These are some of the findings from an annual survey of international students conducted by . IDP鈥檚 Manager, External Affairs, Kim Dienhoff, presented high-level findings from four years of survey data at the recent NAFSA conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

The session focused in large part on reaching students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With nearly a third of the region鈥檚 355 million people aged 15 to 25, it is perhaps not surprising that Internet usage, and the penetration of social networks in particular, is high.

Ms Dienhoff paired the IDP survey data with additional research to provide an important summary of social media habits and trends in the region.

Social media usage in MENA was particularly visible during the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring beginning in 2011, leaving many observers with the impression that major global networks, such as Facebook and YouTube, are widely used across the region.

Internet penetration is high with nearly 90% indicating they access the web from home. A much smaller proportion (34%) say they have Internet access at work. “For marketers this probably means that you need to schedule online activities like chat rooms, Skype sessions, virtual fairs, or webinars in the evening once people are home from work,” notes Ms Dienhoff.

There are of course variations from country to country. Internet penetration varies from 85-90% in Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar to, at the lower end of the range, 44-50% in Jordan and Egypt. Nearly nine in ten Internet users in MENA use social media every day. Smartphones account for 40% of web impressions in the region (about 45% above the global average), and smartphone penetration ranges from a low of 16% in Morocco to 73-75% in the UAE and Qatar. It is fair to say that, at these levels of adoption, a mobile responsive site is a must for reaching students and parents in the region.

Facebook is your #1 friend

As the following chart illustrates, Facebook is the leading network with a 89% penetration among MENA Internet users. Twitter and Google+ are a distant second and third respectively, but each nevertheless has been widely adopted as well. As with the Internet and mobile usage patterns we noted earlier, the chart reflects national variations as well, including the notably high levels of Twitter usage in Saudi Arabia.

Top five social networks in MENA and selected markets by percentage of Internet users. Source: IDP

Adoption rates are helpful in looking at relative usage from market to market but the absolute numbers of users on each service is arguably the key metric. The following chart reflects the population of Facebook users by country, and illustrates that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, and the UAE have some of the largest populations in the region that are active on this leading social network.

Population of Facebook users by country, 2013. Sources: IDP, Arab Social Media Report-2013

This variance in user counts by market is notable in part because each country carries with it its own language preferences. English and Arabic are by far the most-preferred languages among the region鈥檚 Internet users, with the exception of markets such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia where French is the clear language of choice.

Beyond Facebook

Twitter has also been widely adopted by MENA Internet users and the following chart provides a summary of Twitter user counts for selected markets across the region.

Twitter user populations by country, 2013. Sources: IDP, Arab Social Media Report-2013

As the chart illustrates, Twitter is especially well used in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom accounts, on average, for roughly 47% of all Twitter traffic in the region. And, influenced by the fact that half of the Saudi population of Internet users prefers to use Arabic online, 74% of all Tweets by MENA users are in Arabic (as compared to only 18% in English).

YouTube, while not a social network as such, is one of the largest and most heavily used sites on the Internet, and its content is easily and widely shared on social media. It happens that this leading global video service is also extremely popular in many MENA states.

YouTube reach in MENA. Source: IDP

YouTube is the second or third-ranked site by usage in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Morocco. Across the region, there are 300 million YouTube playbacks each and every day, and Saudi Arabia leads the pack as the #1 market in the world in terms of views per capita.

“YouTube of course is highly valuable to marketers,” says Ms Dienhoff. “So if you don鈥檛 have a YouTube channel you should probably get one. You can use it to house videos that are then used on many other platforms and of course it will help greatly with your SEO.”

Implications for marketers

As the preceding charts and figures clearly reflect, social media usage in the region is highly concentrated around the most-popular social networks and social content sites in the world, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. “The good news is that they are using the same platforms you are already familiar with,” adds Ms Dienhoff. (Not to mention that you can reach the vast majority of prospects in the region in English and Arabic.)

For additional trends and best practices in social media, please see our post “Facebook is still the top social network but other platforms are growing faster.” It includes links to some of our most-popular posts on social media strategy, including tips for Facebook, Twitter, and social video.

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This January, the League of Arab States and the British Council held a that centred on education as a key to economic development in the region and to alleviating the problem of youth unemployment. One of the symposium鈥檚 main themes was improving English education and English language skills, backed by British Council research showing that MENA workers with English earn up to three times as much as non-English speakers.

Why English?

A January 2015 World Bank report stresses that while great improvements in education have been made across the region in access, funding, literacy rates, and gender equality, . These include an overall lack of educational quality and a mismatch between what students are learning and the skills that employers want.

A survey of employers in the region found that employers consider only one-third of new graduates ready for the workplace; the same study found that only one-third of students considered themselves ready to enter the labour market. In addition, school-age populations are on the rise, putting an increased strain on already-taxed public education systems.

A 2012 study undertaken in eight MENA countries by Euromonitor International (and commissioned by the British Council) pointed out that many employment-related problems could be ameliorated by better language education. The study found that salaries were generally higher in the region for English-language speakers.

Employees with better English skills enjoyed salaries from 5% (Tunisia) to as high as 200% (Iraq) more than their counterparts with no English. In addition, it found a correlation between poor fluency (and political instability) and unemployment.

The Euromonitor study noted that private-sector development in many key industries such as IT and software development, telecommunications, and banking/finance would be greatly accelerated by a boost in the number of qualified English speakers.

A long way to go

The Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index (EPI) is a global survey that measures English levels in markets around the world. Its research findings note that, 鈥淭he Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is by far 鈥� In both TOEFL and IELTS test results for several past years, Arabic speakers have placed in the bottom tier of world rankings.

Egyptian students hoping to study in Turkey 鈥� a country that promotes itself strongly as a less-expensive and close-to-home destination for Arabs, with classes held mainly in English 鈥� are often stymied by their lack of academic English skills. Saudi Arabian students hoping to study in the US or UK using government scholarships are usually granted up to 18 months for language study prior to academic work, but they often need even more time still to bring their English skills to the level required for advanced study abroad.

And, similar to conditions in many parts of the world, well-qualified instructors are scarce across the region. According to a British Council survey of over 1,000 teachers in the region, the best-qualified instructors often end up being moved into higher levels of public education, where students and schools are both more interested in high marks over actual fluency.

MENA youth are fully aware of the importance of English in terms of employment mobility, but educational opportunities are still often limited to those able to receive private education, given the over-stretched resources of most public educational systems in the region.

Will travel for English

As many challenges as there currently are to greater levels of English fluency in the region, a 5-7% increase in the number of English speakers is predicted over the next few years, and special programmes to nurture this increased language skill are becoming more prevalent in the region.

Probably the most visible example of this 鈥� at least in English-speaking countries hosting large numbers of language learners 鈥� is the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme (KASP) offered by the Saudi Arabian government. In 2013, Saudi Arabia was the top country of origin for students in intensive English programmes in the US according to IIE Open Door statistics 鈥� more than twice the number of China, the next-largest source market. Most of these students intend to continue on to university programmes. Saudi Arabia was the fourth-leading source of students in full-time tertiary academic programmes in the US, according to the 2014 IIE Open Doors report, with more than a 20% increase in numbers from the previous report cycle.

Kuwait is another country exporting its language learners, with Open Doors listing the oil-rich nation as one of the fastest-growing student populations in the US. Kuwait has moved up to be the 7th most-represented country in intensive English programmes in the US.

In-country initiatives

In other MENA countries less able to send their students abroad for further opportunity, in-country programming is key, and reports the British Council is a key sponsor or provider of services in many of these countries. For example:

• In Algeria, the first phase of a nationwide teacher training and curricular reform programme for English education, under an agreement with the Algerian Ministry of Education, began in November 2014. In addition to face-to-face and online education intended to reach every English teacher in Algeria, this Strategic English Education Development for Schools (SEEDS) programme includes a complete overhaul of the English curriculum and testing system.
• Oman鈥檚 English teachers have been able to take Continuing Professional Development courses online using the British Council鈥檚 . The first instalment of highly interactive programme included discussion forums set up for smaller groups of teachers; it was deemed such a success that it spurred a second training programme in 2013/14.
• Two Moroccan universities have adopted the British Council鈥檚 , which enables them to both place students appropriately and to measure progress after students complete certain modules of the LearnEnglish Pathways programme. The early success of this pilot has led to similar e-learning methods being implemented at six other universities across the country.
• For the 1.2 million Syrian refugees and about half that number in Jordan, the need for educational opportunity is particularly acute. In Lebanon, the British Council and the European Union are co-funding a project to help Syrian refugees both with their English and their ability to integrate better into the more pluralistic Lebanese society, entitled Accessing education: language integration for Syrian refugee children. In Jordan, the British Council is working to enhance capacity in all areas of English-language education, including in refugee camps.

Changing lives

Given the current turmoil across the MENA region, and given a large and growing youth population facing more competition for employment, the value of English language skills is clearly highlighted and the success of these and other similar programmes is vital. Nic Humphries, the British Council鈥檚 director of English in the MENA region, says, 鈥淩esearch shows there鈥檚 no doubt that 鈥�

There is no time to waste, both in terms of English language training and improved education in general for young people in the region. The World Bank reports that:

鈥淭he region鈥檚 youth population (up to 24 years old) will surge by about 10 million between 2015 and 2030. This sudden growth in the youth population will create increased demand for educational services at all levels and will place immense pressure on existing educational institutions. Clearly, the persistent, dual challenges of quality and relevance must be addressed before the anticipated surge. If they can, this rising tide of young people could become an engine of growth for the region.鈥�

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When admissions becomes marketing

This post from College Admissions Today has been nagging at us for a little while now. It makes the interesting point that admissions staff are now often asked to play a more direct role with respect to marketing and recruitment, and raises some interesting questions about how this impacts workloads and focus in the admissions office.

Is Japan going to hit its target?

Japan aims to attract 300,000 foreign students by 2020. The good news: there is just one thing standing in its way. The bad news: that one thing is China. reports on how China鈥檚 efforts to attract greater numbers of international students are drawing market share from Japan.

Saudi Arabia tops the first ranking of Arab universities

Saudi Arabia owns the top three positions in an initial ranking of 91 Arab universities in 16 countries published recently by US News & World Report. The rankings are notably concentrated: the top seven countries counted 77 universities in the table (85% of the total), while seven other countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – had only one ranked university each.

Pearson launches new English test

Education giant Pearson and the online language learning platform busuu have partnered for the global launch of a new English proficiency exam: the Global Scale of English Test (GSET). busuu is the first company worldwide to offer the test, on exclusive terms with Pearson for an initial six-month period.

We鈥檝e looked at Facebook from all sides now

Social marketing specialist Brian Carter offers an : the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this nicely balanced post, he offers a compact summary of the challenges – and strengths – of this key social media platform.

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There are, however, transitional and support services that can help students with disabilities succeed abroad. To learn more, we caught up with Rob Crawford, the CEO of the Life Development Institute (LDI), and are pleased to present excerpts from our discussion in the videos below.

Offering internationally recognised and fully accredited high school, college, and career-focused programming in a residential setting, the LDI serves young adults with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, Autism spectrum disorders, and similar conditions. The author of numerous books and articles, Mr Crawford has previously written for 黑料官网 Monitor about working with students with disabilities.

The impact of national laws and acts

As Mr Crawford notes in our first interview segment below, colleges and universities in the United States are required by law to guarantee equal access and reasonable provisions for all attending students, including those with disabilities. In fact, an institution must provide disability student services and offices in order to access financial aid.

Equal access laws also exist in other destination countries that are popular with international students, such as the UK. British universities must comply with the Equality Act, which requires all institutions to have experts specialised in .

As helpful as such laws can be, it is still important for students, their families, and agents to research and confirm precisely what access provisions are available at a given institution. As Mr Crawford notes, the support offered through a university鈥檚 disability office may provide assistance with a specific area of coursework, but it鈥檚 not 鈥渁 blanket measure of assistance.鈥� Beyond the learning environment, some students with disabilities may need assistance with settling into a new country, requesting and receiving appropriate services, and day-to-day living.

Advice for agents

What advice does Mr Crawford have for agents working with students with disabilities? First, he recommends having an open mind and adopting a 鈥渟trength-based model鈥� that looks at what this underserved market of students can do, as opposed to what they cannot.

Mr Crawford additionally suggests that agents can better serve students with disabilities 鈥� particularly those destined for the US 鈥� as follows:

• Familiarise yourself with existing policy documents (e.g., UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the ) to understand the issues associated with disability and how they are influencing the education sector.
• Learn about and be attuned to some of the characteristics exhibited by people with disabilities. For example, a person with Asperger鈥檚 syndrome may not make eye contact during a conversation and seem aloof.
• Spend significant time prepping the prospective candidate for the immigration interview. Agents or schools may also want to write a letter to the appropriate embassy office that describes how the student will likely present during an interview, particularly if he or she demonstrates atypical behavior on account of a disability.
• Try to find a collaborating partner in the host country that understands the range of available services.

Resources such as the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange () can also be a valuable source of information. The NCDE offers free advice and support to individual students and their families, as well as professionals who are working with students with disabilities, and referrals for more specialised information. In particular, it offers , as well as .

Organisations like this exist in many countries around the world; two more examples include:

• , a not for profit organisation in New Zealand that provides information, assessment and tuition to families, whanau, schools, businesses and individuals living with Dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities.
• In the Philippines, the National Council on Disability Affairs () is the national government agency mandated to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all public and  private agencies concerning disability issues. There is also the Philippine Association for Citizens with Developmental and Learning Disabilities, Inc. (PACDLD), which provides support and information for parents and families of children with different disabilities or medical conditions.

Regardless of where a student is headed, advance preparation is key. As Lorraine Gallagher of the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (), Ireland, recently noted in a blog post for the EAIE:

鈥淪tudents with disabilities need to know before they travel what鈥檚 available for them in both the host institution and the local community where they鈥檒l be living鈥� There might be a local disability organisation that can provide you and the student with specific information about things like accessible transport, health services, accommodation or wheelchair-friendly restaurants.鈥�

What kinds of schools are most attractive for students with disabilities?

Like any international student, the 鈥渞ight鈥� school for a student with a disability often depends on his or her academic and career goals. But a student with a disability must also consider the type of support that he or she will require, which can vary according to their particular disability.

In an interview with The Guardian, Rachel Challinor, the student life support manager at the University of Salford, said that it is important for students to assess whether or not the campus facilities can accommodate their needs:

鈥淚s the library service accessible? Can you get e-books? Check out the student union: is there a disabled students group? What emotional support is on offer?鈥�

For some students, the kinds of support offered through a university鈥檚 disability office 鈥� such as note-taking services or extra time allocations on exams 鈥� can be sufficient, says Mr Crawford. Others, however, may need more comprehensive programmes that also provide counselling support, an apartment to live in, life skills training, and a social network.

Furthermore, community colleges 鈥� which often work with underrepresented and underserved groups of students 鈥� can also be a good transitional option, according to Mr Crawford. Upon first fulfilling some general education and elective requirements at a community college, a student may then be able to transfer to university. He or she can also pursue certification for employment programmes, making a community college an ideal 鈥渢esting ground鈥� for students with a disability.

Importantly, students who have diagnosed disabilities often have a different full-time course load than students who do not. 鈥淪ometimes it can be as few as two classes,鈥� says Mr Crawford, making it possible for certain students to pursue a course load that is appropriate for their disability, while also meeting funding or visa requirements tied to full-time enrolment.

Recent developments and debates in the field

Deciding how best to accommodate a student鈥檚 disability isn鈥檛 always easy, say some of the experts who attended the recent International Summit on Accessibility. Dr Manju Banerjee, Vice President and Director of Landmark College – a Vermont-based institution focused on students with learning disabilities – has suggested a need for serious thought to be given to assessing what special accommodations a disabled student may require. As reported in University Affairs:

鈥淒r Banerjee believes some students labelled disabled do not always need to be assigned classroom note-takers or given extra time to complete assignments; they simply have not been taught properly how to take notes or how to develop good study habits.鈥�

Elsewhere in the world, debate is focused on adequate funding for students with disabilities. In the UK, for example, it has been estimated that the total budget of the Disabled Students鈥� Allowances (DSAs) will be , a move that has prompted some to suggest that the studies of disabled students will be put at risk. Currently, Disabled Student Allowances pay for assistive technologies, non-medical assistance, and other costs for 53,000 disabled students.

In Australia, the federal government is conducting a review of its Disability Support Program, which covers under half the support costs that universities must deal with in serving disabled students. The programme budget has remained constant at AUS$7 million annually despite the number of disabled students entering postsecondary education in Australia continuing to rise. Since 2008, the number of commencing students with a disability has nearly doubled to 18,212 in 2013. Overall, there are now more than 50,000 disabled students studying at Australian universities.

Apart from funding, policy-makers in some countries are working on integrating disabled children at the primary and secondary school levels. In India, where less than 1% of children with disabilities are enrolled in schools, interventions include early identification and assessment through camps, providing aids and learning equipment, and teacher training.

Meanwhile, in Bahrain, a new curriculum for students with disabilities and special needs will be implemented in September of this year. And , more than half of the schools there are equipped to meet the needs of students with physical disabilities, and the Supreme Educational Council is committed to ensuring that all schools in Qatar have an accessible learning infrastructure that is supported by trained educators.

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Ambient Insight CEO Tyson Greer states that the top ten fastest-growing countries 鈥渁re countries that were nascent (emerging) markets for digital English as recently as 2011, and were generating very low revenues for suppliers. These countries are now vibrant revenue opportunities.”

A special country report, also from Ambient, notes that China, with a growth rate of 23.6% over the past five years, is now the top buying country of digital English language products worldwide. Category revenues in China are expected to triple from US$323 million in 2013 to US$932 million by 2018.

As the following figure reflects, growth in China is being driven chiefly by emphasis on digital English learning in schools, use of English in Chinese higher education, strong consumer demand for mobile language learning apps, and high demand for English in the corporate and government sectors.

Catalysts for growth in the digital English language learning market in China, 2013-2018. Source: Ambient Insight

The report notes that there were over 200 million schoolchildren in China in 2013 and that, 鈥淭he government’s goal is to have the entire K-12 student population online in the next ten years.鈥�

Digital English language learning revenues in Asia are currently concentrated in five product categories:

• Self-paced eLearning;
• Collaborative learning (i.e., live online classes and online tutoring);
• Digital reference (e.g., e-textbooks, rich media);
• Mobile learning apps and edugames;
• Mobile services (VAS: Value-added services).

Mobile products generated the highest revenues for suppliers in 2013. Mobile educational apps, edugames, and VAS subscriptions are now the top-selling types of digital English language learning products in China, followed by live online tutoring and self-paced courseware.

Projected growth for the Chinese market through 2018 for leading digital learning product categories. Source: Ambient Insight

The report also suggests there is a lucrative market for online English test preparation that targets China鈥檚 national higher education entrance exams, the gaokao. Driven by the emphasis on preparation for the gaokao, K-12 revenues for digital language learning products are concentrated in the higher grades and heavily clustered in grades 10-12.

Growth in the Middle East, too

Looking outside Asia, a further Ambient report predicts the digital language learning market in the Middle East will nearly double to reach US$215.7 million by 2018.

Top Middle East growth rates by country for digital language learning revenues, 2013鈥�2018. Source: Ambient Insight

In total, these latest projections are even higher than those we reported on less than two years ago in our article, “Opportunities abound in digital English language learning market,” which contains forecasts till 2016 as well as a round-up of government mandates to promote English and digital trends in classrooms around the world.

Opportunities in the classroom

For educators, the recent explosion in digital technologies provides new tools for enhancing the language learning experience. 鈥�,鈥� says Dr Cecilia Goria of Nottingham University鈥檚 Language Centre, in a recent Guardian article on classroom technology. 鈥淭eaching and learning now extends beyond that.鈥�

While many debate the impact of technology on learning outcomes, Mark Warschauer, professor of education and informatics at the University of California, suggests that giving students extra chances to communicate in the target language can be highly motivating. 鈥淸The] use of Twitter, email, discussion forums, Skype, and other tools can provide authentic communication opportunities that are too often lacking in language class,鈥� he says.

Language learning in the digital age

While discussion around the efficacy of technology-based teaching and learning resources continues, there are many examples as to how digital learning tools are reshaping language instruction around the world.

A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education outlines how telecollaboration (or 鈥渢eletandem鈥�) uses video-conferencing – such as , , or – to complement both in-person and online language courses. Students in a Spanish class in the United Kingdom, for example, may be paired online with students in an English course abroad, with students matched up based on language ability.

In one profiled recently in The Telegraph, Brazilian students looking to improve their English were paired with retired Americans for free video conversations. These partnerships were facilitated through a project called Speaking Exchange, developed by the Brazilian language company .

To access Speaking Exchange, a Brazilian student simply logs into the app, selects an elderly person who is online, and begins a conversation via webcam, guided by an initial suggestion of topics provided by the supplier. The final conversation is uploaded via private link to the company鈥檚 YouTube channel for teacher assessment.

Technology also places additional opportunities for learning a new language directly in the hands of students, and in sometimes surprising ways. A recent piece in Forbes, for example, recommends switching your automobile鈥檚 GPS system to the target foreign language as one .

Similarly, changing your language settings on any number of personal devices – a smartphone, for example, or tablet or computer – provides an opportunity to use a new language to complete routine daily tasks.

While these self-directed options will not replace traditional classroom learning anytime soon, they do represent important new opportunities for practice and exposure to the target language. Particularly given the dramatic growth forecasts for the next several years, it will be interesting to see how the culture and practice of English language learning will change and evolve as both students and teachers continue to make greater use of technology in their English studies.

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Last month, 22 Arab states, accounting for more than 500 universities among them, .

The STI aims to boost education and research in STEM fields by reforming and upgrading universities, improving science education, facilitating international and regional cooperation, boosting scientific research capacity, and increasing financial support for research and development.

In so doing, the STI aims to tackle a number of persistent challenges in Arabian higher education, including reversing a so-called 鈥渂rain drain鈥� from the region. Dr Sultan Abu-Orabi, secretary general of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU), frames the problem this way:

“The Arab world鈥� faces a host of hurdles when it comes to higher education and scientific research including a lack of clear focus in research priorities and strategies, insufficient time and funding to meet research goals, low awareness of the importance and impact of good scientific research, inadequate networking opportunities and databases, limited international collaborative efforts and brain drain.”

The strategy is a long-planned regional response to such issues and, more broadly, the need to better realise the potential of STEM fields for economic development. It was approved at the 14th Congress of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Arab World, held in Saudi Arabia in March 2014.

It encourages Arab States to boost financial assistance for research and development from the current 0.3% of GDP to 3%, with 30-40% of the funding increment coming from the private sector.

The strategy places the focus on 鈥渘ational and pan-Arab higher education and research initiatives in about 14 priority areas,鈥� including agriculture, biotechnology, energy, environment, nanotechnology, space, and information technology. It will be supported by a new online platform for Arab science and technology featuring:

• a database of technological centres and universities;
• a portal for research;
• a directory of scientists, educationists; technologists, and policy-makers;
• science and technology indicators;
• development and innovation activities and projects;
• information on conferences, symposiums and workshops in the Arab region.

Tackling some long-standing issues

As we noted earlier, the STI is squarely aimed at a number of persistent challenges in higher education and research in the region. Chief among those is a concern that research in Arab institutions and research centres is not sufficiently serving the needs of either industry or society.

In a recent post on the science and development website SciDev.net, Moza Al-Rabban, general-director at the Arab Scientific Community Organization (), notes that while a staggering 30,000 research papers by Arab research centres are published annually, and 270,000 papers since 1993, most of these don鈥檛 鈥渉ave any impact on the development of Arab countries or the well-being of their people.鈥�

This disconnect between research and society (and the economy) is cited as a factor in high levels of unemployment in Morocco and Egypt. Students, according to Mahmoud Nasruddin, head of the Centre for Middle-Eastern Strategic Studies (), are chiefly concerned with obtaining a degree to increase their employability. He adds, 鈥淚f scientific research is not linked with development through applicable strategies and identified research priorities, there can be no expected impact, whatever the budget increase.鈥�

Dr Abdalla Alnajjar, chair of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), believes governments are crucial in the pursuit of private-public collaboration. Researchers are motivated to apply their full innovation and creativity skills if public research centres pay their staff a good rate for private sector work. However, Arab governments frequently impose additional taxes on publicly funded research centres that contribute services to the private sector, which can impede collaboration. Mr Alnajjar calls for the delivery of 鈥渋ncentives for researchers who provide services to the private sector and a change in the admission process for graduate students so that it becomes more controlled and takes into account society鈥檚 needs by setting clear priorities for the research they conduct.鈥�

The broader context of institutional collaboration in the region

The approval of the STI was accompanied, also in March, by among institutions of higher learning across the same 22 Arab states. Brought forward at the recent General Conference of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) in Amman, Jordan, the unified governance proposals emphasise a clearer understanding of the responsibilities and roles of stakeholders in university governance reform in the context of global, national, and regional challenges.

The discussions in Amman suggest a broader interest in collaboration among Arab institutions, both for the sake of improved quality and efficiency and to improve the standing of Arab institutions in world university rankings. Hilmi Salem, a higher education consultant, believes the strategy will 鈥渉elp Arab universities to operate efficiently and be more responsive to the needs of young people, and become sources of knowledge and innovation.鈥�

Speaking to University World News, Martin Rose, country director for the British Council in Morocco, says, 鈥淭he agenda on university governance reform should include looking at greater autonomy and its benefits, developing university brands and competitive marketing to employers and students, and much greater calibration to the external environment in all its manifestations.鈥� Mr Rose highlights as well the need to establish alternate sources of funding for Arab higher education institutions, 鈥渨ithout which there is no hope of providing quality higher education to a fast-growing universe of young people leaving school and looking for higher education and jobs.鈥�

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Our video interview below begins with a market background on Bahrain’s education system, which is “the cornerstone of national development and the bridge to a bright future,” according to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The country places a high value on education and has been recognised for its impressive .

Bahrain has benefited from a fast growing economy, but seeks to reduce its dependency on oil and create a globally competitive economy driven by the private sector and an even stronger education system. The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) has outlined an Economic Vision 2030 to serve as a guide to achieve this.

“Over the next 10 years, the size of Bahrain’s workforce will double. Currently, approximately 4,000 Bahrainis a year are entering the job market with at least a college degree. If present economic trends continue, the quality and number of jobs available will not satisfy the demand.”

Their vision is to boost the middle class with an “ultimate aim to ensure that every Bahraini household has at least twice as much disposable income – in real terms – by 2030.”

More disposable income means a greater ability to afford an education overseas, making Bahrain a country with long-term appeal. And with an increasing population base, the K-12 sector is receiving particular attention: “E-learning is being used on a large scale in [our] schools,” said Minister of Education Dr Majid bin Ali Al-Naimi.

Furthermore, the vocational and technical education sector has been identified as key to boosting skills and employability, and Bahrain agency Tamkeen has partnered with TVET UK to share best practices.

The total number of students in government education in 2012/13 was 128,741 vs. 84,552 in non-government education. Most private schools in the country teach in English, but language skills are strong regardless of the type of school one attends. “Bahrain has the highest level of English language speakers in the region, which makes it very easy for the students to go abroad,” explains Ms Abdulla, who also reveals the study preferences of Bahrainis, giving a glimpse into what educators might expect from these students.

In Part 2 of our interview, we dig deeper into the nuances, exploring the differences between school and location choices in larger destinations such as the UK vs. the US and particularly on how Bahrainis adjust when abroad.

We also look at the appeal of Arabic-speaking destinations such as Turkey and Malaysia, and Ms Abdulla stresses, “the [choice of] destination is dependent on how active this country or this institution is in marketing itself in Bahrain.”

Finally, Ms Abdulla discusses how to market to Bahraini students and parents  – which marketing messages will resonate with each audience – as well as the strong influence advertising and social media have along with in-person visits to Bahrain.

The post Insider tips on student recruitment in Bahrain appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

We discuss the popular KASP scholarship programme, as well as the KASPTT, which focuses on the vocational sector. In addition, Dr Bal’awi shares his insights on the Arab Spring’s impact on student mobility, as well as the importance of online learning in the Middle East and North Africa. Watch our video and continue reading below.

King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP)

Saudi Arabia鈥檚 King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) will run through 2020, sources have confirmed. The Saudi government invests a hefty 9 billion SAR (approximately 1.782 billion EUR) in the programme each year, and this provides full funding for nearly 130,400 students 鈥� for bachelors, masters and doctorate programmes abroad. At present, the undergraduate fields of study are limited to medicine, medical science and health sciences; however, more options exist for graduate studies.

Dr Bal’awi discusses the criteria the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) sets for institutions looking to qualify to receive Saudi students, such as:

• quality of education
• professional, national accreditation
• ratio between local vs. international students
• admission requirements
• personal relationships

Dr Bal’awi highlights the importance of this last point:

“In addition to the criteria, the educational provider is recommended to come to Saudi Arabia and meet with the MOHE because this will actually enhance the process of accreditation.”

King Abdullah Scholarship Program for Technical Trainers (KASPTT)

In addition to the MOHE supervised scholarships, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) administers KASPTT. This programme targets graduates from colleges of technology and higher technical institutions.

When speaking about the KASPTT conditions, Dr Bal’awi explains:

“TVTC gives non-engineering students two years to complete their bachelors degree: it’s a 2+2 programme. However, engineering students are given 2.5 years to complete their bachelors degree, so it’s a 2+2.5 year programme.”

The fields of study/training are:

• Mechanics
• Electrical Technology
• Computer Technology
• Civil and Architectural Technology
• Chemical Technology
• Environmental Technology
• Management Technology
• Food Technology
• Travel & Tourism Technology
• Ornaments/Jewellery design and manufacture

Destinations and student mobility

In terms of destinations for Saudi students, the reasons behind the students’ preferences for the US, Canada, the UK and Australia include:

• Academic excellence
• Variety of educational opportunities
• Cutting-edge technology
• Security
• Campus life experience
• Strong ties with Saudi Arabia

The spread of destinations is illustrated below:

Dr Bal’awi also discusses the Arab Spring’s impact on student mobility, leading many young people to study and work abroad in more stable countries. The map below illustrates the power behind recent pro-democracy movements in the Middle East and North Africa.

For more information on the US $65 billion Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) education sector, please see our article “Key growth drivers behind increasing enrolment in Gulf states.”

Online learning opportunities

Finally, when speaking about the rise of online learning, Dr Bal’awi enthuses, “the ease and convenience online learning offers… is pushing governments to accredit online learning education,” citing examples from Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He concludes:

“I recommend all universities to also promote their online courses in the Middle East and North Africa region.”

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