Higher Education and The Future of

Middle East: Towards Educational

Cooperation
*




Turkey plays a key role in its region and the greater Middle East. However, this
influence needs to have a firm foundation. Turkey should develop relations with
its neighbors not only in economic and political terms but also in the field of
education. Educational cooperation will allow both Turkey and its neighbors to
build a joint future. Through shared endeavors on educational issues, the region
will move closer to a more powerful global role.

In the early 21st century, I traveled across Morocco for over three weeks. I later
moved on to Egypt, subsequently adding Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Dubai, and Lebanon to
this long route. I made sure during these trips that I had extensive conversations
with the young people I encountered. I still remember my chat with the youngsters
in Tahrir Square and Umm Kulthum Caf. The image of a young man who
responded to my optimism, suggesting that the new century will be an age of hope
for Muslims, by recalling that he had nothing to eat tomorrow implying that there
was no need for him to ponder the next century still lingers in my mind. I
searched desperately for him when I watched the news coverage on Al Jazeera
showing the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square. I was sure that he and his friends
were there to experience the historic moment.
My first impression of the Arab youth was that they got nothing useful out of the
education they received. The curriculum and method were outdated and unable to
do anything practical to improve their skills or lifestyle.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (d. 1900) is still popular among young
people around the world. The primary reason for his extensive popularity is his
strong emphasis upon change and freedom, as well as on the potential of the youth
to shape and formulate the future.
His reliance on the snake metaphor in an attempt to explain the change is both
interesting and important. The snake has been indispensible part of stories, sagas
and mythologies since Adam and Eve. In his famous statement The snake that
cannot shed its skin perishes, Nietzsche refers not only to the need for change but

*
An earlier version of this article with the title Towards educational cooperation: Turkey and the Arab world in
higher education was published in Turkish Review, 01 March 2011. The after the publication the region
witnessed so-called Arap Spring. Many fremds asked me to apdate the earlier article. The author would like to
thank for fruitful comments and contributions of my collegoues.

also to the subject of that change. The one who needs to sponsor the change is the
one who has to survive. When the mission for change is outsourced to others, the
change can occur only to the extent the powerful allow. From a Darwinian
perspective, in such a case change would mean the survival and domination of the
powerful. It is possible to better understand the global change and transformations
by reference to this explanation.
Philosopher Heraclitus, who lived around 500 B.C., eloquently explained the place
of change within life itself: the only constant is change. In the current globalizing
world, no further evidence is needed to confirm the magnitude and scope of the
change and transformation. The new millennium introduced a new understanding
that the world is making progress at an unprecedented pace. This new era has been
labeled with bold statements, including post-industrial society, postmodern world
and transition period. Everything is changing, even change itself. It is difficult to
estimate the rate and speed of transformation. Everything is interconnected and
interactions are becoming more complex and intricate.
Change also influences the way education institutions operate. The traditional
function of schools is to provide young people with the tools they will need in the
future. To achieve this, educators have to be aware of the world they are living in.
They should also be aware of the expectations young people may hold. However, it
is difficult to predict what sort of world our children will grow up in. Therefore, the
ability to deal with uncertainty appears to be the most vital skill for the future. For
this reason, the goals of a modern and high-quality education should be to ensure
students and young people acquire the following skills:
The ability to focus on the future;
comprehension of the world as a whole;
understanding that present decisions and preferences shape the future;
awareness of social change, human life, environment and nature;
the ability to improve interaction, cooperation and discussion skills;
the ability to utilize information and communication technologies; improvement of
ability to acquire and generate knowledge through research;
an effective and participatory citizenship style.
The first four goals focus on thinking and values, whereas the following two
concentrate on skills and the last on actions. Taking responsibility for ones actions
and being open to motivation in the application of ones skills require awareness
and further thought. In some cases, however, actions take priority. Skills emerge
via actions, student awareness and a new type of comprehension that in turn leads
to new actions. Unless this happens, the younger generations will become a source
of trouble for a country.
In fact, French futurist Jacques Attali warned us a few years ago: Its today that
we decide what the world will be in 2050 and its today that we prepare what the
world will be in 2100. Depending on how we behave, our children and our
grandchildren will live in a livable world or they will live hate us to death.
However, we did not have to wait until 2050 or 2100 to experience the impacts of
change. The global winds of change and the impact of globalization have
influenced the way the people think and behave. The authoritarian rulers of the
Arab countries who always thought they would not be influenced by the wave of
change faced this cruel reality. We all witnessed that leaders who failed to leave a
sustainable world to their people and take responsibility have to step down from
office in embarrassment and shame. I am not accusing anybody. Quite the contrary,
I would like to draw attention to the possibility of cooperation with the Arab
countries within the field of higher education under the conditions dictated and
created by the process of change.
Turkey realized the salience of globalization and change long before the Arab
world, mostly because of historical and institutional ties with the West. Owing to
this relationship, it introduced dramatic reforms and structural changes. Turkeys
efforts to better understand the process of modernization and Westernization in the
wake of the 1839 Royal Tanzimat Decree and Turkeys eventual EU bid
consolidated its determination to renew and transform the way it perceives the
world. Most of the radical changes were legitimized and justified within this
context. This process of change has become visible in a number of fields, including
the economy, foreign policy, education and social security. For instance Turkey,
which once viewed its neighboring countries as a threat to its national security, has
recently initiated a policy of zero problems with these countries, launching a
brand new era. Both sides win during this process, thanks to the strong bilateral ties
forged, and start to enjoy the benefits of relative peace and stability. It is clear this
new style played a visible role in Turkeys ability to survive the global financial
crisis.
Despite these bold steps, Turkeys relations with the Arab world in the field of
education are still insufficient. While visa requirements are lifted and landmines are
cleared along borders, there still remain serious obstacles and prejudices when it
comes to education. A number of issues, including recognition of degrees and
qualifications and cooperation in the field of education, deserve greater attention
and consideration. Interestingly, businessmen are much more successful than
scholars in advancing cooperation with Arab countries. It is time to develop firm
collaboration with the Arab countries in the field of education. It should be noted
that many European countries have already taken action on this matter.
I should note that by Arab world I refer to 22 countries, including Morocco,
Yemen and the Gulf states, and the 350 million people living in this vast land. The
most visible characteristics of this geography, host to a number of religions and
civilizations throughout history, are under development, poverty, unemployment,
environmental issues, ethnic issues, migration, violence and internal conflicts.
Research sponsored to date by international organizations, including the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) underline
that lack of education is the biggest problem in this region. This serves as the major
source of other imminent problems.
High-quality education and human capital
Many thinkers, philosophers and prophets, including Confucius, Moses,
Muhammed, Plato, Alfred North Whitehead and Jrgen Habermas, stressed the
importance of education for humanity. Humanization, civilization and possession
of a future are all made possible by education. Above all, education is a
fundamental right to which all men and women are entitled. Social development is
ensured via high-quality education. Likewise, better health services, greater
participation in social activities and enjoyment of fundamental rights are possible
via education.
This suggests that education is a matter of survival for any nation in the 21st
century. In a world of interconnectedness and interdependence characterized by
high technology and enhanced means of communication, education appears to be
the most important issue. It is not possible for countries ignoring the importance of
education to gain full economic and political independence. In addition, high-
quality education and investment in human capital is necessary to enjoy the
benefits of the globalization process.
Classical economists considered the natural assets of a country. The most famous
example of this approach was Adam Smith (1723-1790), who institutionalized this
in his seminal book, The Wealth of Nations. Smith held that a nations wealth
depends on the amount of assets it needs for survival. However, this has
significantly changed in the current information age. Prominent economists have
expanded their perspectives, concluding that the wealth of a nation is actually
calculated by well-educated and productive people. For this reason, this sort of
asset is named human capital.
The concept of human capital gained further prominence and popularity in the late
1950s and early 1960s. Famous economists, including 1979 Nobel Laureate
Theodore Schultz (1902-1998), relied on the capital metaphor in an attempt to
place emphasis upon the role of education in economic growth.
They argued that people have developed a set of capabilities and skills by making
an investment in their education, which will become a source of revenue in the long
run. This investment may be also useful for the national economy, contributing to
economic growth.
The OECD reports underline that human capital has a number of economic and
non-economic benefits, including better health, longer life expectancy and greater
participation in society. From an economic perspective, the case is fairly different.
The benefits of human capital positively affect the wealth of the nation as well as
the individual. On an individual level, income increases with better education; in
some OECD countries (including Denmark and New Zealand) the annual income
of college graduates is 25 percent higher than that of non-graduates. This figure is
as high as 120 percent in some countries.
This suggests that education is the key to resolving global problems and achieving
a state of sustainable development. To do this, education and training systems
should be redesigned to ensure they will improve pupils innovative skills.
Furthermore, they have to be able to teach students how to adapt to changing
economic and social conditions, renew themselves and become flexible in a
globalizing world.
In short, education has an inherent power to transform national economies, nurture
tolerance and social cohesion and create a sense of global citizenship. Therefore it
is no exaggeration to argue that education is the key to the future of Middle Eastern
countries. As eloquently stated by Dr. Don Olcott, chief executive of the
Observatory of Borderless Higher Education (OBHE); the nations of the Middle
East need to sense the power of education to transform life, cities, nations and
regions, and to realize that efforts ignoring the importance of education will be
inconclusive and ineffective.
A problem that concerns us all
In a globalizing world, problems affect both the countries in which they erupt and
the entire international community. The high rate of unemployment among the
Arab youth will eventually cause more serious problems for the entire globe,
including terror, human trafficking, drug abuse and so on. For this reason, the
resolution of the problem of lack of education in the Arab world should be handled
globally. Turkey has the responsibility to address this problem, given its historical
ties and common past with the region. The resolution or irresolution of these
problems will of course also affect Turkeys future.
While Turkey appreciated the requirements and trends of economic globalization
and maintained firm ties with its neighbors, it failed to do the same with respect to
the field of education. The growing trade volume with the nearby countries is
evidenced by an 11.4 percent increase in trade in 2010, despite the global financial
crisis. Businessmen in Gaziantep alone make exports to more than 180 countries;
the share of the Arab states in the total amount of these exports is greater than 50
percent. The sustainability of the strong performance of Turkish foreign policy
depends on education higher education in particular. This was emphatically
confirmed by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurra.
As a result of global developments as well as its EU bid, Turkey has introduced
some bold reforms in the field of education. I believe Turkeys efforts to share its
experiences with nearby countries will have constructive results for the entire
region.
Shaping the future through education
The precursor to todays EU was founded with the coming into effect of Treaty of
Paris in 1952, establishing the European Coal and Steel Community. The goal was
to maintain economic cooperation between member states. The heads of states who
considered themselves responsible for the future of Europe believed the continent
would have a better future if they built upon economic and social fundamentals.
However, Jean Monnet, a French statesman known for his contribution to the
establishment of European unity, reportedly said before he died that he would
rather build a European community on education and culture, given that everything
was actually connected to science, education and culture. Monnets concern has
proven to be legitimate, as evidenced by the EUs failure to devise a common
educational and cultural identity. In consideration of this gap, EU leaders have
recently intensified efforts to achieve cooperation in the field of education. The
Lisbon Strategy of 2000 sought to advance industry-university cooperation,
whereas the Bologna Process initiated in 1999 attempted to open a new era in the
field of higher education.
The ministers for education who signed the Bologna Declaration on June 19, 1999,
set the main goal of the declaration as seeking to create a common area of higher
education in Europe by the end of 2010. The preamble to the declaration implies
policy makers were eager to fulfill Monnets political will and requests: A Europe
of Knowledge is now widely recognised as an irreplaceable factor for social and
human growth and as an indispensable component to consolidate and enrich the
European citizenship, capable of giving its citizens the necessary competences to
face the challenges of the new millennium, together with an awareness of shared
values and belonging to a common social and cultural space.
The following excerpt on the future of the EU is also interesting: The importance
of education and educational cooperation in the development and strengthening of
stable, peaceful and democratic societies is universally acknowledged as
paramount, the more so in view of the situation in South East Europe.
It is therefore safe to argue that advancement of Turkeys economic and political
relations with Arab countries in a democratic, stable and peaceful manner depends
on the sustainability of these relations and achievement of cooperation in the field
of education.
There are some other reasons to focus on education and research as part of our
bilateral ties with Arab countries. Turkey is the only Muslim country in NATO and
the only Muslim democratic state in the OECD. The EU bid and Turkeys
involvement in a number of EU and other European institutions is also significant.
In short, Turkey needs to share its experience of modernization and
democratization with its nearby countries and, in turn, to benefit from their
experiences.
State of education in the Arab world
The first document to objectively discuss the state of education in the Arab world,
the probable reasons for the situation and recommendations to resolve the problems
was the Arab Human Development Report in 2002. The report is particularly
important, since it was drafted by a group of courageous Arab researchers under the
auspices and sponsorship of the UN. The reports content was not likely to have
pleased Arab rulers, underlining that the underdevelopment in the Arab world was
attributable to a lack of education, democratic deficit and eagerness to keep the
people out of the political processes.
Interestingly, the report content verified the evaluation by famous Islamic scholar
Said Nursi in a notable sermon he delivered in Damascus, where he listed the
reasons for the underdevelopment of the Arab world. Nursi upheld that while the
European world made progress, the Islamic world had ceased to advance due to six
inherent afflictions: hopelessness, disconnection with the truth and reality, love of
enmity, unawareness of the divine ties connecting fellow Muslims, epidemic
repression and observation of individual interests or selfishness.
Muslim societies should move their attention in dealing with their problems away
from an individual or territorial basis toward a framework of cooperation. This is
why I refer in the title of this essay to cooperation focusing on education. It is also
interesting to note that at a time when the reasons for the underdevelopment in the
Muslim world were sought in the imperial ambitions of the Western nations, Nursi
performed self-criticism, noting that the biggest enemy of the Islamic nations was
lack of education and knowledge.
The said report makes reference to the problems Arab leaders are displeased with,
suggesting that the solution to these problems should be built upon education. To
this end, two major issues stand out: democracy and the status of women. The Arab
world lacks a democratic experience and deprives women of their fundamental
right to education. Some Arab leaders took the report seriously and introduced
some reforms to their education system accordingly, while the majority remained
indifferent to its recommendations.
A UNESCO-sponsored meeting held in Beirut on Jan. 19-23, 2007, was another
endeavor focusing on the state of education in the Arab countries. The meeting was
attended by the education ministers of the Arab states. The speech UNESCO
Assistant Director General for Education John Daniel delivered at the opening was
both interesting and important. Daniel, relying on examples from the experience of
the Western world, explained that the actual reason for the current state of
underdevelopment in Arab world was the Arab mentality itself. In fact, the title of
his speech was enough to stress the core of the problem: Education for all in the
Arab world: past, present and future. Daniel underlined the following points in
particular:
Despite ongoing problems, the Arab world has a rich intellectual past.
The Muslim world is the origin of the tradition of the quest for knowledge and
intensifying efforts for a better understanding of the world.
A thousand years ago the Arab world was the most developed part of the world.
The Arabs have been leaders of knowledge and science in many fields.
Daniel upheld that the current situation is not attributable to Islam or traditions, but
should be explained by lack of a democratic culture and the domination of
dictatorial regimes. The Arab Knowledge Base 2009 report confirms this finding.
According to this report, knowledge and freedom cannot thrive without the other.
Knowledge, in both its enlightenment and developmental aspects, is freedom itself.
The report makes the following points:
Arab countries have the greatest unemployment rates in the world; the average in
the Arab world in 2009 was 14.4 percent, whereas the world average was 6.3
percent.
One in five persons in the region lives below the poverty line ($2 per day). Almost
half of the population is deprived of basic needs.
The number of people suffering from malnutrition due to unemployment is
growing in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In the
event the current trend continues, the Arab world will fail to meet its goals on food
security and the elimination of hunger.
The population growth rate is also cause for alarm. Under current projections, the
population in the Arab world will reach 385 million by 2015. This means the rulers
have to secure employment for 50 million young people by 2020.
One in three in the Arab world is illiterate, despite the allocation of 5 percent of
GDP and 20 percent of budget to education in the last four decades. In total, 60
million people are illiterate. Two-thirds of these 60 million are women.
About 9 million children in Arab countries are unable to go to school at all; a huge
number of children also do not attend secondary schools, jeopardizing economic
growth and sustainable development.
Arab countries do not allocate sufficient funds to research and development; this
naturally affects innovation and invention. In most Arab states the funds allocated
to research and development activities represent no more than 0.3 percent of GDP.
The amount reserved for scientific research per head in Arab countries is $10,
whereas it is $33 in Malaysia and $1,304 in Finland.
The quality of college education is poor.
The number of publications by Arab scholars is small.
The number of registered patents is also low.
Arabs read relatively less because of the high rate of illiteracy, poor education,
poor purchasing power and cultural factors.
The presence of different education models in Arab countries leads to serious
problems in education systems.
The curriculum is outdated and ideological.
The teachers are not qualified.
The methods are outdated; new technology is not used in education
What these findings state is obvious: the Arab world lacks a youth with the
necessary competence and skills to offer solutions to the existing problems,
introduce innovations and deal with the growing problem of unemployment. The
2009 report refers to three major reasons for the current situation: lack of
democracy and freedom, the poor status of women, and the inability of uneducated
women to contribute to society and the economy. The report issues a strong call to
the Arab countries: Act now and start a dialogue with countries that are better than
you! Turkey can also respond to this call and it should.
What can be done?
To start a new era with Arab countries, the Higher Education Board (YK) needs
to take action. In its present form the board was designed to deal with internal
issues. A renovated YK would be able to serve as a guide for both Turkey and the
entire region. In addition, it should share with Arab countries the experience
acquired through the Bologna Process and Turkeys EU membership bid.
To do this, the current situation should first be properly identified. This could be
done by holding official visits to Arab countries in an effort to gain firsthand
experience and appreciation of their education systems. The most up-to-date report
on this subject is the Arab Human Development Report 2009 that I referred to
above. Sadly, the number of detailed and objective reports concluded by our
scholars on Arab countries is too small. Comprehensive studies should be
sponsored and promoted in this field.
Even though it still struggles with some problems, Turkey has introduced some
bold reforms in the field of higher education. The EU membership bid, inclusion in
the Bologna Process, OECD membership and other global endeavors promoted
significant change in the country in the field of education. As a result of this
transformation, a number of private and state universities were founded. This
should be taken as Turkeys response to the global demand for education.
Bearing in mind that higher education is being internationalized, Turkey could
build joint campuses in the region, or Turkish universities could construct affiliate
campuses in Arab states. The US, EU and Australia have already taken action in
this respect.
Agreements and protocols signed with Arab countries regarding education should
be updated, and proper measures should be taken to ensure recognition of
qualifications. Diplomas granted by Turkish universities are not recognized in some
Arab countries, while YK still rejects degrees awarded by some Arab universities.
Our universities should promote freedom and universal values, and be ready to
embrace the different cultures, religions and languages represented by international
students; the customs, attire and traditions of people from all backgrounds should
be respected in colleges. In addition, Turkey is the only Muslim country
represented in the Bologna Process; this is a great advantage that needs to be used.
The value of the diplomas received from Turkish universities should be better
underlined.
The central exam that international students had to take for admission to Turkish
universities was cancelled last year; this is a positive development, but something
more should be done. Instead of short-term college fees, Turkish universities
should adopt a long-term strategy focusing on the future and sustainable
development. Global trends should be taken into consideration when fees are
determined. Cooperation could be maintained with Arab countries in the following
fields to modernize higher education:
Mutual visits to ensure a greater degree of familiarity and cooperation; proper
steps to make sure rectors, professors and researchers from Arab states have
firsthand experience of education and research in our country.
A conference on the current situation.
Encouragement of Arab postdoctoral scholars to carry out research in our
universities; this will have a positive impact on our education system as well as the
national economy.
Considering work and travel firms play a significant role in sending students to
Western states, they could be encouraged to do the same with respect to the Arab
states.
Sponsorship and support for young academics in the region.
Establishment of regional research and education networks; cooperation between
universities toward social development in the region.
Support for projects developed by young academics focusing on regional
development; Turkeys experience in the EU process could serve as a strong
incentive.
Project specifications requiring cooperation between students and scholars from
different countries in the region; plurality and greater participation should be
considered during the process.
Summer schools, joint workshops and conferences, as well as research projects,
would be promising attempts to maintain close cooperation between universities in
the region. These endeavors would help students and academics in the region get to
know each other, explore common denominators and realize their capacity to work
together and offer plausible solutions to existing problems. A process of dialogue
and cooperation with Arab countries, sponsored by Turkey and focusing on
education and research, would consolidate the view and feeling that peoples in the
region have a common future of peace and stability. For this reason, resolution of
the chronic educational problems in the Arab world is crucial for international
society and world peace.