The crisis of research and global recognition in Arab universities

Abstract

Scientific research is facing a critical situation in Arab nations. While international rankings have become the first priority of universities engaged in research across the world, most universities undertaking scientific research in the Arab region are occupied with other matters more vital to their survival. Given the current crisis in some universities in the Arab region, this study seeks to understand the factors responsible for the falling standards in scientific research and the lack of global recognition of these universities. Through interviews with university rectors or their designates along with three international experts on higher education policy, this investigation considers the social, economic, and political factors responsible for the crisis in some Arab universities that undertake scientific research. The investigation also probes the effect that political instability has on the Arab universities, particularly in light of the “Arab Spring” and how top administrators propose to improve research capabilities in their institutions. Thematic analysis of the interviews suggests lack of research infrastructure, funding and resources, and English publications, in addition to unmotivated faculty, as primary causes for the dilemma of Arab universities. The findings also indicate that in countries that are mired in political crises, lack of security is preventing higher education institutions from functioning and preserving their role in society as institutions of intellectual rigor and research. Although these Arab universities cannot control the political destiny of the country, international experts who were interviewed emphasized the importance of building a research infrastructure and an environment that motivates researchers. Furthermore, using English as the language of research and the emphasis of basic science are crucial elements to developing a sound research university.

Cancer Research Activity in the Arab World: A 15-Year Bibliometric Analysis

“…pouring oil revenues into technology and science research, [14][15][16] which was markedly illustrated on February 9th, 2021, when the United Arab Emirates became the rst Arab country and the fth country worldwide to send a probe to Mars. [17] De cient funding can impede the establishment of robust research infrastructures within Arab medical schools and medical centers.…”

“…As a matter of fact, most Arab medical schools and hospitals remain patient-centered and clinically-oriented, as only recently has a research culture been prioritized. [15,18] Furthermore, wars, internal turmoil, and ongoing con icts may further jeopardize research activity in the Arab world by channeling funds usually allocated for biomedical research activity towards military action and into ful lling basic needs. War-torn countries also suffer from brain drain and insecure environments that can hamper research activity.…”

Sport and exercise medicine research activity in the Arab world: a 15-year bibliometric analysis

“… 9 10 Lack of advanced research infrastructure and deficient funding further widen the gap between the Arab world and the Western countries. 11 12 Countries like Yemen, Mauritania, Somalia, Djibouti and Comoros suffer from widespread poverty. In addition, these countries fare poorly with regard to security, health, education and proper nutrition.…”

Academic writing for publication: Putting the ‘international’ into context

“…For example, a review of educational research papers published in international journals between 1995 and 2006 found that only 36 articles were related to the Arab region, representing only 1.7% of the total number of papers (2,112) published (El-Zeki, 2008). While we acknowledge the limitation of using international publication counts as the only measure of contribution to international knowledge, the low productivity of Arab countries in terms of wider indicators of scientific knowledge is well documented (see Abouchedid and Abdelnour, 2015;Almansour, 2016;Hanafi and Arvanitis, 2015). Hanafi and Arvanitis (2015) observe that several political, institutional, cultural and financial barriers have long hampered these countries' efforts to transform into 'knowledge societies'.…”