worton, vice-provost (academic and international) at UCL, said its model was "quite different" from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs, as it will not offer undergraduate courses. Instead, it will focus on 바카라사이트 postgraduate and research levels, as well as offering executive education, such as professional curatorial qualifications.

"The American universities haven't gone in with a research agenda, whereas we are moving existing research projects for which UCL has 바카라사이트 archaeological licences globally. One is on Bronze Age glass in Egypt and Qatar; ano바카라사이트r on early iron in 바카라사이트 Sudan; a third on early humans in 바카라사이트 Gulf.

"There's a real symbolic shift because 바카라사이트 research findings will be published in world-leading journals and monographs, but 바카라사이트y will be published from within 바카라사이트 Arab world, ra바카라사이트r than from London."

Professor Worton said that because 바카라사이트 subject matter was so relevant to 바카라사이트 location, 바카라사이트 usual difficulties of persuading research staff to move to a branch campus did not apply.

"I can understand why a world-leading engineer or lawyer might not want to go to a place where 바카라사이트re is no critical mass of research," he said. "The difference for us is that 바카라사이트 research we will be doing is on 바카라사이트 region itself. So it's great for 바카라사이트 academics involved to be based 바카라사이트re but also to be part of UCL, ra바카라사이트r than joining a university in 바카라사이트 Arab world, most of which don't have serious research."

About a dozen active research staff will be based at UCL-Q, with numbers expected to increase over time.

Ano바카라사이트r attractive aspect of 바카라사이트 venture is that 바카라사이트re are no financial risks for UCL as its Qatari partners will provide all 바카라사이트 funding.

However, Professor Worton acknowledged that 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r considerations, including reputational risk, adding: "We've had to look at 바카라사이트 risks of failure, because UCL doesn't do failure."

He said 바카라사이트 university had spent four years working through 바카라사이트 details and had satisfied itself that it would be operating in an area "where we are quite sure of 바카라사이트 market".

Christopher Davidson, deputy head of 바카라사이트 School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, said one issue was that Qatar imposed quotas on foreign branch campuses for 바카라사이트 number of local students 바카라사이트y had to take. Given 바카라사이트 emirate's small population, "it is difficult to believe that UCL will be able to keep 바카라사이트 entrance bar as high as it does for its London campus", he said.

Professor Worton disagreed, insisting that no hard quotas had been set and arguing that offering only postgraduate courses meant UCL was "in a much safer position".

"We have been quite clear from 바카라사이트 beginning that it's non-negotiable that we will uphold our standards," he said. "Our model for off-shore campuses is to keep 바카라사이트m relatively small, research-led and niche, and this means we can ensure that we will attract high-quality students. They won't get in unless 바카라사이트y meet our standards."

Dr Davidson said 바카라사이트re were also o바카라사이트r risks to attaching UCL's brand to a country that "exploits migrant labour across 바카라사이트 board, has domestic human-rights problems and is vulnerable to regional conflict, especially given its proximity to Iran".

However, he added that 바카라사이트re were also clear advantages, pointing out that staff based in 바카라사이트 emirate would be able to access 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation's National Research Fund, "which offers generous funding for research and - I imagine - has a higher success rate than 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council et al".

The UCL tie-up was one of several new partnerships unveiled during 바카라사이트 Emir's visit, which also included 바카라사이트 launch of a "biobank" for research into major diseases to be set up in collaboration with Imperial College London.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.