UK Higher Education Engagement with the Cooperation Council for The
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STATE OF THE RELATIONSHIP UK HIGHER EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is an independent report produced by Finally, UUKi wishes to thank those universities Universities UK International (UUKi). The report which contributed case studies: was funded by the Department for Business, Energy • Cranfield University and Industrial Strategy. The primary research, data • Aston University analysis, and preparation of the report were led by Janet Ilieva of Education Insight. The project was • Muscat University managed by Emily Judson, Policy Officer, MENA • Heriot-Watt University at UUKi. • University of Strathclyde UUKi would also like to acknowledge contributions • Coventry University made by the following individuals: • Cardiff University • Daniel Hurley, Universities UK • University of Liverpool • Zahir Irani, University of Bradford • Cardiff Metropolitan University • Christine Bateman, University of Liverpool • Michael Peak, British Council UUKi UK HE engagement with the GCC 1 CONTENTS 1. REPORT OVERVIEW 2 1.1 Executive summary 3 1.2 Key findings from the UUKi sector survey 5 2. GLOBALLY MOBILE STUDENTS FROM THE GCC AND WIDER REGION 6 2.1 Demand for international education in the GCC and wider region 6 2.2 Overseas study destinations for students from the GCC and wider region 7 2.3 Section summary 8 3. UK UNIVERSITIES’ GCC ACTIVITIES, STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS 9 3.1 Activities 9 3.2 Strategy and operations 10 3.3 Outward mobility of UK students to GCC countries 11 3.4 GCC staff employment at UK universities 11 3.5 Section summary 11 4. GCC STUDENT ENROLMENTS AT UK HEIs 13 4.1 GCC student enrolment trends 13 4.2 Sources of funding for GCC students 15 4.3 Approaches to GCC student recruitment 18 4.4 Section summary 21 5. TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN UK AND GCC HEIs 23 5.1 Demand drivers for TNE 23 5.2 Current provision of UK TNE in the GCC 24 5.3 Section summary 38 6. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN THE GCC 39 7. ENABLERS, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE UK-GCC COLLABORATION 44 8. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 46 APPENDIX 48 FOOTNOTES 49 CASE STUDIES Cardiff Metropolitan University 12 Cardiff University 22 University of Liverpool 26 Coventry University 30 University of Strathclyde 32 Heriot-Watt University 36 Muscat University/Cranfield University/Aston University 42 2 UUKi UK HE engagement with the GCC 1. REPORT OVERVIEW BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT This report aims to provide an overview of the present Following the executive summary and overview of state of UK-Gulf relationships in higher education, the results of a UUKi sector survey, the report opens research and innovation. The study focuses on the six with a statistical analysis of key higher education countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States indicators relevant to the GCC countries. Drawing on of the Gulf (GCC): the aforementioned survey data, UK HEIs’ priorities and strategy for the GCC region are considered. An attempt • Bahrain is made to capture the success factors for UK institutions • Kuwait which have increased international student enrolments • Oman from the GCC, following which the relationship between • Qatar GCC student enrolments in the UK and TNE delivered • Saudi Arabia in the region is examined. Finally, international research cooperation in the GCC countries is explored to situate • The United Arab Emirates the UK-GCC relationship in its wider international In some instances, selected Middle East and North context. The study concludes with a summary of enablers African countries are included in statistical comparisons and challenges for future UK-GCC collaboration. to give a broader context to the study’s findings. The research draws on data sourced through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics (UIS), the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), and SciVal. Additional data was sourced through an online survey of UK universities administered by UUKi, mapping UK institutions’ GCC activities and partners, which received 63 responses. A detailed research methodology for the report can be found on page 46. UUKi UK HE engagement with the GCC 3 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY State of the relationship: UK higher education engagement with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is the second in an ongoing series produced by Universities UK International (UUKi), mapping the links between UK higher education institutions (HEIs) and specific countries or world regions. The study is released at a time when UK Government The UK has long been a popular destination for is increasing support for UK-GCC relationships in international students from the GCC, with student higher education, research and innovation, notably enrolment constituting an important strand of UK via Gulf Science, Innovation and Knowledge Economy universities’ activities in the region. While this will Programme (GSIKE). This is a multi-year, multi-million remain significant, this report highlights a possible pound programme running 2016-2020 which will shift in focus as UK institutions increasingly seek out promote UK-GCC collaboration in science, innovation transnational education (TNE) partnerships and joint and higher education engagement. Among other research opportunities as priorities for GCC engagement. activities, the programme will provide training for over 300 GCC researchers, support joint UK-GCC symposia, GCC STUDENT ENROLMENTS IN UK HIGHER EDUCATION and fund collaborative research projects between UK and While natural resources represent an important source of GCC universities and research institutes. revenue for most GCC states, there is a strong emphasis This report presents an overview of the relationships in national development strategies on economic between UK universities and the countries of the GCC. diversification. Education is a key pillar within each The findings are based on a statistical analysis of the of these strategies and receives concerted government available secondary data, and a comprehensive review support. of primary data obtained through a survey of UK In order to align towards the achievement of strategic institutions carried out by UUKi. goals, over recent years there have been indications UK universities’ links with the GCC countries are found of some change in the nature of education spending to span a wide range of activities: international student by GCC governments. enrolments; research collaboration; transnational The range of UK universities able to host state-sponsored education partnerships; continuous professional students from the GCC may be limited by the use of development; executive education; and consultancy rankings-based eligibility lists by regional funders to with business and industry. The report also identifies identify ‘approved’ overseas institutions. Approved significant complementarity between the long-term university lists and methodologies may or may not be priorities of UK universities active in the GCC, and published for consultation; and while most lists draw the objectives outlined in the GCC states’ respective on global league tables (for example, Times Higher long-term national economic strategies, in which the Education, SHJT, QS) to guide inclusion or exclusion, strengthening of higher education and research systems some agencies also apply a bespoke formula to identify consistently figures as a central objective. and define approved universities. Respondents to the UUKi sector survey suggested that the challenges they perceived as most prominent regarding their work with the GCC countries are the use of rankings-based ‘approved’ university lists by GCC regional agencies, and UK student visa requirements. The respondents also suggested that the most significant ‘enabler’ to continued successful collaboration with the GCC region was the projection of the UK as a welcoming destination for GCC international students and academics. 4 UUKi UK HE engagement with the GCC Given the importance of state support as a source benefit from aligning provision to declared national of funding – scholarships support more than half of developmental priorities, or to known skills gaps. postgraduates from Saudi Arabia, and over half of Opportunities for UK TNE engagement in the GCC are undergraduates from Kuwait and Oman – changes in likely to continue to grow. Where quality local provision eligibility criteria can significantly affect institutional is comparatively underdeveloped – particularly in enrolments from year to year. priority subject areas or at postgraduate level, UK- With the exception of students from Saudi Arabia, the led TNE partnerships may be presented as conferring majority of GCC students enrolled on programmes in significant benefits to the host country in helping to the UK are undergraduates. The use of education agents, meet demand. participation in student fairs, and engagement with local government agencies are the channels most commonly UK-GCC RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN CONTEXT used by UK institutions to support student recruitment In GCC national economic strategies (for example, UAE in the GCC, while engagement with local schools is the Vision 2021), increasing investment in research and channel identified by UK HEIs as having provided the innovation is consistently highlighted as a policy priority. largest source of growth in student numbers to the UK. Although overall research output across the GCC remains relatively low, a majority of research is