Table Of Content“I love this book! The topics are relevant to the current higher education landscape,
especially on matters related to quality education. The structure and discussions are
easy to understand and so insightful, indeed”.
Jennifer Buzarang, Ebina City Board of Education
“This book gives a detailed and thorough insight into the current higher education
landscape of the Gulf. I particularly found the analysis and discussions around how
to create a true knowledge economy in the Gulf especially interesting. Definitely
recommend this book to policy makers”.
Professor Adel Sharif, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University
of Surrey
“This is a comprehensive book which tackles issues of quality education in the Gulf
by focusing on both regional and international drivers. The authors present key con-
temporary issues enabling readers to understand the full picture. A must for anyone
interested in quality education in the Gulf!”
Dr. Serge Gabarre, Head of French Section, University of Nizwa, Oman
“This book covers a wide range of topics, both relevant and timely, to higher edu-
cation (HE), particularly in the GCC countries. Aspects addressed include quality,
management, innovation, opportunities, and challenges, to name a few. Chapters pro-
vide critical insight, internationalisation for quality enhancement, drivers, discussion
pertaining to university rankings, and benefits of scholarship programmes & funding.
Strongly recommend reading to get an in-depth view of the current HE situation”.
Dr. Sadiq M. Sait, Professor and Director of Research, King Fahd University of
Petroleum & Minerals
“This insightful book provides a comprehensive view of higher education in the Gulf
region to quality management stakeholders. Contributions from local experts concisely
report on achievements on a case basis addressing specific situations while voicing cur-
rent issues and challenges that remain to be tackled for each country”.
Dr. Cecile Aline Gabarre, Assistant Professor,
University of Nizwa, Oman
“The question is what drives in quality in Gulf Higher Education? This book brings
together many answers to this question. Whether by pursuing innovation as a vehicle for
improving quality, or focusing on internationalisation as another strategy or emphasis-
ing the importance of ranking. The editors solicited syntheses of research on these topics
from outstanding scholars with a variety of views. Every public policy maker should
have this book. Also, academics and practitioners alike will find much to stimulate their
thinking in this book”.
Dr. Ahmed Rageh Ismail, Director of MBA Programme,
School of International Business, Egypt-Japan
University Science & Technology
“This analysis of quality drivers in HE in the Gulf looks an empirical depth in 12
excellent chapters at aspects of innovation enhancement, corporate identity manage-
ment, internationalisation and quality enhancement, scholarships as a quality driver,
funding quality improvement and many other aspects; a stimulating and solidly
grounded, very insightful volume”.
Dr. Ghazi-Walid Falah, Editor-in-Chief, The Arab World Geographer
“What an amazing book! It comprehensively discoursed the quality factors of higher
education in the Gulf countries. The stakeholders in the education sectors across the
Gulf countries, policy makers as well as general public would find the information in
the book very useful. Therefore, I strongly recommend the book”.
Dr. Iyanda Ismail A., Assistant Professor, College of Business
Administration, University of Fujairah
“This book is very fruitful to understand the historical development of quality assur-
ance in higher education in Gulf and other Asian countries. This has successfully
argued how globalisation and internationalisation of the higher education is a cru-
cial factor to improve its quality”.
Professor N. Sumberzul, Mongolian National
University of Medical Sciences
“This book is a must-read for everyone who works in a higher education field. It
covers a range of topics including academic programs, quality prospects, quality
enhancements as well as empirical investigation of students’ opinion. Especially, the
impact of internationalisation on the quality assurance in Mongolia and Oman was
noteworthy”.
Tungalag Ser-Od, Head of Research, Training and Foreign Relations Section,
The State Dental Center of Mongolia
“This book is a must-read for anyone considering Higher Education in the Gulf. The
comparative studies of higher education quality assurance in this book have given
great insights how important it is to ensure autonomy of QAAs in Asian countries”.
Saruul Erdem, Senior Specialist,
Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation
“This thought-provoking book on higher education in Gulf and quality drivers will
offer you not the mere concept yet the insightful examples. Excellent resource for
educators to understand the development and challenges of the quality assurance in
the Gulf as well as other Asian countries”.
Byambasuren Vanchin, MD, PhD
“This book explores the important topic of higher education in the Gulf and
in doing so identifies regional and non-regional drivers of quality assurance. As
higher education becomes increasingly gloablised this book provides a vital source
for understanding the current challenges and future opportunities for the Gulf
region”.
Professor Angelos Stefanidis, Head of Department Computing & Informatics,
Bournemouth University
Higher Education in the Gulf
This authoritative edited volume examines the drivers of higher education in
the Gulf region. It offers insightful analyses and examines contemporary ped-
agogical, management, strategic, and relevant issues on quality education that
confront higher education institutions.
Written by higher education specialists, curriculum developers, and policy
makers from diverse international backgrounds, the book analyses issues affect-
ing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with a particular focus on
Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is divided into regional and non-regional drivers and
considers drivers as potent enablers of a management system and educational
structure at the intersection of quality education and quality management in
higher education. Chapters include discussion of organisational, management,
and policy issues including strategic innovation, internationalisation, quality
assurance, and global rankings of higher education institutes. The book includes
discussion of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and
learning policies, practices, and programmes.
This book will serve as an essential reference for quality management in higher
education institutions in the Gulf, and will be highly relevant reading for aca-
demics, researchers, and students of higher education, education management,
and quality education in the Gulf region.
Reynaldo Gacho Segumpan is Head of the Department of Business Adminis-
tration, Rustaq College of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Sultanate
of Oman. He has several research and book chapter publications on higher edu-
cation and social sciences.
John McAlaney is Associate Professor in Psychology, Bournemouth University,
UK. He is Chartered Psychologist and Chartered Scientist and has worked exten-
sively to develop links between education, research, and professional practice.
Routledge Research in Higher Education
A Comprehensive Critique of Student Evaluation of Teaching
Critical Perspectives on Validity, Reliability, and Impartiality
Dennis Clayson
Community Engagement in Christian Higher Education
Enacting Institutional Mission for the Public Good
Edited by P. Jesse Rine and Sandra Quiñones
Management Behaviours in Higher Education
Lessons from Education, Business, and Sport
David Dunbar
The Impact of Higher Education Ranking Systems on Universities
Kevin John Downing, Petrus Johannes Loock, and Sarah Gravett
Humanizing Grief in Higher Education
Narratives for Allyship and Hope
Edited by Nicole Sieben and Stephanie Anne Shelton
Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education
Understanding Vulnerable Employees’ Experiences
Leah P. Hollis
Higher Education in the Gulf
Quality Drivers
Edited by Reynaldo Gacho Segumpan and John McAlaney
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
Routledge-Research-in-Higher-Education/book-series/RRHE
Higher Education
in the Gulf
Quality Drivers
Edited by Reynaldo Gacho Segumpan
and John McAlaney
First published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2022 selection and editorial matter, The Gulf Research Centre
Cambridge, Reynaldo Gacho Segumpan and John McAlaney;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of The Gulf Research Centre Cambridge, Reynaldo Gacho
Segumpan and John McAlaney to be identified as the authors of the
editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-032-00436-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-00437-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-17417-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Galliard
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
To those who inspired us and to those who
will be inspired...
Contents
List of tables xi
List of figures xiii
Preface xiv
Acknowledgements xvi
List of contributors xvii
List of editors xxiii
Introduction xv
PART I
Regional drivers of quality education 1
1 Corporate identity management among
Higher Education Institutions in the Gulf 3
BAHTIAR MOHAMAD AND RIDWAN ADETUNJI RAJI
2 Pursuing innovation as a strategy for improving
quality of higher education: Challenges and
opportunities facing GCC countries 16
SEUNGAH S. LEE AND CAMERON MIRZA
3 A critical insight into the Gulf Higher
Education landscape: A National Innovation System
would enhance the role of Higher Education
as an effective vehicle for developing a
Knowledge Economy 32
MALAK HAMDAN AND CAMERON MIRZA
4 Quality enhancement through internationalisation
at GCC universities 47
MARIAM ORKODASHVILI
