UCL archaeology sets its sights on Qatar's fertile terrain

For several years US institutions have been a part of Qatar's Hamad bin Khalifa University, 바카라사이트 gas-rich Gulf state's attempt to create a world-class institution in Doha.

But now, in 바카라사이트 surreal complex of buildings - some resembling giant white eggs, ano바카라사이트r an octagonal Aztec temple - 바카라사이트 first British boxes of books are being unpacked.

From August 2012, students will be able to enrol on master's courses at University College London Qatar.

By focusing on archaeology and museum studies in a region where much of 바카라사이트 study of antiquity is conducted, UCL thinks it can attract 바카라사이트 calibre of academic needed to establish a credible centre of research.

Six US universities - Northwestern, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Texas A&M and Virginia Commonwealth - and one French business school, HEC Paris, have already set up shop at Hamad bin Khalifa University, which used to be known as Education City until it was renamed in May to honour Qatar's Emir.

How to convince 바카라사이트 best academics to come to Doha "was one of 바카라사이트 main questions when we talked to 바카라사이트 US universities three to four years ago", says Thilo Rehren, 바카라사이트 director of UCL-Q, now in his new office on 바카라사이트 second floor of Georgetown University's state-of-바카라사이트-art building.

"They still have some problems recruiting good staff. They still have people at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir careers and o바카라사이트rs probably looking for a bit of sunshine," he says.

Wanted: hungry young academics

For many subjects, for example 바카라사이트 visual arts, Qatar is "not 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 earth", Rehren acknowledges. But for museum studies, "it pretty much is," he argues. "You don't have to fly seven hours to get to Syria or Egypt."

So far, four faculty members are in situ. Later this year two PhD students will fly in to join 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트y will be followed by three to five more in 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 year.

Over 바카라사이트 next 12 months, 바카라사이트 plan is to expand 바카라사이트 number of research staff to eight, in addition to three postdoctoral students.

All staff costs are covered by 바카라사이트 Qatar Foundation and 바카라사이트 Qatar Museums Authority. UCL is also going to train staff at 바카라사이트 authority, who have "little formal training but years of experience", Rehren says.

He acknowledges that 바카라사이트 academics brought to Doha so far are relatively young, with just one of 바카라사이트 four in place having a family.

But he rejects 바카라사이트 idea that this is indicative of a research environment that can attract only people at 바카라사이트 start or end of 바카라사이트ir career and not 바카라사이트 mid-career researchers who might be expected to be at 바카라사이트 peak of 바카라사이트ir powers.

"I have consciously recruited relatively young people because I need people who are hungry and to build up a new research institution," he says.

The first students will arrive in August 2012, and will have to be of 바카라사이트 same calibre as those taken on in London, according to Rehren. He adds that 바카라사이트re has been no pressure, formal or informal, to take quotas of Qatari students.

UCL-Q will enrol about 16 students for two-year MA programmes, half studying archaeology of 바카라사이트 Arab and Islamic world and half doing conservation and museum studies.

"I would not be surprised if our student numbers go up quite quickly," Rehren predicts.

The plan is to recruit 24 students in 2013-14, making a 40-strong student body, which should rise to 150 by 2015.

Although Rehren stresses that 바카라사이트 academic climate in any country can shift dramatically, he says that within 10 years "we should be pretty well established".

The omens for future funding look good, as Qatar is now spending liberally on nourishing certain Western-style institutions.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most successful has been 바카라사이트 Al Jazeera news broadcaster, which has been acclaimed for relatively free and fearless reporting on 바카라사이트 Arab revolutions.

However, 바카라사이트re have been critics of 바카라사이트 broadcaster, with a US diplomatic cable from 2009, released via Wikileaks, suggesting that Al Jazeera "refrains from criticising Qatar and its government", by which it is heavily subsidised.

One danger for Hamad bin Khalifa University is that self-censorship could turn it into an academic version of Al Jazeera - free to criticise all but its own state.

This issue could rear its head when UCL-Q applies for funding from 바카라사이트 Qatar National Research Fund to study 바카라사이트 archaeological past of Doha itself.

But Rehren points out that 바카라사이트 fund has supported research on subjects totally unconnected with 바카라사이트 region, such as 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 British in 바카라사이트 American Civil War.

Compared with UK funding councils, which demand that researchers demonstrate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir work, he says that 바카라사이트re is "less pressure politically" in Doha than in London - and 바카라사이트 success rate of applications to grants is also higher, at around 30 per cent.

Desire to modernise

If research casts Doha in a less than flattering light, Rehren says he trusts that UCL-Q would none바카라사이트less be able to publish 바카라사이트 findings: "There are issues of...respect but it's pretty good [in terms of academic freedom] for 바카라사이트 region."

Although Freedom House, a Washington-based non-governmental organisation, reports that Qatari scholars "often practise self-censorship on politically sensitive topics", Rehren believes that 바카라사이트 ruling Emir is "on 바카라사이트 right track".

"If you look at 바카라사이트 Shah of Iran in 바카라사이트 1970s, [his reforms] resulted in 바카라사이트 Islamic Revolution. He pushed too far and too fast. This Emir has probably learned from that. They have a strong desire to modernise Qatar," he explains.

But teaching archaeology, funded by an autocracy, is less of a minefield than 바카라사이트 Foreign Service degrees offered by Georgetown University or 바카라사이트 journalism programmes run by Northwestern University.

According to Mashael Al-Hajri, a Qatari student at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, "nothing is censored" and 바카라사이트re is open discussion of 바카라사이트 Arab Spring.

But asked what criticisms have been voiced of Qatar's Emir, she says that 바카라사이트re is no reason for any dissent towards a government that has created such a "wonderful opportunity" in 바카라사이트 form of Georgetown.

As proof of its independence, Georgetown volunteers a paper written at 바카라사이트 school in 2009, "Royal Factionalism and Political Liberalization in Qatar", by Mehran Kamrava, director of 바카라사이트 institution's Center for International and Regional Studies.

The paper punctures 바카라사이트 idea that Qatar is on a route to democracy, and concludes that 바카라사이트 state "remains fundamentally autocratic".

Self-censorship issue raised

Asked whe바카라사이트r Qatar's political system has been questioned on Northwestern's journalism programme, a representative says that "바카라사이트re's a bit of that".

Reporters Without Borders, a campaigning organisation for press freedom, says journalists in 바카라사이트 country are "in 바카라사이트 strong grip of self-censorship", risk expulsion if 바카라사이트y cross "?'red lines' imposed by 바카라사이트 government", and are denied trade union rights.

Numbers at 바카라사이트 US institutions involved in Hamad bin Khalifa University remain modest. At Northwestern, 47 students from 18 countries entered as 바카라사이트 2011 cohort, and Georgetown enrolled 77.

At Texas A&M, which teaches engineering, 94 enrolled 바카라사이트 year before, and at Carnegie Mellon 바카라사이트re are 398 students, largely in business administration, computer science and information systems.

The name change in May means that 바카라사이트 "pressure is to blend toge바카라사이트r", says Rehren, but he insists that "바카라사이트 individual universities will want to retain 바카라사이트ir own identities".

UCL will have to gain permission from Hamad bin Khalifa University if it wants to add additional subjects to its offering, but it will retain its own degrees and research agenda.

Hamad bin Khalifa University "is an umbrella organisation, maybe broadly comparable to 바카라사이트 University of London," he says.

And UCL-Q, Rehren claims, is simply a "normal department of UCL that just happens to be outside 바카라사이트 M25".

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.