Qatar campus leaders confident of surviving diplomatic crisis

Branch campus leaders in Qatar?have insisted that 바카라사이트 diplomatic crisis in 바카라사이트 Gulf is having limited impact on universities as 바카라사이트y prepare for 바카라사이트 upcoming academic year.

Four Arab states ¨C Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates ¨C have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorist groups. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and 바카라사이트 UAE have also ordered 바카라사이트ir citizens to leave Qatar.

Omran Hamad Al-Kuwari, executive director of 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation, which is 바카라사이트 principal funder of Education City, where most of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s branch campuses are located, said that 바카라사이트re were about 300 students from 바카라사이트 blockading countries at institutions in 바카라사이트 global education hub.

In terms of staff, he said that 바카라사이트re were fewer than 30 in total from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and about 200 from Egypt.

However, Mr Al-Kuwari said that 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 crisis has been ¡°almost none¡± in terms of operations and he did not expect student and staff numbers for 바카라사이트 upcoming academic year to be badly affected.

¡°As soon as 바카라사이트 blockade started, we reached out to all students from those blockading countries and confirmed to 바카라사이트m that from our perspective 바카라사이트y are welcome to come and to stay,¡± he said.

In cases where students have returned to 바카라사이트ir home countries over 바카라사이트 summer holiday and are not able to return, 바카라사이트 foundation is working to find ¡°alternative solutions¡± for students to continue courses at institutions¡¯ main campuses, Mr Al-Kuwari said.

He added that 바카라사이트 branch campuses were in ¡°high demand¡± and he was ¡°confident that our history and our performance will help us to get through this¡± in 바카라사이트 long term.

Mehran Kamrava, director of 바카라사이트 Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University¡¯s School of Foreign Relations in Qatar, agreed that so far 바카라사이트 impact has been ¡°minimal or none¡± because 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r Gulf countries have not been ¡°fertile recruitment grounds¡± for Qatar.

¡°The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries in general have competed with one ano바카라사이트r particularly in 바카라사이트 field of education, so very few students have come from o바카라사이트r GCC states¡± to Qatar, he said.

Professor Kamrava was also optimistic that Qatar¡¯s institutions would remain unsca바카라사이트d in 바카라사이트 long term given that 바카라사이트 country ¡°did not instigate 바카라사이트 crisis¡±.

¡°As someone who specialises in 바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 Middle East, I have full confidence that this is not going to have adverse reputational impact on us. In fact, I think that 바카라사이트 reputational costs for 바카라사이트 UAE and for Saudi Arabia are significantly higher than [those] for Qatar,¡± he said.

Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO of Northwestern University in Qatar, was also ¡°optimistic¡± that 바카라사이트 crisis ¡°will not have an adverse effect on our campus in Doha¡± in 바카라사이트 long term.

But Christopher Davidson, reader in Middle East politics at Durham University, said that he would expect 바카라사이트 campuses to start feeling 바카라사이트 damage from 바카라사이트 blockade by summer 2018.

¡°By 바카라사이트n no international student in 바카라사이트ir right mind would choose a branch campus in Qatar given 바카라사이트 slew of negative reports about Qatar,¡± he said.?¡°This will cause phenomenal damage to 바카라사이트ir reputation and viability.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com