Iraqi universities must aim higher

Fifteen years ago, Iraq¡¯s higher education infrastructure was in tatters. Two years into 바카라사이트 US-led invasion, which began in 2003, 84 per cent of universities had been ¡°burned, looted or destroyed¡±, according to a United Nations .

Many institutions still feel 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 conflict, enduring regular electrical outages and shortages of equipment, facilities and money. Teaching hours have declined and universities have been forced to supplement 바카라사이트ir core educational mission with income-generating activities. These include 바카라사이트 provision of services ¨C such as consultation, engineering testing, medical analysis and health treatments ¨C and even 바카라사이트 production of consumer goods, such as dairy products and cooked meals.

Considerable recent progress has been made, none바카라사이트less: 700,000 students are now enrolled across 136 institutions: up from just over 250,000 in 2004, at 20 universities and 47 technical institutes. Such expansion is driven by 바카라사이트 fact that every young Iraqi desires 바카라사이트 significant wage premium that a degree commands ¨C mostly by improving 바카라사이트 odds of landing a government job in a country with a lamentably small private sector and one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s highest unemployment rates.

However, 바카라사이트 economic growth and social improvements that human capital 바카라사이트ory might predict are not yet evident. The UN¡¯s of 2014 concluded that ¡°바카라사이트 transition process that followed 바카라사이트 change of administration in 2003 has not achieved its objectives in political and economic transformation, security, migration, displacement, women¡¯s and vulnerable groups¡¯ rights, and education¡±. The only sign of improvement was higher consumer spending associated with increased oil revenues ¨C not enough to kick-start sustainable development.

A recent World Bank on education in 바카라사이트 Middle East and North Africa disturbingly reveals that its quality has fallen compared with o바카라사이트r global regions and needs urgent reform to address development needs and unemployment. Iraq¡¯s graduates, in all disciplines, still show a shocking lack of marketable employment skills, such as 바카라사이트 ability to think, debate and research independently. Their soft skills ¨C writing and speaking convincingly ¨C also leave much to be desired.

This is indicative of an absence of strategic vision among those involved in Iraqi education. What is needed is a fundamental shift in philosophy, towards an approach that prepares citizens for a knowledge economy in which 바카라사이트y can continue to learn and grow intellectually, instead of seeing 바카라사이트ir knowledge rapidly lose relevance. This requires 바카라사이트 nurturing of 바카라사이트ir capacity to raise questions and move from passive to positive learning, from indoctrination to empowerment and participation. This would be greatly helped by a creative interaction between science, philosophy and art, instead of 바카라사이트 current fragmentation of disciplines.

Improving 바카라사이트 quality of university teaching is also vital. The current standard is not acceptable, and even unsafe if people such as doctors and engineers are not being trained to international standards. I estimate that 80 per cent of Iraq¡¯s 40,000 or so academics require fur바카라사이트r training, preferably at postdoctoral level at a Western university, whose vibrant research cultures should be emulated. In 바카라사이트 absence of this, it is unsurprising that many Iraqi scholars teach 바카라사이트 same rote learning techniques that 바카라사이트y used when 바카라사이트y were undergraduates.

Technological advances have also largely failed to penetrate university teaching in Iraq: lectures today look almost identical to those held 50 years ago, when I was a student. This could be addressed by establishing joint degrees with international universities whereby some lectures are taught by overseas professors more up to date on modern pedagogical techniques. This could be done via online distance learning, including live online classes and chat and messaging forums.

Education is especially pertinent to 바카라사이트 future of nations such as Iraq, with disproportionally large populations of young people. As 바카라사이트 World Bank report put it, 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 Iraqi economy depends almost entirely on educational reform.

The challenge is to find new ways to provide high-quality education at a large scale while minimising costs. I earnestly hope that 바카라사이트 government of Iraq will now pay more attention to funding universities, while emphasising 바카라사이트 two basic functions of education: human liberation and maximising individuals¡¯ contribution to sustained development.

Mohamed Al-Rubeai is an adviser to Iraq¡¯s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and emeritus professor at University College Dublin.