CONTENTS

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Education in Ontario, Canada, Undergoes Changes

REGIONAL NEWS
Africa
Americas
Asia-Pacific
Europe
Middle East
Russia & CIS

FEATURE
The Trade Debate in International Higher Education

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Middle East

EGYPT

New German and French Universities Accused of Elitism

The German University in Cairo (GUC) is scheduled to open Oct. 2003 — with English as its main language of instruction.

The project received €600,000 from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and start up capital from 40 Egyptian investors to the tune of €15 million.

The university's enrollment goal of 5,000 students over the first five years is part of an effort by the German Ministry of Education to promote its tertiary institutions abroad, especially in developing nations.

All courses and degrees at the university are technical subjects, and although they will be taught in English, German as a second language will be heavily promoted. Fees will be about €5,000 a year.

There have been criticisms in the Egyptian press that the university and another new private venture, a French University in Cairo, will cater only to the elite. In response German officials who have stated that scholarships will be made available to highly gifted students with limited means. Students receiving financial aid should make up about 10 percent of the student population.

The bachelors and masters degrees will be recognized in Germany and should be accredited in the European Union under the 1999 Bologna Declaration.

— The Times Higher Education Supplement
Nov. 1, 2002

ISRAEL

University of Latvia Degrees Are Under Scrutiny

The Israeli Education Ministry is no longer recognizing advanced degrees issued by the local branch of the University of Latvia. Any civil servant who received a pay increase on the basis of such a degree will lose it. Criminal investigations have found that the university frequently granted fraudulent degrees.

The American Burlington Academy in Israel is also coming under suspicion after arrests of top Teachers' Union officials suspected of fraudulently obtaining academic degrees and failing to pay their tuition to the academic institutions in which they were enrolled — branches of the University of Latvia and the American Burlington Academy in Israel.

— Ha'aretz daily
October 2, 2002

JORDAN

Advanced Nursing Degree Offered

Muta University's Princess Muna Nursing College near Karak has introduced an advanced degree in specialized midwifery.

The 36-hour program includes theoretical and practical training. The course is available only to postgraduate nursing students.

— The Jordan Times
Sept. 12, 2002

2,000 Students Will Transfer From Community Colleges to Public Universities

Under a new transfer system, 2,000 of the top-performing community-college students will soon be admitted to the kingdom's eight public universities.

The system will allow community-college students to transfer some earned credits toward a bachelor's degree at a state university. The top achievers on the Comprehensive Exam, a state-sponsored test for students who have completed a two-year degree at a community college, will be eligible.

— The Jordan Times
Sept. 19, 2002

LEBANON

Islamic School Enjoys 6 Years of Recognition

Islamic University of Lebanon, located in Beirut, was formally recognized by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as a valid institution of higher education in June 1996.

For information about courses and programs, please visit the university's Web site.

— Correspondence from the Islamic University of Lebanon
August 2002

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Colleges to Benefit Slightly from Saudi Aid

At a time when many Palestinian colleges and universities are on the verge of bankruptcy, the government of Saudi Arabia will soon be distributing US$200,000 grants to each of the 12 higher-education institutions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In addition, it is paying 75% of third- and fourth-year students' tuition and fees this year.

However, colleges and universities will still be seriously under-funded. In the past, Palestinian institutions relied heavily on tuition and fees, which the majority can now no longer afford. Universities have been taking the brunt of the economic shortfall and are subsidizing the cost of educating a large percentage of their student populations at a loss.

More than 85,000 students are currently enrolled in Palestinian universities scattered throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

— The Chronicle of Higher Education
Sept. 24, 2002

YEMEN

CALES Focuses on Small Classes

The Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies (CALES), a division of the University of Science and Technology in Yemen, offers three types of programs: private tutorials, two-student courses and small group courses comprised of three to six students. Students begin by taking private lessons and later join small groups of students. These programs generally last for one year, although shorter programs are also available.

— Correspondence from the Center for Arabic Language and Eastern Studies
August 2002

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