National and global political discourse is increasingly making mention of the importance of developing ‘knowledge economies’, and placing the production of knowledge societies at the forefront of national development policy. Such development aims are being embraced by governments across the Arab world, and the Middle East as a region is seeking to embrace new ways of developing capacity through education. In this report, the fourth in a series of Global Education Research Reports published by the AIFS Foundation and IIE, scholars from a wide range of institutions and organizations set out to describe and understand current innovations, trends, and issues faced in the Middle East as a region, as they take the steps toward educational reform and development. Through broad thematic discussions, examples of current trends and practices, and national case studies, this report offers a contemporary and erudite examination of current innovative practices in the Middle East. Chapter Outline: Foreword Allan E. Goodman, Institute of International Education William L. Gertz, American Institute For Foreign Study Introduction By Jamil Salmi, World Bank Chapter One The “Knowledge Society” in the Middle East By Daniel Kirk, American University of Sharjah Chapter Two Strategic Planning in Higher Education: The Case of Non-Gulf Middle Eastern Countries By John L. Yeager and Hana A. El-Ghali, University of Pittsburgh Chapter Three The Evolution of the Branch Campus in Qatar and UAE By Spencer Witte, St. Anthony’s College, University of Oxford Chapter Four “Science Cities” and the Demographic Dividend By Robert Ayan, Cambridge Advisors Chapter Five The Role of Internationalization in Women's Education in the Middle East By Haifa Jamal Al Lail, Effat University Chapter Six Advancing U.S. Study Abroad to the Middle East By Jerome Bookin-Weiner, AMIDEAST and Ahmad Majdoubeh, University of Jordan Chapter Seven The Role of Youth Exchange in U.S.-Middle Eastern Cultural Understanding By Sherifa Fayez, AFS Egypt and Dan Prinzing, Idaho Human Rights Education Center Chapter Eight Promoting Arabic Language Education in U.S. Higher Education By Norm Peterson, University of Montana Appendix Classifying Higher Education Institutions in the MENA Region: A Pilot Project By Rajika Bhandari and Robert Gutierrez, IIE IIE’s Activities in the MENA Region By Daniel Obst, IIE and Liz Khalifa, IIE/MENA |