Prospects for Policy Advances in Science and Technology in the Gulf Arab States: The Role for International Partnerships

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) policies in the Gulf Arab States are as diverse as the individual economies and political processes that characterize its member states. During the past decade, a number of expert review groups have argued that science and technology policy needs to be reformed and revitalized in the Gulf Arab States. Several reports and studies have identified the need to develop and adopt more rigorous plans to raise the level of research and development (R&D) in the region.In several of the Gulf Arab States, policy makers have sought to address this issue through establishment of new "Education Cities" wherein university campuses have been co-located with industrial parks in order to build regional knowledge economies. Many of these initiatives have attracted foreign talent and global R&D firms. Our research aims to understand the etiology of the under-performance of the R & D efforts in the region. In this paper, we report on results obtained from in-person interviews with the Ministers of Education and other educators in the Gulf Arab States. We interviewed experts in the field of science and technology policy in the Gulf region to address the following major questions: 1) how can science (e.g. biomedical, agriculture, engineering) be strengthened in the Gulf Arab States; 2) how effective are the science policies enacted by regional governments in the Gulf, and how can these policies be enhanced; 3) what role do regional or international collaborations play in a research and training network system, and how can these regional partnerships be bolstered; and, 4) how can the international community assist to accelerate progress and reduce the science knowledge gap. Our results show that the under-performance of the Gulf region in science and technology appears to be due to a: 1) lack of early exposure of young adults to science, 2) low perception of the societal value of science, 3) lack of institutional (e.g. university) resources, 4) too few scientists who make science their long-term careers, 5) lack of an integrated, international research network of collaboration, and 6) lack of motivation among students.We also report on our findings regarding the state-of-the-art of the research enterprise, and the strengths and weaknesses of the research and training environment as perceived by educators/administrators in the region.

Scientific Wealth in Middle East and North Africa: Productivity, Indigeneity, and Specialty in 1981–2013

“…This changing pattern can be attributed to a mix of specific policies such as emphasis on IT and establishment of new regional medical schools in the last decade [30]. The increasing trends in newer areas can have beneficial contributions for scientific competitiveness that can lead to industrial development and economic diversification [31].…”

International Partnerships for the Development of STEM and Medical Education of Middle Eastern Women

“…), have emerged as leaders in this regard. Both strongly promote higher education through training university faculty, engineers, physicians, and physician-scientists, as well as through partnerships with international universities (Hajjar DP et al, 2014). Such has led to the birth of "Education Cities," sprawling centers in major cities that, in the instance of Qatar, includes eight campuses from top universities based in the United States (U.S.), Canada, and Europe (Qureshi S et al, 2016;Chouchane L et al, 2011).…”

“…Such has led to the birth of "Education Cities," sprawling centers in major cities that, in the instance of Qatar, includes eight campuses from top universities based in the United States (U.S.), Canada, and Europe (Qureshi S et al, 2016;Chouchane L et al, 2011). These metropolises reflect the adoption of strong educational policies in these nations, such as those reforms proposed by the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute (Hajjar DP et al, 2014). They also reflect the strong dedication by the local governments to education; for instance, in 2002 the Emir of Qatar created the Supreme Education Council -now known as the Ministry of Education -to direct and control education for all ages (Hajjar DP et al, 2014).…”

“…These metropolises reflect the adoption of strong educational policies in these nations, such as those reforms proposed by the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute (Hajjar DP et al, 2014). They also reflect the strong dedication by the local governments to education; for instance, in 2002 the Emir of Qatar created the Supreme Education Council -now known as the Ministry of Education -to direct and control education for all ages (Hajjar DP et al, 2014).…”

“…Hajjar et al (2014) conducted interviews with key educators and administrators from the ministries of education in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and the U.A.E., with the aim to identify local challenges to the promotion of science, their assessments of current science policies, and their perceptions of the roles of international collaborations (Hajjar DP et al, 2014). By and large, the interviewees reported "significant" challenges, with critical ones being unmotivated and disinterested students, poor curricula, low quality education, and little social prestige in the sciences (Figure 1) (Hajjar DP et al, 2014). They also almost universally agreed on the poor effectiveness of current science policies, with a need for increased rigor and improved articulation of national visions with regard to STEM (Hajjar DP et al, 2014).…”