Raed Awamleh Dean, Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government Dubai, UAE Assuring the University of the Future: Keeping pace with transformations in higher education Raed Awamleh Dean, Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government Dubai, UAE Oman Quality Network in Higher Education OQNHE Conference 2017 Muscat, Oman

Outline UAE’s Higher Education landscape Reflection on current regulatory and quality assurance practices The future of universities Regulations and quality assurance of the future

My own regional experience … Assistant Dean, Business School, & Chair Acting) of Department of Management, University of Jordan (Public) 1997-2000, SAI (until recently) Dean 2004- 2008 (& PG Programs Director 2001-2003), University of Wollongong in Dubai (Private – Wholly owned by home campus – Public in Australia), limited regulation prior to 2001, MOHESR (CAA), DKV/DKP, AUQA/TEQSA Pro Vice Chancellor & Campus Director, Middlesex University Dubai (Public in UK with private partners in Dubai), 2008-2014, KHDA (UQAIB) & QAA Dean, MBR School of Government (Public), 2015 – Current, MOE (CAA)

United Arab Emirates Higher Education Landscape 100+ Universities A number of regulatory jurisdictions & QA systems Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (CAA – Commission for Academic Accreditation) Knowledge & Human Development Authority (UQAIB – University Quality Assurance International Board) Other (e.g., Ras Al Khaimah – Academic Free Zone) International regulatory agencies for branch campuses (e.g. QAA for UK universities)

United Arab Emirates Higher Education Landscape Cont’d 70%+ of international campuses worldwide (from over 14 countries) are in the UAE (vast majority in Dubai) Dubai has 34 branch campuses under KHDA Total number of Universities is 53

Reflection on current regulatory and quality assurance practices CAA – Institutional License & Program level Accreditation (Not Published) KHDA/UQAIB – Institutional Permit & Program Level Validation & Endorsement (Not Published) AUQA – Internationalization Strategy of Home Campus & Risk Assessment (Published) QAA – Transnational, Institutional and Risk Assessment (Published) Professional Associations – Program Based Recognition (e.g. ACCA, AACSB, ABET, etc.)

Reflection on current regulatory and quality assurance practices Cont’d Institutional Perspective Quality improvement incentives in a HE Education market that has not matured yet but is maturing Legitimacy, status, & recognition National & international Direct impact for growth Student numbers and overall indicators Ability to recruit qualified staff Community acceptance and reputation Relevant research and research with impact

A Recipe for Success vis-à-vis Regulation and Quality Assurance The right “Governance” Top management support Quality staff Agile, resilient and flexible QA systems Data collection and analyses: Knowing what to collect and what to do with the data (ADRI) No short-cuts and no “wet paint” It’s not “Personal”, it’s “Business” QA is an investment not a cost

Critical Success Factors for Universities in the Region Separation of “ownership” and “management” Relevant and current programmes Relationships with affiliates “Walking the talk”, quality assurance wise Diversity of students and staff Tenure of “QA” professionals Integration of academic and administrative services Career and employability support

The future of Universities? Diverse views: “No one to teach”: AI will take over The Lecture will come back: Analytical Minds are the key No more exams! Industry practice We will remain the same “Devices will replace faculty, no more campuses, semester pattern will disappear in favor of year-round learning” Viable measures of student learning outcomes THE 2015: Future Perfect: What will universities look like in 2030?

Is the World Flat?

Or is it Spiky? Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/images/issues/200510/world-is-spiky.pdf

No matter what Universities of the Future will look like: We will still need QA, if not for regulation, then for self (institutional) development and continuous improvement The best quality system is the one: “self -developed, self -adopted” QA must become an institutional culture and not viewed as a “Requirement” or a “Burden”, or a mere “Compliance”issue.

Challenges with Current Regional QA Systems Long time lags Expensive Too prescriptive Served well in the past and still do, however, must change for the future If/When the HE Sector matures, the QA system will evolve The revised system should be based on transparency, accountability, and market forces

Regulations and Quality Assurance of the Future Current systems: appropriate until the market matures, but not so after that Future? Transparency & Accountability Transparency through a regular coherent reporting framework including student related issues (enrolments, retention rates, staff/student ratios, fees, etc.), institutional factors (facilities, faculties, schools, governance, private/public, etc.) and research activity.  

Regulations and Quality Assurance of the Future Cont’d Accountability determined by the market; i.e. through continued growth in enrolment, student satisfaction, graduate placements, research funding, etc. Regulation bodies focus on ensuring the required data is reported, the occasional audit (e.g. in response to industry/student complaints) and regular governance reviews Market forces (professional bodies, media, and private app developers) would synthesize the data, report it, make comparisons, and publish reports Universities will have the right/chance to respond publicly and try to persuade the general public of viability and quality

Regulations and Quality Assurance of the Future Cont’d Research: Government (and other) funds combined with other dedicated investment in research offered to universities, research agencies, institutions, etc. on a contestable basis could serve as a de facto (or proxy) ranking scheme Research underlines the continued existence of universities and would encourage discipline specialization and clustering to successfully access those funds (including HRD)

In conclusion… QA is an institutional effectiveness determinant irrespective of who regulates and how! “Self developed”, “self regulated” are the best QA systems for any sector including Higher Education Right measurement and “closing the loop” are the keys QA is an investment not a cost

At the end of the day, regardless of the Regulation or QA systems that exist… Source: http://quotes.yourdictionary.com/author/henry-ford/611150