Earlier this month, the New York Times ran a front-page story on the international expansion of US educational institutions. While the scope of the story was global, most of the examples were of US universities entering the Gulf.
Higher education is, without a doubt, one of the sectors in which global institutions can find significant opportunities in the Gulf. The most successful institutions, however, will be those that view Gulf expansion as a genuine strategic opportunity and not simply an “outpost.”
Educational institutions entering the region should bear in mind some key considerations, which will enable stronger and more lasting partnerships:
1. Educational partnerships in the Gulf are rooted in a broader development strategy.
The key reason why the GCC is so attractive for such expansion is because higher education is a core strategic need. In many developed nations, the development of social infrastructure has come hand-in-hand with economic development, such that prosperity and the strength of the education sector are roughly at par. This is not the case in the Gulf, where wealth came suddenly in the form of oil booms (two in the 1970s / 1980s and again in the 2000s) without the “requisite” social infrastructure in place. This has created what I call a “backfill imperative” to create world-class educational and training institutions.
(For more on the development of educational institutions and detailed discussion of the “backfill imperative” fee Chapter 7 — Building Your Team: Human Capital Strategies for the GCC — of Dubai & Co.)
Gulf governments — and especially Qatar’s and the UAE’s — have made higher education a strategic priority. Qatar’s Education City (in which the high-profile partnerships with Cornell, Georgetown, and others are based) and Dubai’s Knowledge Village are manifestations of this strategy.
2. Gulf stakeholders seek “best of breed” partners
It’s not by accident that Qatar’s Education City partners with Cornell for medical education, Georgetown for foreign service education, and Carnegie Mellon for engineering. Qatar seeks (and knows it can attract) “best of breed” institutions for various categories of education.
Global educational institutions should, therefore, focus their efforts on leveraging their core areas of differentiated expertise rather than “cutting and pasting” their entire operations. In this regard, educational institutions and multinational companies can both benefit from focusing on competitive advantage.
3. Standards can be maintained — or even enhanced
The NY Times piece rightly emphasized the importance of maintaining the highest global standards when expanding abroad. Quality standards are fundamentally important for maintaining the reputations for which institutions are invited to the Gulf.
It is a trap, however, to assume that standards must slip through international expansion. Cornell’s campus in Qatar, for example, applies a rigorous curriculum, uses classrooms that replicate its New York facilities, and draws on US faculty. Arguably, the engineering fieldwork opportunities available to Carnegie Mellon students in Qatar are superior to those in Pennsylvania: Qatar is, after all, investing billions of dollar in developing state of the art natural gas infrastructure at a level admired worldwide.
The mindset that “international” must mean “sub-standard” is outdated and certainly does not apply to the Gulf.
4. Benefits accrue in both directions
Expanding to the Gulf should be seen as more than an “outpost” — it represents a chance for the institution to access a new student base, develop new courses, and deepen its understanding of the broader world. Just as emerging markets are the key driver of business growth today, the developing world can be a source for knowledge, ideas, and perspectives of great value to the academy. Students are more curious than ever about China, India, and the Islamic world — how better for institutions to learn more about these regions than through a presence abroad?
The Times reports that NYU’s president, John Sexton, insisted on a $50 million donation from the UAE to “test their bona fides” and in order to “take [them] seriously.” Such a posture hints of exploitation and hardly reflects a spirit of genuine partnership. While the NYU-Abu Dhabi linkage has apparently grown more substantive, this first interaction reflects a narrow perspective.
The most lasting partnerships — educational or commercial — will be those that are based on mutual benefit and genuie exchange. Institutions that approach the region with authenticity can expect far deeper support from the Gulf’s increasingly savvy stakeholders.
Your point about NYU President John Saxton’s insistance on $50 Million donation from UAE to “test their bonafide” is well taken. It may be viewed as exploitation but in all fairness, it may also be a reflection of past experiences whereby similar overtures might have been a waste of time. Besides, the Academic types like Mr. Saxton may not be fully mindful of the need felt by GCC countries (and the East)for such institutions outside the U.S, in post 9/11 world.
In my view one of the key challenges for the Middle East in developing higher education is to develop a critical mindset in students and faculty. Education is more than the absorbtion of received knowledge.
I think the level of creative scientific and mathematical work in the Middle East contrasts poorly with that in India, despite the Middle East having been much better endowed with economic resources for several decades.
Are learning and knowledge a gradual process? Fast forward to the future. The investments in education initiatives are working wonders throughout the region. The Mideast led civilizations and, will lead again.