Gateway cities for transnational higher education? Doha, Dubai and Ras al‐Khaimah as regional amplifiers in networks of the ‘global knowledge‐based economy’

Abstract

This paper investigates how the developmental ambitions of governments to attract university offshore campuses to Doha, Dubai and Ras al‐Khaimah and these universities’ internationalization strategies affect the three cities’ positionalities. It links interdisciplinary literature on globally uneven geographies of higher education to geographical debates on the intermediating role of cities in regional and global economies. The paper conceptualizes the three cities as a triadic ensemble of gateways for transnational higher education (TNE), thereby contributing to further theorization of gateway cities. The paper shows that the three cities fulfil two crucial gateway functions. First, they connect internationalizing universities with particular student segments from their regional hinterlands seeking access to TNE. Second, they thereby amplify and disperse hegemonic regimes of the globalising knowledge‐based economy in their regional hinterlands. While all three cities share similar functions and rationales, they also have distinct positionalities rooted in different strategies of the respective governments.

Exploring the Curvilinear Relationship between Academic-Industry Collaboration Environment and Innovation Performance: A Multilevel Perspective

“…Lastly, this study provides a new perspective on the mechanisms that underlie the relationship between academic-industry collaboration and innovation performance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While prior research has established the positive impact of academic-industry collaboration on innovation performance, this study goes further to explore the specific factors that drive this relationship within the unique context of the UAE [1,3]. The UAE is a country that has placed significant emphasis on developing its knowledge-based economy and fostering innovation in recent years.…”

“…Collaboration between academic institutions and industries plays a pivotal role in generating knowledge, driving innovation, and promoting economic growth. The universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have recognized the significance of bringing their students closer to successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders in order to foster innovation and entrepreneurship within student communities, thereby strengthening the national innovation ecosystem [1,2]. As a result, academic-industry collaboration has witnessed positive growth in the UAE over the past decade, with all involved parties, including students, universities, and industries, benefiting significantly.…”

Urban Geography III: Universities and their spaces

“…The globalisation of higher education has been detailed extensively (e.g. Robertson and Olds, 2017) and remains geographically salient, given the on-going importance of 'higher education hubs' (Olds, 2023), 'gateway cities' (Rottleb, 2022), 'transnational education zones' (Kleibert et al, 2021) or as anchors of placebased development that defends against or mediates globalisation (Knight et al, 2021). Many universities retain what has been called the 'branch plant' or transnational approach to university expansion strategy, a tactic to diversify into different markets (Kleibert, 2021(Kleibert, , 2022.…”