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Volume 12, Issue 6   REGIONAL NEWS PRACTICAL INFORMATION RESEARCH
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Regional
News
ISRAEL
Under a new plan approved by the Education Ministry, Israeli high school
students will be able to earn university credit for some subjects they
take as electives. The project, known as the “academization program,” will
be implemented during the second half of the school year, which will coincide
with the start of the second semester at universities. Only students in
11th and 12th grades will be eligible to participate in the program.
The new system will allow students to take these subjects through the Open University and earn two sets of credits. The first time, the grade they receive for a subject will be recognized on their bagrut matriculation certificate in lieu of the regular exam; and the second time, the credit will count towards a college degree. Students who take courses that are considered top priority in the Israeli Defense Forces (computer science, math, Arabic and Middle Eastern studies) can have their military service deferred. The Committee on the Academization of High School Studies is hoping for a gradual transition where compulsory subjects will be taught completely in high school, and electives will be studied in institutions of higher education. The implementation of the new reform program could result in the following curriculum changes for high school students: 1) Compulsory subjects to be taught in high schools for matriculation: English, math, Hebrew and the Bible. 2) The Education Ministry will also allow students to choose electives given as academic courses. For instance, those majoring in the humanities might choose history, science majors might select computer science and those majoring in the social sciences could choose sociology. It is estimated that about 5,000 high school students will opt for the academization program when it begins next year, but that number is expected to grow. Students who require financial assistance to participate in the program can apply for loans or scholarships offered through the Rothchild and Rashi foundations. To get into the academic classes, students are placed within a track system in the early stages of high school. —
Ha’aretz Online
JORDAN
In an effort to make more money, the Jordanian University for Women opened
its doors for the first time to male students last October and changed
its name to the University of Petra. At the end of last year, the private
university enrolled a total of 1,400 female students. Although 25 percent
of these students have chosen not to come back, the total number of enrollments
has increased to 2,000.
The university’s director, Mahmoud Samra, expects that even more female students will leave. About half the students currently enrolled at the university come from Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, where parents only permit their daughters to study at single-sex universities. Although there are many single-sex universities in the Gulf, institutions of higher education in Jordan have a good reputation abroad and attract a significant number of students from other Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Although the practice of single-sex universities is strongly encouraged by Islamic law, it is less strictly enforced in Jordan than in the Gulf countries. —
Times Higher Education Supplement
TURKEY (Northern Cyprus)
Eastern Mediterranean University (called the Higher Technical Institute
until 1986) is the oldest institution of higher education in Northern Cyprus.
The university has faculties in business and economics, engineering, architecture,
and arts and sciences. The school offers four-year bachelor degrees in
addition to diploma and graduate programs.
The academic year is divided into two 16-week semesters and the language of instruction is English. A credit system is used with students taking 15-23 credits per semester. Grading at Eastern Mediterranean University is as follows:
The university plans to open a branch campus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, mainly for women. —
EAIE Forum
Other universities currently in operation are Kyrenia American University, Lefke European University, Near East University, Eastern Mediterranean University (see above) and the Open University. All these universities are attracting overseas students from Turkey, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The government, which currently allocates 14 percent of its budget to education, hopes to double the number of students enrolled in the enclave’s institutions of higher education to 40,000. At present, 10 percent of Northern Cyprus’ 200,000 inhabitants are enrolled in some form of higher education. With the European Union trade embargo against Northern Cyprus, higher education has become the enclave’s biggest moneymaker. Universities are expected to generate $250 million in revenues this year, which is considerably more than the $60 million coming from exports. The government hopes that the 35,000 people who visit Northern Cyprus each year because of the universities will help gain international recognition for the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. —
The Guardian Online
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