Higher education is often seen as an important investment in dealing with large socioeconomic problems and the key to breaking through barriers to national advancement, economic development, and civil society growth. Home to a quarter of the world’s population, South Asia’s industry and service sectors are growing and creating jobs that require skilled workers. To…
The workshop was organized by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the Hollings Center for International Dialogue to explore cross-border quality assurance of higher education specifically in Malaysia, Oman, and the United States and more generally in the Arab region and in Southeast Asia. The purpose was…
Six years following the onset of the global economic crisis of 2008, national economies have struggled to make up lost gains. Unemployment remains above pre-crisis levels in many countries, particularly among youth. Throughout Muslim-majority countries, such as Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Libya, the high rate of youth unemployment has led to multi-faceted negative consequences. For…
Following Libya’s parliamentary elections in 2012 and the establishment of a new government, the new representatives announced a bold vision for the future of Libyan higher education. The aim: to create world class universities (WCUs) that would help diversify Libya’s economy and turn Libya into a hub of academic achievement. Using its significant oil resources,…
How can we deploy oral history more globally to sustainably foster partnerships and exchanges of ideas across international and cultural boundaries? How can digital technology make oral history more of a public resource in the Middle East, Central Asia and the United States? What are the benefits and limitations of using memory to diagnose and…
Today, with the effects of globalization and with dramatically expanded access to higher education, the quality of education has become more crucial for national development and competitiveness as well as for individual success. The rise of cross-border education, including branch campuses, student and faculty mobility, and partnerships between universities in different countries, also raises new…
Organized in cooperation with the University of Birmingham, this dialogue explored whether academic and cultural exchange can reduce political tensions. Participants discussed popular views of the United States and Iran as are held in each country, the state of Iranian studies in the United States and ways to reduce misunderstandings across American and Iranian publics.
March 2008 Held at Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, in cooperation with the Institute of International Education (IIE), this dialogue provided new perspectives to one of the fastest-growing areas of higher education. Participants discussed how to create more diverse study abroad programs throughout the Arab world, enhance the capacity of Arab universities to host U.S….
January 2007 Building on the December 2005 conference, participants in this second dialogue delved deeper into topics relating to curricula, standards of excellence, philanthropy, best practices, and international cooperation between independent universities. Participants included presidents and administrators of higher education institutions in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi…
December 2005 This path-breaking dialogue examined the establishment of independent universities in predominantly Muslim countries, the challenges these institutions face and the possibilities for partnership with American universities. Conference participants included prominent educators and higher education officials from independent colleges and universities in Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the…
