Internationalization of Higher Education in MENA : Policy Issues Associated with Skills Formation and Mobility
This policy issues note is focused on internationalization of higher education and the linkages and implications that internationalization has for skills mobility. Internationalization is one of the most important developments that globalization ha...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/01/15155739/internationalization-higher-education-mena-policy-issues-associated-skills-formation-mobility http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19461 |
| Summary: | This policy issues note is focused on
internationalization of higher education and the linkages
and implications that internationalization has for skills
mobility. Internationalization is one of the most important
developments that globalization has brought to higher
education worldwide. In the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) region, it has turned into quite a complex
undertaking. The Arab Spring has made it clear that young
people in MENA are asking for more and better opportunities:
to study and work; to move about the world; and to learn and
to create new knowledge and enterprises. Higher education,
migration, and labor mobility are key policy areas as MENA
nations address the need for a strong skills base to
underpin the economic and social development of the regions
disparate economies. All three policy areas share an
interest in the development, recognition, and application of
educational qualifications, in the quality of education and
training, and in the ability of people to acquire, provide,
and use education for their own well-being and for their
nation's benefit. This note is intended to be the base
document for a policy dialogue integrating the three issues
associated with the development of human capital: higher
education, migration, and labor mobility. This note seeks to
introduce a systematic policy discussion about the
internationalization of higher education to help MENA
countries improve the quality and relevance of their higher
education systems, open opportunities for better skills
development, and improve high-skilled labor migration. There
are important interactions among the formation of skills and
competencies, the acquisition of credentials and
qualifications, and where and how those skills are applied.
These include the quality of education, the ease with which
credentials are recognized in different countries, the role
of international partners, and the incentives to study and
work in the region and elsewhere. This note will explore how
a regional approach to accreditation and recognition of
qualifications could bring benefits and understanding of the
complex interactions among student mobility, domestic higher
education, and the economic and social development
priorities of MENA countries. It will also provide evidence
on the importance of setting goals for intra-regional
student mobility and for student and faculty flows into the
region through accreditation, student and faculty exchange,
hiring incentives, and research infrastructure including
competitive research grants. Finally, the note will
demonstrate the need for a clear policy on the 'export
of educational services.' |
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