This book focuses on two crucial issues that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency by universities in the Arab region, namely (a) conducting independent assessments of the quality of their teaching, research, administration, governance, and planning; and (b) determining the relevance of their teaching, research, and societal impacts. Although well-established around the world in manufacturing industries and private-sector service industries, including the research and commercialisation arms of the major universities and research institutes, it is only in recent years that quality-assurance (QA) assessments have started to be applied to most aspects education. Several Arab universities are adopting various forms of QA but some variants are little more than bureaucratic “box-ticking” exercises with minimal commitment by staff to the ultimate aim of continuing self-improvement. This book will be of interest to senior management at faculty and departmental level and above in all Arab universities specifically, and more generally in Islamic institutions of higher education. Senior management in other universities, especially in the developing world will benefit from its analyses and recommendations.

This book provides an overview of the current state of universities in the Arab world, and how they have the potential to transform society to raise the quality of life and stimulate wealth. The main themes progress from general to the specific. Each chapter providing an overview followed by factual analysis and options for the way forward. All of the major challenges facing universities in general are addressed with reference to issues of particular importance in the Arab Region. The challenges faced include: the need to accommodate a social model of life-long learning; the desire for institutional autonomy while interacting with governments; the availability of open-access online courses and distance learning. Arab universities are diverse, ranging from those entirely state-controlled and funded, to wholly independent private universities. The quality of governmental oversight is also variable, and some institutions are clearly unworthy of the appellation ‘university’. The book comprises of 20 chapters authored by senior academics with a wide international experience and a commitment to assisting the improvement of Arab higher educational and research communities.

The Arab region has been and continues to be a focus of the world for its economic, political, and social importance. However, reality indicates that the performance of many Arab states in terms of education, literacy, health, employment, and welfare generally fall behind many countries of other regions. Strategic Thinking, Planning, and Management Practice in the Arab World is an essential reference source that investigates the status of current strategic practice in the Arab world as well as the need to promote awareness of effective development strategies. Featuring research on topics such as social justice, practical entrepreneurship, and crisis management, this book is ideally designed for high-caliber strategists, academic scholars, and postgraduate research students.

This volume investigates how international students in and from the Middle East are constructed by nations, institutions, other students, and themselves. Making a valuable contribution to understanding the nuances and complexities of educational politics and priorities affecting these constructions, the text considers the broader impacts of discourse on internationalisation. Offering a unique combination of critical analysis of educational policies combined with empirical contributions through authors’ own research, chapters highlight intersections between politics, the internationalisation of higher education, and the construction of mobile learners. Emphasising variation and nuance in the internationalisation of policies in the Gulf Cooperation Countries, and other Middle Eastern countries, the volume offers a theoretical framework to help understand the political, educational, and ethical implications of emerging constructions of international students and their comparison across the Middle East. This timely volume will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in higher education, international and comparative education, as well as the Middle East more specifically. Those involved with educational education policy and politics, specifically related to the Middle East, will also benefit from this volume.

Societal demands, needs, and perspectives of ethical and socially responsible behavior within business environments are a driving force for corporate self-regulation. As such, executives must consistently work to understand the current definition of ethical business behavior and strive to meet the expectations of the cultures and communities they serve. Ethical and Social Perspectives on Global Business Interaction in Emerging Markets compiles current research relating to business ethics within developing markets around the world. This timely publication features research on topics essential to remaining competitive in the modern global marketplace, such as corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, consumer behavior understanding, and ethical leadership, and how all of these components attribute to the decision making process in business environments. Business executives and managers, graduate-level students, and academics will find this publication to be essential to their research, professional, and educational needs.

A Global Perspective on Private Higher Education provides a timely review of the significant growth of private higher education in many parts of the world during the last decade. The book is concurrent with significant changes in the external operating environment of private higher education, including government policy and its impact on the ongoing growth of the sector. The title brings together the trends relating to the growth and the decline of private higher education providers, also including the key contributing factors of the changes from 17 countries. - Provides a timely review of the significant growth of private higher education in many parts of the world during the last decade - Presents the significant changes in the external operating environment of private higher education - Brings together the trends relating to the growth and the decline of private higher education providers