Arab unified model for university governance proposed

A unified model for the governance of Arab universities has been proposed, as part of efforts to improve their operation and development. The 22 Arab states have more than 500 universities in eight countries in Africa, six in the Arabian Gulf and eight in Asia.

The initiative aimed at tackling Arab higher education challenges, especially in management and organisation, was tabled by the Jordan-based Middle East University at the General Conference of the Association of Arab Universities held in Amman, Jordan, last week.

"The Arab world today faces a host of hurdles when it comes to higher education and scientific research," according to a presentation by Sultan Abu-Orabi, secretary general of the Association of Arab Universities, titled "Scientific Research and Higher Education in the Arab World".

Obstacles included "a lack of clear focus in research priorities and strategies, insufficient time and funding to meet research goals, low awareness of the importance and impact of good scientific research, inadequate networking opportunities and databases, limited international collaborative efforts and the brain-drain".

Arab states also suffer from a lack of university autonomy, governance and performance.

Yacoub Nasereddin, president of the board of trustees at Middle East University, was quoted on the institution's website as saying the initiative would take into account Arab contexts but converge with international governance projects overseen by UNESCO, the World Bank and others "in order to give Arab universities the opportunity to compete in the world rankings".

While some of the world's oldest universities are in North Africa, including Morocco's University of Al-Karaouine and Egypt's Al-Azhar University, Arab universities do not rate highly in global rankings.

Nasereddin said his university was ready to establish a secretariat for the initiative, "which will have to set up an Arab committee to develop its mechanisms of action and the adoption of the Arab university governance model".

The project will also focus on promoting better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in setting up university governance reform axes, as well as knowledge of national, regional and global challenges regarding governance and existing mechanisms.

Expert views

Hilmi Salem, a higher education consultant, welcomed a unified model for government, which would "help Arab universities to operate efficiently and be more responsive to the needs of young people, and become sources of knowledge and innovation".

To start with, Salem told University World News, the initiative should set up a database of governance systems at Arab universities including how they are run, their goals, whether they are autonomous from the state and the extent to which they are accountable to society.

It should build on existing efforts in that direction including the report on Universities Through the Looking Glass: Benchmarking university governance to enable higher education modernisation in MENA.

Sally Ward, regional manager for higher education in the Middle East and North Africa at the British Council in Dubai, said: "There needs to be a balance between discussion that focuses on frameworks and processes and those that look at products and innovations.

"Higher education in the region is very focused on the former and doesn't do much of the latter - or if it does, doesn't talk about it," she told University World News.

"I would like to see more focus on output measures, research and long term capturing of data in universities in the MENA [Middle East and North African] region. This is important and really doesn't happen, but could make a huge impact on the way universities and governments function around higher education."

Martin Rose, country director for the British Council in Rabat, Morocco, told University World News that the agenda on university governance reform should include looking at greater autonomy and its benefits, developing university brands and competitive marketing to employers and students, and "much greater calibration to the external environment in all its manifestations".

Also: "Exploration of alternative sources of funding - without which there is no hope of providing quality higher education to a fast-growing universe of young people leaving school and looking for higher education and jobs."