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Yemen Talks Coordination on Higher Education with other Arab Nations

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Yemeni Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Hisham Sharaf met in Riyadh on Friday, March 14 with his Moroccan counterpart, Soumia Bankhaldoun to discuss cooperation on higher education between the two countries. The meeting, held as the 14th conference of Arab Ministers of Higher Education drew to a close in Riyadh, emphasized the countries’ commitment to cooperation in areas like research and scholarship exchange. Mr. Sharaf said that he hoped Morocco would continue its support for cultural scholarships for Yemeni students as Yemen seeks to strengthen its higher education system and provide skills for its graduates.

Young girl waiting in line at Oxfam's cash distribution

Yemen is currently in the midst of an effort at increasing the openness and reach of its higher education system. After the conference of ministers ended on Friday, Mr. Sharaf announced an agreement with the Saudi Minister of Higher Education, Khaled Al-Angari that would allow Yemeni students over 35 years old to enroll in Saudi universities. He also said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial aid for Yemeni students studying abroad, as well as more than 400 scholarships for Yemeni students.

Yemen’s school system is still in dire need of reform. Its teachers are few and often underqualified, and truancy and school enrollments have yet to recover from the upheavals of 2011. Improving the higher education system by offering its students more opportunities for study abroad and scholarships may provide a more skilled workforce that can help facilitate the transition to a new, improved education system.

Creative Commons Love: Oxfam International on Flickr.com

Women Petition to Gain Rights in Saudi Arabia

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saudi arabia abha souqOn International Women’s Day, March 8th, women’s rights activists petitioned the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia to demand an end to the restrictions placed upon women. This development comes just months after the Council rejected a proposal to give women the right to drive. The kingdom severely restricts women’s movements and imposes strict gender segregation due to the country’s highly orthodox interpretation of Islamic law.

“Rights activists have petitioned the Shoura Council on the occasion of International Women’s Day, demanding an end to the absolute authority of men over women… measures to protect rights,” stated the activist Aziza Yousef.

Islam serves as the official religion of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with sharia law as the basis for the legal system. The Shura Council functions as a consultative council that interprets the law and advises the King on policy decisions.

Conservative clerics’ interpretations of sharia law have resulted in the restrictions placed upon women in Saudi Arabia, but rights activists argue that they are not in line with the teachings of Islam. Currently, laws govern most aspects of women’s lives, giving men control over their ability to travel, obtain identification, seek medical attention, open bank accounts or engage in many other activities outside the home. Guardianship laws give fathers, brothers and husbands the right to grant or deny the women in their families permission to perform most basic tasks. Additionally, women are prohibited from driving which severely limits their access to public spaces and services.

These laws have proved dangerous to the health and well-being of women. In February, a female student attending university died after paramedics were prevented from helping her because her male guardian was not present to give permission. In a similar situation, a pregnant university situation gave birth to her child without medical attention again because paramedics were denied access. Under strict segregation rules and prohibitions on women’s rights, women cannot seek medical attention, receive treatment or undergo procedures even in extreme emergencies without explicit permission from their male guardian.

Women have gradually been gaining greater rights over recent years. Despite the conservative stance of the Shura Council, in late 2011 King Abdullah granted women the right to vote and to run for municipal elections. At that time, he also appointed 30 women to the previously all-male, 150-member Shura Council, giving them some representation within the government. Additionally, as of May 2013, girls were no longer prohibited from playing sports, but were allowed to play approved sports when wearing “decent clothing.”

Although some progress has been made, many barriers exist. This was illustrated in October 2013 when women’s rights activists failed in their petition to the Shura Council requesting that the government grant women the right to drive.

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UNESCO Still Struggling From Lack of Funding

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UNESCO headquarters in Paris UNESCO, the cultural agency most known for its promotion and protection of world heritage sites, has suspended American membership after the US has withheld funds from the agency for three successive years. Having provided 22  of the UNESCO budget prior to the cuts, America’s decision to withhold funding has led to the slashing of key components of UNESCO programs, including initiatives to increase education for young women around the world.

The decision to withhold funds was in protest to UNESCO’s recognition of Palestine as a country in 2011. Now entering its third year without US funding, which approximated an annual 70 million dollars, the agency has been forced to cut costs and frantically look for ways to make up for the loss by freezing hiring, cancelling new programs, and renegotiating contracts.

UNESCO sponsors key education initiatives, including Education for All and UNESCO’s Literacy Initiative for Empowerment, programs that promote early childhood education in countries including Iraq and Pakistan as well as 35 other countries with low literacy rates. Education for All, which goals include achieving gender equality in education and improving adult literacy rates by 50 % by the year 2015, has urgently called for more funding as the deadline approaches.

Though some countries, such as Norway, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have pledged to increase their annual contributions to make up for the lack of US funding, the agency’s budget continues to suffer. This has prompted UNESCO to turn to the private sector for additional funding. UNESCO’s education programs have suffered the most from budget cuts partly due to the meagre private donations that education programs receive in comparison to other fields; only 8% f US foundations’ grants are allocated to education compared to the 53 per cent of US foundations’ grants that are allocated to health.

In 2012, UNESCO claimed to be in its “worst financial situation ever”.  The Education for All website claims that an additional 16 billion dollars will need to be raised annually in order to achieve some of its goals in low-income countries by the 2015 deadline.

Creative Commons Love: Velaia (ParisPeking) on Flickr.com

Philippine International Schools Celebrate “Language Month” in Saudi Arabia

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UntitledPhilippine international schools located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, honored their national identity during “National Language Month” celebrations, a month-long Filipino holiday devoted to Tagalog, the national language. The Riyadh schools encouraged Tagalog language awareness and pride in the youth’s cultural heritage, despite geographic distance from their home country.

The activities consisted of essay writing, short stories, and poetry recitation in the Tagalog language. The schools also facilitated a declamation contest, speech choir, impersonation of popular Filipino personalities, singing of classic and modern Filipino songs, dance interpretations, sporting events, a debate competition, and plays of Philippine history, all of which included traditional Filipino clothing.

Meridi A. Carandang, teacher at the Future Generation Philippine International School, said “celebrating the National Language Month is a good reminder for our students here in Saudi Arabia that we are Filipinos and no one can take this away from us.”

Guests from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh attended the events and expressed their pride in witnessing the performances of students and faculty. Vice Consul Winston Dean S. Alameda said during the event, “someday, you will be a part of a bigger society surrounded mainly by Filipinos. That is why you should never forget our national language since its serves as bridges that connect us. Without it, we won’t be able to understand each other.”

Students from other nationalities studying in Philippine schools were encouraged to join the activities to inspire a sense of appreciation of the Filipino culture. The celebrations followed the Eid Al-Fitr holidays and other rules as stipulated by the Saudi government.

There are currently 2.2 million documented Filipino workers living in Saudi Arabia, making it the largest Filipino population in the Middle East.

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Saudi Arabian Girls Allowed to Play Sports in Private Schools

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Saudi Women playing soccerGirls are now permitted to participate in private school sport programs in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education recently ruled that female participation in sport activities remains within the bounds of the sharia, or Islamic law, provided that students adhere to these requirements: students must abide by the rules of the sharia, “dress modestly,” and female teachers have priority in supervising the athletic activities.  The Education Ministry’s decision orders private school officials to provide appropriate practice spaces and equipment making young women’s sport programs in private schools a government-sanctioned activity. This landmark decision for Saudi Arabia is considered as a progressive move in the direction of women’s rights.

However, not all girls have been offered this opportunity. The Education Ministry’s decision limits program participation to young women attending private schools; while most Saudi Arabian girls enroll in the public school system where curriculum for physical education still does not exist.  Few girls will experience the sport program’s effects. Many girls will still be left with undeveloped athletic potential and will not be able to experience the physical and mental benefits of organized sport exercises.

After facing pressure from the International Olympic Committee before the London Olympics in 2012, the conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia lifted their ban on female participation in sports. They sent their first female competitors to the Olympic Games that year.  This monumental moment was met with intense controversy, but gained enough support that it is widely considered the predecessor to these private school sport programs.

Progress seems slow, but perhaps the introduction of government sanctioned programs and the success of private school programs will allow public schools to follow suit in the near future.

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Spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Scholarship Program

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A Saudi view of Canada Day | Amer

Established in 2005, the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) is a scholarship program for Saudi Arabians to study abroad at the undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral level. Since 2005, the program has cost US $5 billion, which makes it one of the most well-funded scholarships in the world. The scholarship pays for a three years of study, English language training, and health insurance.

The program has a hand in securing Saudi Arabia‘s economic future and its global competitiveness. According to Claude Scaldi, the Assistant Director of ESL at the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, “The scheme has been established and tailored to suit Saudi society’s needs in labour, employment, and infrastructure.” The scholarship was also public relations move following 9/11. Following 9/11, the drop in Saudi enrollment in US schools cost Saudi Arabia about $40 million.

The scholarship funds 90% of all Saudis who are studying abroad. In the 2010-2011 academic year,there were approximately 130,000 students funded across 22 countries. Originally, the program was intended to be short – only a couple of years – but it was extended in both 2007 and 2009. At this point, the program is expected to continue until 2020.

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Saudi Arabia’s ‘Boys Only’ Sports Regulation Withering Under Olympics Heat

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An official ban on physical education for girls in Saudi Arabia is losing its stranglehold as the national team for the 2012 Olympics prepares for the possibility of containing a woman.

As of the last Olympics in 2010, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and Qatar were the only countries to never have sent female athletes to the Games. Brunei and Qatar have each since announced they will be including women on the national teams.

If the Saudi National Olympic Committee caves to pressure from the International Olympic Committee–which itself is under pressure from Human Rights Watch–it is likely that Dalma Muhsin, a prominent equestrian competitor, will saddle up in London this July.

Such a phenomenon would be unheard of in the conservative theocratic state, which bans P.E. classes for girls in public schools, expressly forbids women to participate in the Olympic Games, and is vocal in linking female exercise with moral degeneration. Brunei and Qatar’s departure from the no-girls policy signals that the tables are turning. Saudi Arabia, which considers itself the theological center of the Islamic world, now stands alone amongst fellow Muslim nations in excluding female athletes.

As the balance of ideological sway regarding gender equity in sports shifts internationally, public sentiment within the country is changing as well. Three years ago, a picture of Jeddah United, a privately owned girls’ basketball team, was accompanied by the headline “Shameless girls” when it went to press. Now, women are organizing their own soccer teams and coaching programs under the radar. A state-run school in Al Khobar has tacitly consented to physical activity for girls by installing a basketball hoop in the students’ break area. The health benefits are undeniable, especially in a country reported to have a 43 percent female obesity rate.

“Once you are on the court, it acts as a stress buster,” Jeddah United founder Lina Almaeena said. “I would say, sports is better than Prozac… are forced to waste hours upon hours in shopping malls. Through Jeddah United’s unique events, we brought them onto the court and are trying to give them a direction.”

Girls’ physical education advocates admit there’s quite a bit of disconnect between their endorsement of female participation in organized sports and the traditional teachings of the kingdom’s Wahhabi-based belief system.

“But everyone’s opinions should be respected,” said health coach Rayan Karkadan. “We should try to explain to those against the idea the many benefits of physical education and the bad effects of obesity caused by the lack of physical activity.”

Perhaps most promisingly, members of the royal family sporadically endorsed girls’ athletics. Prince Khaled al-Faisal expressed agreement with an 8-year-old girl asking for exercise courts in school, and Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz also indicated he was in favor of having female Saudi Olympians who “meet the standards of women’s decency and don’t contradict Islamic laws.”

While it’s not an easy shot for Saudi sportswomen, the upcoming summer Games may just push the ball a little farther into their court.

Creative Commons Love: AslanMedia and erjkprunczyk on Flickr.com

Gulf Students Flock to New Zealand

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Student

Because United States and Australian visas are difficult to obtain, Gulf students have begun studying in New Zealand, where temporary visas are easier to receive and are not necessary for visits shorter than three months.

67 students from the Gulf studied in New Zealand in 2002. Now, this figure has increased to 7,000. Most of those students did not have to obtain visas because they stayed for under three months. 2,654 students from Saudi Arabia obtained visas.

Saudi students have increased their numbers by 19%, Indian by 17%, and Chinese by 11%. “For visa-free nationals, such as Saudi Arabians, if they intend to study in New Zealand while on visitor visas, they need to declare it on their arrival card. The checks will not be the same as those for student visa applicants as the primary reason for their travel is for tourism purposes,” an Immigration spokeswoman said.

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New Zealand Reaches Out to Saudi Arabia With Higher Ed

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Earth, courtesy Apollo 17, and probably the most reproduced image of all time

With an invitation to participate in an international higher education fair, New Zealand works to create greater opportunities between themselves and Saudi Arabian students. Hoping to encourage more Saudi students to study in New Zealand, representatives will provide information from many universities, technical schools, and English language schools in the country.

“These institutions, which have rich education and training contents best-suited for a country like Saudi Arabia, will showcase their potentials,” said New Zealand’s Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister. The International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education  will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

An increase in higher education funds in Saudi Arabia creates greater prospects for New Zealand, with a fifth of their international students coming from the region. Collaboration in other education projects has been suggested by New Zealand, with research projects and exchanges high on the list.

With a steady education sector, these moves to encourage more international students could help boost New Zealand’s already strong reputation for providing quality higher education to a global community.

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Institute for Studying the West Opens in Riyadh

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Regarding Oriental studies, Edward Said once wrote, “Evidence of the Orient was credible only after it had passed through and been made firm by the refining fire of the Orientalist’s work.” It’s hard to find a more condemning observation of the state of knowledge in any discipline. A one-way periscope extended from Western scholars to Arab subjects, in Said’s eyes.

The tables have finally turned. Now, about three decades after Orientalism hit the shelves, the Orient is training its gaze on the West. The Western Studies Institute in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, opened its doors last January and since then has been striving to “ peoples of the Islamic World about western humanities and sciences.” Integral to this goal is the Western Studies Journal, a bilingual Arabic/English publication that has issued its first call for papers shedding light on the West.

KPCC reports that the institute’s founder, Fahad A. Alhomoudi, was chiefly motivated by the profusion of Islamic and Arabic studies programs he saw while completing his doctorate in Canada. Such programs for Western studies did not exist in his native Saudi Arabia. Political Wahhabism, an ultraconservative interpretation of Islam, and NGO barriers both worked against the possibility of getting a nongovernmental, international- and dialogue-minded organization like the Western Studies Institute chartered on Saudi soil. But enlisting Philadelphia’s Temple University faculty support and using private funding, Alhomoudi was able to register the institute as a 501c3 non-profit.

That isn’t to say a pure vacuum existed before in Western studies at Eastern universities. The American University in Cairo, mainly enrolling Egyptian and Arabic students, offers a minor in American Studies which includes courses like U.S. Foreign Policy and American film. Middle East Technical University (METU) in Turkey, too, hosts a degree in Latin and North American Studies. But the Western Studies Institute is unique in its scope, having partnered with various American universities for institutes on politics, contemporary literature, media, U.S. culture and society, and foreign policy. A youth exchange program allows students between 15 and 18 years old from Islamic-majority countries to spend a year in an American host family. With all these programs underway, it looks like Riyadh may become the next hotspot for learning about the West.

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