Abstract
The contribution of Arab universities to the public good is being greatly compromised by the political and economic instability of the Arab Spring. To understand the role Arabian universities are playing in the public sphere and their ability to contribute to the public good, we interviewed 74 professors from 14 countries. Analysis of the faculty interviews yielded four major challenges: motivation and rewards for conducting research, security and safety issues, lack of a research infrastructure, and the challenges of international recognition. Our findings suggest universities should focus on the two most critical issues over which they have some control: securing safety for the faculty and creating an effective research infrastructure.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aladwan, S. (2013). Scientific research and higher education in the Arab World. Paper presented at the 1st annual higher education leadership forum: Inspiring the Leaders of Today, Dubai, 12–13 November 2013.
Albargouty, E., & Abosamrah, M. (2007). Difficulties of scientific research in the Arab World: An islamic view. Islamic University Journal, 15(2), 1133–1155.
Ali, H. & Al-Mukhtar, J. (2004). Baghdad University: A Day in the Life, Academe, 90(5): 29–30, Accessed 9 January 2015. http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=c6ae0a81-d801-4ff5-a907-a2fc369324c6%40sessionmgr198&vid=1&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ727471
Altbach, P. (Ed.). (2011). Leadership for world-class universities challenges for developing countries. New York: Routledge.
Altusser, L. (1971). Lenin and philosophy and other essays. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Anderson, L. (2012). Fertile ground: The future of higher education in the Arab World. Social Research, 79(3), 771–784.
Aronowitz, S., & Giroux, H. (1993). Education still under siege. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Carnoy, M. (1984). The state and political theory. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Carnoy, M., & Samoff, J. (1990). Education and social transformation in the third world. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Farah, A. & Othman, A. (2008). Quality at Sudan’s Universities a Case Study: Nile River State Universities. Paper presented at the Second Arab conference: Arab Universities Challenges and Ambition, Marrakesh, Morroco, December 21–24, 2008.
Grove, J. (2013). The problem with deference. Inside Higher Education. Accessed 9 January 2015. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/09/20/conference-considers-challenges-facing-higher-ed-after-arab-spring#sthash.Dvf0y3bT.dpbs
Goff, L., Zarin, H., & Goodman, S. (2012). Climate-induced migration from Northern Africa to Europe: Security challenges and opportunities. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 18(2), 195–213.
Habermas, J. (1962). The structural transformation of the public sphere. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Hafiz, A. (2014). Challenges confronting social studies research centers at Arab countries and problems in dealing with current issues. Paper presented at the 1st international conference on development of research in higher education, Amman, Jordan, 11–14 August, 2014.
Ishikawa, M. (2011). University rankings, global models, and emerging hegemony: critical analysis from Japan. In B. Pusser, K. Kempner, S. Marginson, & I. Ordorika (Eds.), Universities and the public sphere: Knowledge creation and state building in the era of globalization (pp. 81–99). New York: Routledge.
Ismael, M. (2014). Challenges of the private sector ‘Participation in scientific research funding. Paper presented at the 1st international conference on development of research in higher education, Amman, Jordan, 11–14 August 2014.
Marginson, S. (2011). The ‘Public’ contribution of universities in an increasingly global world. In B. Pusser, K. Kempner, S. Marginson, & I. Ordorika (Eds.), Universities and the public sphere: Knowledge creation and state building in the era of globalization (pp. 7–25). New York: Routledge.
Marginson, S., & Van der Wende, M. (2007). To rank or to be ranked: The impact of global rankings in higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11, 306–329.
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper.
Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research—Libya News (n.d.). An expanded meeting among ministers of higher education and interior to discuss security issues at Tripoli University. Accessed 19 September 2013.
Naifah, A. (2008). Quality of education and its impact on accreditation and world ranking. Paper presented at the workshop: University Ranking and Accreditation, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1–2 June 2008.
Ordorika, I., & Lloyd, M. (2014). International rankings and the contest for University Hegemony. Journal of Educational Policy. doi:10.1080/02680939.2014.979247.
Poulantzas, N. (1975). Classes in contemporary capitalism. London: New Left Books.
Pusser, B., Kempner, K., Marginson, S., & Ordorika, I., (Eds.). (2011). Universities and the public sphere: Knowledge creation and state building in the era of globalization. New York: Routledge.
Redden, E. (2012). An Unthinkable Luxury. Inside Higher Education. Accessed 9 January 2015. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/20/fund-raising-drive-syrian-scholars-and-students-continues#sthash.isgQaaQ0.s2GzyR9E.dpbs
Rozman, I., & Marhi, M. (2008). Improving the quality of Universities by World-University-Ranking: A case study of the University of Maribor. Higher Education in Europe. doi:10.1080/03797720802254221.
Sajjad, N. (2011). Causes and solutions to international brain drain in Pakistan. Dialogue, 6(1), 31–55.
Schumpeter, J. (1942). Capitalism, socialism, and democracy. New York: Harper.
Shin, J. C., & Kehm, B. M. (Eds.). (2012). Institutionalization of world-class University in global competition (Vol. 6). Dordrecht: Springer Science & Business Media.
Wolcott, H. F. (1990). On seeking–and rejecting–validity in qualitative research. In E. Eisner & A. Peshkin (Eds.), Qualitative inquiry in education: The continuing debate (pp. 121–152). New York: Teachers College.
Yin, R. K. (2013). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Almansour, S., Kempner, K. The challenges of delivering public good in Arab universities: faculty perspectives. Educ Res Policy Prac 16, 219–234 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-017-9213-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-017-9213-3