Why were there mass resignations of teachers in our public universities? Why were 5,000 national students not admitted to our public institutions of higher education? Why are federal university teachers not granted the 70 per cent federal increase in salaries? Why are there alarmingly low numbers of nationals in the higher education sector? How can the education system contribute to emphasising and reinforcing the strength of our national identity?
Those were just a sample of the barrage of questions posed to the UAE minister of higher education in one of our recent parliament sessions.
At the core of the majority of the questions raised is the issue of funding, while our government has made a solid commitment to the development of higher education, funding still does remain a central challenge, which is not a challenge unique to our country, but is an issue facing all countries who have ventured into the debate on education and educational reform.
For myself, what began to emerge from the debate and dialogue in parliament was this pivotal need to shift our mindsets.
It's time to change the way we think. The days of thinking that government subsidies will cover everything is outdated. The system of higher education needs to become dynamic, driven to provide quality education, driven to create great minds, but also driven to being tactical and integrating the efficiency and strategies of the private sector, not shying away from aggressively working to diversify sources income for its budget, but never venturing away from its mission to create great minds, through quality education.
Huge challenge
Another area that emerged as a huge challenge for us during our parliament session was that of scientific research, with no specific federal budget being granted for research, and so our universities carve out shameful amounts (which is all they can afford at this stage) from their total budgets to grant for research.
I will say that in the area of scientific research, much more than the issue of lack of funding for research, the true challenge lies in the lack of awareness as to the critically sensitive role that research plays in the areas of human development, the overall social development and the creation of knowledge based economies.
Most of you may assume that scientific research is something not really linked to your everyday life or to the quality of your overall life. You might not grasp the importance of research because you see a finished product, whether it be a DVD, a mobile phone, medicine for diabetes, airplanes which allow you to cross the Atlantic, heart surgery, cars, the list goes. All of these products or services are a result of years of research.
The federal government of the US spends annually over a billion dollars on scientific research. Economists estimate that over half of the development witnessed in the US economy in the past 50 years is linked to technological advances, which are a direct result of scientific research; research which is primarily conducted by universities and research institutions.
Research plays an integral role in the development of technology, healthcare, national security and the overall advancement of societies.
Most of you might not know that the role of science, knowledge and education, is also deeply rooted in the Islamic faith. For those of you who are not aware of our history, at the peak of Islamic civilisation, Arabic was the language of science.
The first words that were received by the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) from the angel Gabriel were very simple, "read", "read in the name of your lord", this is the nucleus of the Islamic faith; the bedrock is knowledge, which is acquired through the rigorous pursuit of truth, which manifested in the proliferation of studies and research, lead to breakthroughs in science, and when used wisely, can contribute to the creation of great societies for all of mankind.
For our society the pursuit of knowledge is a sacred duty, and also one that is at the core of sustainable development in our country.
We acknowledge that we are facing a challenge in higher education and research. Our government is actively working on developing these areas to ensure that we are creating a generation of great minds who can actively contribute to the development of a knowledge based economy.
I also hope our educators and the leaders of these educational institutions will shift their mindsets and usher in a new and better way of managing their institutions and of diversifying their sources of income to ensure sustainability and quality. I also hope that the private sector will begin to play a more dynamic role to contribute to this area, and with all these efforts we all will truly reap the fruits of knowledge.
Najla Al Awadhi is a member of the Federal National Council, Deputy CEO Dubai Media Incorporated and General Manager of Dubai One TV.
