91�鶹������Ʒ����

Governments determine the operating environment for universities and can constrain and even damage development and competitiveness of both higher education and the national economy. They also directly affect university quality, relevance, and the extent to which innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish. The quality of university governance, including issues of autonomy and meeting the oft-unwritten social contract with the host country, is determined by the quality and relevance of education and research carried out, and importantly, the encouragement of innovation, creativity, novelty, and entrepreneurship. Reputation and international rankings of higher-education institutions are directly affected by the quality of their boards, trustees, governing bodies, etc., and also of those occupying key leadership positions. The mission, vision, adaptability, and capacity to deliver societal needs are dependent on the quality of national governments and university governance. Hence, particular attention must be given to interactions between governments and institutions of higher education.

Against this backdrop, the Arab Academy of Sciences (AAS), in partnership with UNESCO Beirut, organized on 1-2 November 2019 a conference titled “Higher Education in the Arab World: Government and Governance”, at the Gefinor Rotana Hotel, Beirut. The conference aimed at exploring the interplay between government and governance in higher education institutions in the Arab world, and at discussing the multipartite positive and negative roles of government in relations to higher education institutions.

The participants in the conference comprised a high-level group of experts covering diverse but relevant disciplines, and representatives from universities in Lebanon. The opening session was attended by high-level personalities, including: UNESCO Beirut Director Dr Hamed al Hamami, AAS General Secretary and Professor at the American University of Beirut Dr Elias Baydoun, UNESCO Beirut’s Programme Specialist for Higher EducationDr Anasse Bouhlal, Ambassador Salwa Ghaddar Youness, and AAS President Dr Adnan Badran.

In his statement, Dr Bouhlal said: “The topic of the conference follows the recent decision by AAS to switch focus from major scientific issues to concentrate on the higher-education sector, reflecting its pivotal role to address the major challenges facing all countries in the Arab region. In most Arab countries, university enrolment rates are relatively high; however, this coexists with high levels of  graduate unemployment and underemployment, coupled with a poor record of generating valuable intellectual property. Hence the need to reflect on issues of governance in Arab universities and higher education institutions, and to explore ways to transform the higher education sector in the region into a more dynamic, internationally competitive sector, and one that is able to actively contribute to the rebuilding of national economies and civil society”.

The conference explored various issues, including: governance and decision-making processes in Arab universities, higher education and leadership in the Arab world during the 4th industrial revolution, innovation as a principle in university governance, and the political model of governance in public universities in the Arab world.  

The conference provided a platform for participants to share experiences and explore avenues of cooperation in the future.