The Arab Spring and Helping to Build higher Education Capacity in the Middle East and North Africa Chair: Mark S. Lazar, Vice President, Global Scholarship and Learning Programs, IIE Panelists: Rajika Bhandari, Deputy Vice President, Research and Evaluation, IIE Kristen Cammarata, Regional Educational Advising Coordinator, Middle East & North Africa, EducationUSA Kevin Browne, Vice Provost of Academic and Enrollment Services, University of Illinois at Chicago Lucas Welch, Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Soliya

Classifying Higher Education in the Middle East and North Africa: A Pilot Study Rajika Bhandari Deputy Vice President, Research and Evaluation Center for Academic Mobility Research Institute of International Education March 8, 2012

Why develop a classification? Higher education sector has witnessed tremendous growth No standardized framework for understanding the region’s institutions Many countries have established these types of classifications and rankings to raise the quality and visibility of their higher education sector The Arab Spring and higher education in the region

Intended Outcomes Deeper understanding of the diverse range of institutions in the region Within region: benchmarking and comparison; increased research collaboration & exchange Outside the region: institutions able to compete globally and position themselves on the world stage; expanded international collaboration Information available to guide students Increased degree recognition and academic mobility

Study Design Supported by the Carnegie Corporation, carried out in partnership with LAES Pilot study countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE Primary and secondary data from ministries and higher education institutions (HEIs) Sample size: originally 643 institutions; final sample, 427 Timeframe: March 2010 – March 2011

Methodology Reviewed existing classifications and rankings systems 11 dimensions, 77 indicators Developed and pilot-tested survey to validate the CMAC National-level data coordinators in each pilot country Outcome: validated and tested CMAC scaled up and applied to other countries comprehensive classification of higher education in the region

Dimensions of the CMAC #Dimension Number of Indicators 0Institutional profile8 1Teaching and Learning Profile (Co)7 2Curriculum3 3Student Profile (Co)7 4Faculty Profile7 5Financial Profile7 6Research Involvement (Co)9 7Cultural Orientation3 8Religious Orientation6 9Regional Engagement (Eu)7 10International Engagement (Eu)13

Examples of Indicators 6.Research Involvement 6.1Expenditures on research 6.2Publications 6.3Research centers 6.4 Libraries 10.International Engagement 10.1International students 10.2International sources of income 10.3Graduate students on out-bound exchange programs 10.4 Incoming grad students with degrees from other institutions 10.5 International teaching and research staff 10.6 Twinning with international HEIs 10.7 International admission tests 10.8 Cooperation agreements with international HEIs 10.9 Affiliation to international institution/branch Intended international engagement Accreditation Organization of international engagement

Findings: International Engagement What do we mean by “international”? Mobility: Only 2% of all students are international (0 to 80%); 4.3% are from other Arab countries 11% of the teaching staff is international; 13% are from other Arab countries There is a larger presence of foreign faculty than foreign students.

Findings: International Engagement There appears to be more international engagement than regional engagement: twinning programs and cooperative agreements There are key differences by sub-region: Gulf nations vs. other countries Incomplete measurement, missing data

Overall Findings Lack of institutional data Shifting cultural models: French (45%), American (43%) Low regional and international engagement Use of English for administration and teaching Impact of branch campuses Investments in research

Challenges Obtaining buy-in from ministries and HEIs Summarizing data across multiple campuses is difficult Challenges inherent in generalizing across diverse countries and education systems

Looking Ahead Significant interest in expanding the work of the pilot study Capacity-building in the region Engage other countries that have strategically used classifications and rankings to strengthen the quality of their higher education systems Is a ranking currently feasible? Not yet. We have a good framework in place, but better and more complete data is needed to compile rankings that are accurate and fair. Higher education and the Arab Spring

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The Arab Spring and Helping to Build higher Education Capacity in the Middle East and North Africa Chair: Mark S. Lazar, Vice President, Global Scholarship and Learning Programs, IIE Panelists: Rajika Bhandari, Deputy Vice President, Research and Evaluation, IIE Kristen Cammarata, Regional Educational Advising Coordinator, Middle East & North Africa, EducationUSA Kevin Browne, Vice Provost of Academic and Enrollment Services, University of Illinois at Chicago Lucas Welch, Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Soliya