The full text of the executive order聽has been released by the White House.

While there had been advance reports that the new US administration was contemplating such a move, the signing of the order late last week still came as a surprise to many, including affected US government agencies and front-line staff, none of which had received any advance notice or consultation around the implementation of the order.

The move affects more than 17,000 students from the seven countries that are currently enrolled with US institutions, 71% of which (or 12,269 students) are from Iran. Another 2,300 scholars from the seven affected countries are currently in the US as well –聽and again, a strong majority of these professors and researchers (82%) are from Iran.

While the full implications of the executive order are not yet clear, here is what we know so far:

• It prevents citizens from the affected countries, with the exception of those travelling on diplomatic credentials, from receiving a visa to enter the US.

• It requires US officials to put in place strengthened screening processes for visitors to the US, including foreign students. This “uniform screening standard and procedure” is expected to include such measures as “in-person interviews; a database of identity documents proffered by applicants to ensure that duplicate documents are not used by multiple applicants; amended application forms that include questions aimed at identifying fraudulent answers and malicious intent; a mechanism to ensure that the applicant is who the applicant claims to be; a process to evaluate the applicant鈥檚 likelihood of becoming a positively contributing member of society and the applicant鈥檚 ability to make contributions to the national interest; and a mechanism to assess whether or not the applicant has the intent to commit criminal or terrorist acts after entering the United States.”

Over the weekend, US educators were quick to reassure foreign students and scholars that they can continue their studies uninterrupted. However, students are also being advised not to leave the US during the 90-day travel ban. Nor will family or friends from abroad be able to visit students in the US while the ban is in effect.

Aside from those specific points, there has been 聽and protest in the wake of the executive order. Reports indicate it has been inconsistently applied by travel operators, airport officials, and border control staff in these early days of implementation. And it is unclear what additional screening processes will be put in place following the travel ban, or how any such new provisions will affect new students, current students, foreign scholars, and US host institutions.

We will have a more on this story in the coming days, particularly its longer-term implications for US educators and foreign students in the United States.

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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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This reflects a broader observation from a 2013 OECD report that found the gender balance in higher education is shifting slightly in favour of women across most OECD and G20 countries. As we reported last year, the OECD says of the 2011 freshmen class: 鈥�52% of new university entrants in 2011 were women 鈥� the exceptions to this trend being found only in Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, where the number of men beginning their university studies still outnumbered their female counterparts.鈥�

With some variations by market, the trend applies in the Middle East as well. In fact, in some Gulf States female enrolment tracks well ahead of male participation in higher education. Qatar, where there are roughly twice as many women enrolled in universities than men, is a notable example in this respect. Women are not only more likely to enroll in university programmes in Qatar, they are also more likely to complete them: 60% of the graduates from Qatari universities are female.

On the one hand, these are indicators of accessibility and success for women studying in Qatari institutions. However, they also reflect broader disparities still at work in the Gulf region. University studies are equally available to men in Qatar but the lack of a university qualification does not appear to impair the career prospects of men, many of whom simply enter the workforce directly after secondary school. Women, for whom senior positions and further training opportunities are still less available, appear more inclined to pursue higher education as a way of strengthening their career prospects.

They also, however, prefer to do so at home. A recent Doha News item notes:

鈥淲hen it comes to furthering their education, female Qatari students were much more likely to remain here than to take up overseas opportunities, reflecting national customs and traditions.鈥�

An editorial piece from Al-Fanar adds a broader perspective on women鈥檚 participation in education: 鈥淚n general there is a lag in women鈥檚 participation in higher education throughout the Middle East and North Africa, though the gender gap has closed dramatically in recent years. Algeria is now at complete parity and Palestine, Libya, Tunisia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all show slightly higher enrolment rates for women than men.

Yemen appears to be the furthest behind of the Arab countries in granting women access to higher education. The country had 47,000 male university students and 15,000 female students in 2011, according to the latest statistics available. 鈥極nly elite families send their daughters to schools and universities,鈥� says Wahiba Fara鈥檃, a Yemeni politician who was also the country鈥檚 first female minister of state for human rights in 2001.

Conversely, in some Arab countries, higher education seems to be viewed as essentially a female sphere, with men assuming they will get a job in the government or the Army.鈥�

Equal access to education

Al-Fanar鈥檚 observations are formed partly against the backdrop of UNESCO鈥檚 Education for All initiative, a global effort to improve access to education by addressing systemic disparities. Education for All has several core goals, including 鈥淓liminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.鈥�

Progress toward this goal, however, has been slow and observers continue to call for specific programmes to address gender gaps in access to education at all levels. A 2012 UNESCO regional report for the Middle East said, 鈥淎chieving equal participation for both boys and girls in primary and secondary education has been a challenge for most the countries. The 2005 gender target has been missed and most likely difficult to achieve by 2015. Indeed, only Syria and Oman met this target in 2010.鈥�

Even so, growing participation by women and girls at all levels of the education system stands to have profound social and economic impacts across the region, as well as on evolving study abroad market trends. As the Qatari example reflects, cultural or systemic biases that discourage female participation in study abroad remain. However, we have also noted that other major initiatives in the region, notably Saudi Arabia鈥檚 King Abdullah Scholarship Programme (KASP), can be a catalyst for opening up new opportunities for women to study abroad.

In fact, the Saudi Gazette reported recently on the . The Gazette indicates that the demand has been strengthening both among female secondary and university students, and that the students are mainly interested in study destinations in Europe and Asia.

Women and language travel

For the moment, it appears that much of this burgeoning demand is being addressed by group study tours organised by Saudi agencies that develop group packages in collaboration with language training providers abroad.

鈥淢any travel and tourism agencies are providing packages to meet the demand, while assuring that they are not violating Ministry of Higher Education regulations,鈥� adds the Gazette. 鈥淎ccording to these agencies, many women prefer to travel in groups with relatives or friends and want to reside with families that do not have sons.鈥�

Such reports are early indicators of a shifting marketplace in the Middle East with respect to the participation of women and girls in study abroad 鈥� a trend that stands to be strengthened and expanded in the years ahead as persistent gender disparities in education access are further addressed.

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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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The 2013 study, the third edition of EF鈥檚 English Proficiency Index, ranks 60 countries and territories around the world by adult English proficiency.

While EF has been gathering proficiency data for several years, there are some important methodological changes reflected in the 2013 rankings. Seven countries – Estonia, Iraq, Jordan, Latvia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, and the Ukraine – have been included in the index for the first time. Three others (the Dominican Republic, Pakistan, and Syria) have been dropped from the index due to insufficient data. And whereas previous editions of the EPI have relied on multi-year data sets gathered between 2007 and 2011, the 2013 ranking is based on a single-year鈥檚 worth of test data from 750,000 adults who took English tests administered by EF over 2012. EF notes the move to single-year data reporting is meant to allow the EPI to track changes in English proficiency more closely year-over-year.

EF has noted in the past that its test data reflects the patterns seen in smaller, more scientifically controlled studies. However, one necessary caveat in interpreting the EPI rankings is that the EPI is not a statistically controlled study. The test subjects completed a free test online on a voluntary basis and as such, may not entirely reflect the overall English proficiency of a given country.

As has noted of previous EPI reports:

鈥淸The test subjects] were by definition connected to the Internet and interested in testing their English鈥he test will obviously not reach poor and rural folk who lack Internet access. So if a country has an urban elite who are good with English, and a lot of rural poor people who cannot take the test, its score might be relatively inflated. In another country where nearly everyone is online but English skills are mediocre, the scores might be relatively depressed.鈥�

Even so, the EPI is an ambitious global benchmarking study for English proficiency and the study report contains not only the 60-country ranking but also more in-depth country profiles, including regional breakdowns, for 11 major world markets.

Among its key findings for 2013, the EPI report notes:

• Some Asian countries, notably Indonesia and Vietnam, have realised significant gains in English proficiency since the tracking study began in 2007, and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) have seen real proficiency improvements as well.
• In contrast to most European states, English proficiency has declined in France over the survey period. As the report notes, 鈥淭he seven countries with the strongest English are all small European nations, whose size compels them to adopt an international outlook.鈥�
• The Middle East and North Africa are the world鈥檚 weakest regions in English, and poor levels of English-language proficiency is a persistent competitive disadvantage for Latin American economies. 鈥淢ore than half of the countries in [Latin America] are in the lowest EF EPI proficiency band,鈥� notes the report.

The 28 top-ranked countries on the 60-country EPI ranking for 2013.

The 2013 EPI provides as well several headline-grabbing correlations between English proficiency and economic and social development. As the report notes:

鈥淗istorically, speaking a second language, or more specifically, speaking a highly valued second language, was a marker of the social and economic elite鈥� However, globalisation, urbanisation, and the Internet have dramatically changed the role of English in the past 20 years. Today, English proficiency can hardly be thought of as an economic advantage at all. It is certainly no longer a marker of the elite. Instead it is increasingly becoming a basic skill needed for the entire workforce, in the same way that literacy has been transformed in the last two centuries from an elite privilege into a basic requirement for informed citizenship.鈥�

EF reports positive correlations between national EPI scores and such indicators as exports per capita, gross national income per capita, service exports, and quality of life. Writing in the Harvard Business Review EF Senior Vice President Christopher McCormick adds:

鈥淩esearch shows a direct correlation between the English skills of a population and the economic performance of the country. Indicators like gross national income (GNI) and GDP go up鈥� [The 2013 EPI] found that in almost every one of the 60 countries and territories surveyed, a rise in English proficiency was connected with a rise in per capita income. And on an individual level, recruiters and HR managers around the world report that job seekers with exceptional English compared to their country鈥檚 level earned 30-50% higher salaries.鈥�

The 2013 report observes a weaker correlation to quality of life indicators such as life expectancy, literacy, and standards of living, and acknowledges that the link between English proficiency and human development is 鈥渕ore tenuous.鈥� Countries that rank in the low and very low proficiency bands on the EPI reflect variable quality of life indicators. However, EF notes that no country ranked in the moderate or higher proficiency bands falls below the 鈥淰ery High Human Development鈥� benchmark on the Human Development Index.

The relationship between national EPI scores and corresponding rankings on the Human Development Index.

EF attributes the correlation between English proficiency and economic development (and so on to social development) to the important role that English skills play in driving export economies, attracting foreign investment, boosting service exports, and enabling international business and cultural links.

The report concludes by outlining some international best practices for building English proficiency. These can be understood as observed characteristics of countries with high EPI scores and include the following:

• Making English skills development part of the core curriculum in schools;
• Investing in English-language teacher training;
• Including testing for English proficiency in national exams, including completion and entrance exams at the secondary and post-secondary levels;
• Setting national standards for English training programmes.

Much attention will be given to the national rankings in the EPI, and how the fortunes of individual countries rise or fall from year to year. However, these broader linkages between English proficiency and development – not to mention between English skills, investment in language training, and related government and education policy – are at least as interesting. These indicators can all reflect a country鈥檚 progress in strengthening its English proficiency but also its potential and characteristics as an international education market for the long term.

Check out 黑料官网 Monitor’s Language Learning category.

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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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