Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia):
Saudi Arabia is in the process of building a $3 billion graduate- research university, which will be the first in the country outside the control of the higher education ministry. Unlike other Saudi universities, the campus will be co-educational and will be funded by its own endowment, allocated by the Saudi government. The government has stressed that the university will enjoy academic freedom. One of the four university institutes will focus on energy research, water and sustainable development. The campus is expected to be completed in 2009.
Masdar Institute (Abu Dhabi):
The government of Abu Dhabi, in conjunction with MIT, is in the process of building the Masdar Institute, a private, graduate- level research-driven institute for science and technology. The project is funded by the government’s $250 million clean-tech investment fund, Masdar. The institute plans on admitting students in 2009. The research institute will be the centerpiece of the Masdar Initiative, which aims to diversify the Abu Dhabi economy away from oil and create a new economic sector dedicated to alternative and sustainable energy.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (Dubai):
In May, the Prime Minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, announced a $10 billion initiative "to build a knowledge-based society throughout the region and enhance the standing of scholars and intellectuals in the Arab world" in hopes of improving the standard of education and research in the region. This initiative, called the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, is thought to be one of the largest charitable donations in history.
New York University in Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi):
New York University recently announced that it will build the first comprehensive liberal arts campus abroad developed by a major U.S. research university. The Abu Dhabi government has agreed to provide the land, funding, and financing for the development, construction, equipping, maintenance and operation of the campus. Classes will be conducted in English and will be co- educational. The first class of students is projected to enroll in 2010. When completed, the Abu Dhabi campus is expected to have a student body upwards of 2,000.
Reform of Higher Education (Bahrain):
Bahrain is in the process of reforming higher education in the country. The government has put into place new rules aimed at setting quality standards for the country’s 12 private universities. The standards include regulations on facilities standards, financial security, and ensuring that each department must have at least three PhD holders. Additionally, the Ministry of Education has undertaken a national survey to assess the extent to which graduates of secondary schools and of universities are meeting the job needs of the private sector.
Sidra Medical and Research Center (Qatar):
The new medical center’s $7.9 billion endowment was provided by the Qatar Foundation and represents the largest cash endowment of any medical and research center in the world. The medical center will be housed in “Education City,” a 2,500 acre campus for education and technological developments. Several U.S. universities, such as Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Texas A & M, and Northwestern have built, or are planning to build, satellite campuses in Education City. The center is scheduled to open in 2011.
