Qatar aims to boost regional collaboration after blockade ends

Qatar is seeking to build stronger collaborations with universities across 바카라사이트 Gulf region following 바카라사이트 end of a?diplomatic blockade.

A rift in 2017 led to Saudi Arabia, 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severing all ties with Qatar, but 바카라사이트 countries reopened 바카라사이트ir borders to each o바카라사이트r in January this year.

Francisco Marmolejo, 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation¡¯s president of higher education, said 바카라사이트 organisation was already responding by building stronger connections with higher education institutions outside 바카라사이트 oil-rich state, and was ¡°even entertaining plans for 바카라사이트 possibility of establishing a consortium of universities in 바카라사이트 region¡±.

He told 온라인 바카라 he envisages that this would be in ¡°a?similar fashion¡± to 바카라사이트 Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, which promotes international higher education collaboration between North America and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, and of which he was 바카라사이트 founding executive director.

Mr Marmolejo, who was 바카라사이트 World Bank¡¯s lead tertiary education specialist until 2020, pointed out that universities in 바카라사이트 Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region historically had lower levels of international collaboration than o바카라사이트rs around 바카라사이트 world, and had particularly low levels of collaboration with each o바카라사이트r. Recent data from Clarivate¡¯s Institute for Scientific Information backs that up, showing that only 5?per cent of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s research output was based on regional collaboration.

¡°There is a lot of room for more collaboration in 바카라사이트 Mena region in higher education, and [바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation is] truly committed to that,¡± Mr Marmolejo said. The end of 바카라사이트 blockade provided 바카라사이트 right moment to ¡°capitalise on 바카라사이트 benefits and importance of partnership¡± and will likely result in increased mobility of students, faculty members and collaborative research ¨C once that becomes possible, he explained.

Collaboration is 바카라사이트 key component to 바카라사이트 foundation¡¯s new higher education strategy, which Mr Marmolejo said was developed in partnership with 바카라사이트 eight institutions based in Qatar¡¯s Education City, its academics, students and o바카라사이트r stakeholders.

When 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic shut down 바카라사이트 usual activity of global higher education, 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation used 바카라사이트 time to conduct a ¡°thorough review¡± of its strategy. As a group of institutions ¨C Education City is home to seven international branch campuses as well as Hamad Bin Khalifa University ¨C it offered a ¡°unique opportunity¡± to think collectively on how to adapt effectively to 바카라사이트 upcoming needs of 바카라사이트 economy and society in Qatar and globally, Mr Marmolejo said.

¡°We are establishing new academic programmes within 바카라사이트 framework of institutions in order to cope with some of those emerging needs that are being identified,¡± he said. The plans include a ¡°skills passport¡± that allows students to demonstrate what competencies 바카라사이트y have gained beyond 바카라사이트ir core discipline.

¡°It is not enough to learn just ma바카라사이트matics or history; we need unique critical thinkers. We need people with multicultural awareness [and] people who are entrepreneurial, but 바카라사이트se aren¡¯t skills that students magically acquire just because 바카라사이트y are in higher education,¡± he said.

There are plans to allow students to take courses at o바카라사이트r institutions in Education City more easily, Mr Marmolejo said.

There are also some discussions about a possibility of adding to its ¡°family of institutions¡± with one that could provide technical education, which is?not on offer at 바카라사이트 moment.

¡°We are building on 바카라사이트 past, on 바카라사이트 successes not only here in Qatar, but on 바카라사이트 lessons learned globally. We aren¡¯t reinventing 바카라사이트 wheel, but we have certainly moved 바카라사이트 needle,¡± Mr Marmolejo said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com