HE in Saudi Arabia

1. The Future of Higher Education
in Saudi Arabia:
Challenges and Opportunities
Dr. Mubarak Alkhatnai
King Saud University

2. The Outline
• Set the scene
• Administrative issues
• Institutional issues
• Qualitative changes
• Quantitative changes
• Some Initiatives

3. The Context
• History
• Education
• Higher Education HE
• Ministry of Higher Education MOHE and HE
Governance
• Higher Education Institutions HEIs
• Saudi HE and Change
– Challenges and Threats
– Opportunities and Trends

4. Why Higher Education?
• The future of the university
• Knowledge economy
• Population demographics
– Changing student population
• Market-demand
• Public responsibility
• International cooperation and recognition
– Global competition
– Segregation of research and education market
• International accreditation
• Technology impact and changing roles

5. Administrative Issues
• Role of the university
– Traditional role
– Teaching vs. research
– University System (e.g KSU)
– Global University (e.g. KAUST)
– Cyber University (e.g. SOU)
– For-profit University (private)
– Comprehensive University Vs. Specialized
– Single-sex university (e.g. PNU)
• HE governance
– Governmental university
– Regulation bodies
– Accreditation and competition
– International models of the university
– University funding - endowments
– Spending on HE
• Quality assurance

6. Institutional Issues
• University model
• Governance models
• University identity
• Workforce
• Assessment
• Student bodies
• Strategic thinking
• IT issues
• Academic freedom
• Conflict of interests

7. Qualitative changes
• Drivers of change
• Quality
• Qualitative Enhancement
• Delivery modes
• Changing learning behaviors
• Gender segregation
• Faculty recruitment
• Global competition
• Societal needs
• Market forces
• Ethics

8. Quantitative changes
• Economy growth
• Quantitative growth
• Student enrolment
• Student mobility
• World-ranking
• Knowledge expansion
• Borderless resources

9. Case Study
KSU
• Set the scene
• Administrative issues
• Institutional issues
• Future directions

10. Facts:
Oldest
Highest budget
Largest
Most accredited
world 500/300
70,000 Students
System
Teaching/research

11. Administrational:
Governmentally appointed and run
Governmentally funded
Endowments
Schools and colleges
Hospitals
Stipends

12. Institutional:
Technology
Collaborations
Learning/teaching necessities

13. Forces of change:
Economy
Students
Society
Change and resistance to change

14. Future:
World recognition
Rankings

15. Envisioned Horizons and Time
Schemes
• Budgeting and financing higher education
• Identity
• Pace of change
• Institutional autonomy
• HE governance
• Alliance
• Impact
• Collaborations (academics-disciplines- sectors-institutions )
• Opportunities and threats
• Globalizations

16. Questions?
Credits