Regional
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Proposed
Bill Seeks to Build Bridges With Muslim World
Sens.
Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., introduced the
bipartisan Cultural
Bridges Act of 2002 this spring. The proposed legislation, which
is now before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is designed
to significantly increase U.S. exchange programs with predominantly
Muslim nations.
If
approved, the legislation would authorize $95 million annually through
2007 for educational and cultural exchange programs with Islamic
countries.
Students
from the 57 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,
excluding Muslim-dominated former Soviet republics, would be eligible
to participate. The program would be open to those from the West
Bank and Gaza as well. The bill does not specifically exclude students
from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya and the Sudan, but their countries'
inclusion on the State Department's terrorist list may automatically
disqualify them.
—
Fulbright
Association
May 20, 2002
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ISRAEL
University
Hopes to Lure Researchers Back Home
Are scientists willing to brave suicide bombers to work in state-of-the-art
laboratories?
The Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology is going to find out, as it tries to lure
Israeli-born scientists back to the country. University President Yitzhak
Apeloig believes scientists won't be put off by Israel's security situation
if they have the facilities to do quality research.
With that
in mind, Technion has established a US$20 million Leaders in Science program
to pay for the labs, equipment and other expenses that will persuade top
candidates in the United States and Europe to return to Israel.
The university
cannot compete with private U.S. institutions in terms of salary alone,
Apeloig noted. As a public university operating under a collective-bargaining
agreement, Technion cannot sign private salary agreements with faculty
members.
—
The
Chronicle of Higher Education
July 29, 2002
KUWAIT
First
Private Kuwaiti University to Open in Fall
A new private university - Kuwait's first - is now accepting students
in preparation for its fall opening. Gulf University for Science and Technology,
an undergraduate institution, will grant bachelor's degrees in science-related
fields and business administration.
Following
a wider trend in the Middle East, the government decided two years ago
to allow private universities to operate in Kuwait. The country of 2 million
people currently has only one university, Kuwait
University, which is not open to international students.
About 1,500 students are expected to enroll this fall, and officials plan
to develop master's- and doctoral-degree programs. The language of instruction
will be English, and tuition will be US$13,000 per year.
—
The
Chronicle of Higher Education
July 19, 2002
LEBANON
University's
Name Change Lauded
On June 28, 2001, Middle East College was officially renamed Middle
East University. The name change was hailed as a significant development
in recognizing the institution as a major center of higher education in
both Lebanon and the Middle East.
Middle East
University is a nonprofit Christian institution owned and operated by
the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It offers graduate and undergraduate
degrees in a wide range of fields.
—
Middle
East University
July 2, 2002
Tripoli
School Gets Government Nod
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has officially recognized
El-Jinan University, which is located in Tripoli.
The new institution
has four faculties: arts and humanities, business administration, health
sciences and media and communications.
—
Lebanese
Ministry of Education and Higher Education
Aug. 6, 2002
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Crowding
Delays Admissions
Registration and admission to Ajman
University of Science and Technology's Abu Dhabi and Al Ain campuses
have been delayed for the 2002-03 academic year because the school has
reached full student capacity, officials say.
Students
who have already registered, however, will follow the existing academic
calendar. New plans to help accommodate more students are being drawn
up and will be implemented in the coming year, and 86 new lecturers are
expected to join the faculty.
University
officials decided to put off admission in order to maintain current academic
standards.
A new campus
is currently under construction in Jarf, which upon completion, will be
able to accommodate 6,000 additional students. Classes in Jarf are expected
to begin in 2003-04.
—
The
Star
Aug. 4, 2002
E-Company
to Make Education More Accessible
eCollege, an e-learning technology and services provider to educational
markets, recently announced a joint venture with Dubai
Internet City (DIC) to form Knowledge Access, a company that will
make education more accessible to the Persian Gulf region and surrounding
areas.
Knowledge
Access will provide the technology and support services for academic institutions
and corporate training organizations to build full online programs.
Led by the crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
DIC is a $2 billion, three-year initiative to establish a state-of-the-art
infrastructure for businesses operating locally, regionally and globally
from Dubai. E-learning is a major priority of DIC, and as such, DIC conducted
an extensive evaluation of more than 70 companies and consortiums before
selecting eCollege as its partner to develop Knowledge Access and its
online learning initiative.
DIC is a
strategic base for companies targeting emerging markets in a vast region
extending from the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent, and from Africa
to the former republics of the now defunct Soviet Union.
—
EDUCAUSE
June 18, 2002
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