2008 Occasional Papers - AUK

for quality assurance, an organizational structure mightbe created that would accommodate western liberal artseducation in a traditional setting.8.0 Discussion Questions:Having briefly examined some potential solutions, variousquestions remain:1. Is the current course being taken by newly establishedprivate Gulf universities leading to desirable outcomes?If not, is the course reversible? To what extent are theabove proposals for improving the current situation plausible?2. Can private universities with their current structuresface up to the serious academic challenges that lieahead without addressing wasta? Do the solutions liesimply in reversing the priority of the objectives ofmaximizing financial gains and academic quality?3. Convention dictates that higher academic standardsenable a university to attract better qualified professionalfaculty and administration as well as students with higheracademic standards who are eager to learn. Can privateGulf universities maintain quality education and stillattract customers? Is it possible to have both?Alternately, will enrollment quotas be met at the expense ofacademic standards?4. Can liberal western-style education be adapted in theArabian Gulf and circumvent an all or nothing adoptionpremise?References1. Abbott, Andrew, “Welcome to the University ofChicago, The Aims of Education Address” (for theclass of 2006), Sept 26, 2002, University of Chicago.2. Al-Khaldi, Khalil, “Replace Incompetent Top Brassat Ministry of Education”, Arab Times, January 20, 2005.3. AAC&U (Association of American Colleges andUniversities), Statement on Liberal Learning, 1998.http://www.aacu.org/About/statement/liberal_learning.cfm4. Bagheri, Khosrow and Zohreh Khosrawi, “The IslamicConcept of Education Reconsidered”, American Journal ofIslamic Social Sciences no, 40/ 23, 2006.5. Arab Human Development Report (2003 and 2004),United Nations Development Programme (UNDP.Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.6. Bronson, Rachel, “Beyond Containment in the PersianGulf ”, Orbis, April 01, 2001.http://www.cfr.org/publication/3944/ beyond_containment_in_the_persian_gulf.html7. Cassidy, Thomas Jr., “Education in the Arab States:Preparing to Compete in the Global Economy”.http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Global_Competitiveness_Reports/Reports/AWCR8. Coffman, James, “Current Issues in Higher Educationin the Arab World”, International Higher Education,Spring1996. http:www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/News04/textcy5.html9. Coffman, James, “Higher Education in the Gulf: Privatizationand Americanization”, International Higher Education,Fall 2003. http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/News33/text009.htm.10. Cordesman, Anthony H., “Demographics and the ComingYouth Explosion in the Gulf ”, Center for Strategicand International Studies, 1998. http://www.csis.org/stratassessment/reports/demograp.pdf11. Cunningham, Robert and Yasin Sarayrah, “Tamingwasta to achieve development”, Arab Studies Quarterly,Summer 1994.12. Derhally, Massoud A. “Gulf Embarks on AmericanStyle of Education”, Middle East Online, November13, 2003. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/qatar/?id=778531