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02-Jun-2014
The Higher Education Council approved at its last meeting the first national strategy for higher education, after more than a year of planning and preparation and follow-up with local stakeholders and global house of expertise. Work on the development of this strategy started last year, 2012/2013 , and the formulation of this strategy in its final form took several months, until recently delivered to the Higher Education Council , which approved the request of the Secretariat-General to prepare implementation timeline. H.E. Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi , Minister of Education , Chairman of the Higher Education Council highlighted the details and objectives and the components of this strategy , explaining that it passed through three phases : The first phase , included a review of documents, reports , data and related information ,necessary analysis and comparisons , also included conducting intensive interviews with all stakeholders, and government and private institutions associated with the higher education sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain. There were 26 interviews with more than 67 representatives from those agencies, and at the end of this stage, a workshop was organized last October2013. Nearly 37 participants from representatives of those who were interviewed to discuss the broad lines of the strategy participated. The second phase included an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges with respect to higher education in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and then formulation of the most important themes of the strategy, which included all the strategic priorities and regulatory legislation and proposed initiatives. At this stage also a number of meetings with key stakeholders and decision makers were held to engage in dialogue with them and have their thoughts on the findings of the strategy, and based on the results of these meetings the draft strategy has been updated. At this stage the governance and funding mechanism was established for higher education in the Kingdom of Bahrain. After the draft strategy has been revised in the second phase, the Secretariat-General sent a copy to the members of the Council and to those who contributed in its formulation to express an opinion on them, and therefore has been drafted in its final form in accordance with the thoughts and opinions shared on them. "Provision of an innovative learning environment "- As for the terms of reference of the strategy and the most important features , the minister pointed out , that this strategy in the general direction comes in implementation of the program of work of the government , and in line with Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 principles and objectives that has a relationship between education and development , particularly the strengthening of human capital , and to give Bahrainis the opportunity for success through upgrading their educational and professional status, and work to build a knowledge based economy, entrepreneurship led by the private sector , and sustainable resource management strategy, linked also to the objectives of higher education set forth in the Higher Education law , and the implementation of the directives of the Commission on the development of education and training , chaired by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, in addition to taking account of the modern and international trends and directions in the field of higher education. The Higher Education Council vision is to provide an environment of higher education on par with the highest international standards and one that enjoys innovation and entrepreneurship to fuel growth and progress in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the region , through preparation of generations of Bahraini citizens who are able to achieve success in the twenty- first century, and thus contributing to the transition to a regional center for quality and entrepreneurship in higher education, thereby driving innovation and development, and improve the environment of higher education in Bahrain through strategic congruence with the labor market , and enhanced quality and effective governance that is able to keep abreast of developments in this sector and the requirements of development, through the construction of a system of higher education that lives up to international standards by improving the quality of the higher education sector's inputs and the learning process and matching the qualifications of graduates with the needs of the market. "Harmonization between graduates' skills and the actual requirements of the labor market" When detailing themes of this strategy, the minister said that the proposed strategic framework for the higher education is divided into six strategic thrusts, where they put these themes based on the current situation of higher education in the Kingdom, according to the best practices that the Council of higher Education aspires to implement on the ground in the higher education sector, which is: -Improving the quality of higher education by preparing graduates who are prepared academically, professionally and personally, to enable them to realize their potential and contribute to society, which is essential to improve the employability and economic competitiveness in the Kingdom, as it will contribute to the promotion of higher education sector in Bahrain, and to attract more students from the region, and take advantage of research to achieve economic growth, and to ensure satisfaction of employers for graduates, so as to enhance the chances of Bahrainis to get better opportunities in the labor market. -Work on the harmonization of higher education with the priorities and needs of the current and future local and regional labor market , and work to bridge the gap between the skills of graduates and the actual skills required by employers, through several steps, procedures and developments in the programs and courses of study, and through increased participation of employers in Higher Education , thereby contributing to the provision of more opportunities for graduates and enhancing competitiveness in the sectors of growth and diversification of Bahrain's economy, and the transition to the knowledge economy and innovation, and improve the national ranking in global performance indicators. The strategy also addresses through its third theme to strengthen the relationship between higher education and technical and continuous education , and the diversification of programs and determination of the levels and areas covered by these programs , so as to ensure non-recurrence of same disciplines in other institutions , and to achieve a balance between academic and artistic disciplines, response to increasing rates to attend university , and to amend the programs map offered by institutions of higher education according to the national needs in the first place, and this will require better and more effective management of resources , and to prevent deviation of institutions away from its core mission , and increase the chances of moving between academic tracks , and respond to changes in needs to human capital . As for the fourth theme of this strategy, the minister stressed that it is about to make Bahrain a regional center for higher education with a good reputation, in doing so Bahrain would be a popular destination t for the students of the region, and Bahrain has long been a leader in the field of education in general in the region, so we aspire to be a leader in the field of higher education, too, is no secret what their importance in improving the quality of higher education and to reduce the cost and increase the size of the economic benefits and social polarization of the students, and create a spirit of a University city students expected to join the higher education institutions .. Therefore we have focused in the last period to regulate the institutions of higher education, and fought a long battle to make these universities abide by the law, rules and regulations, so as to enhance its seriousness and credibility and quality of services offered to students, and we move in today with this strategy towards a welcoming horizon that provides quality service to attract more students, adding that this strategy did not ignore the role of modern technology in education. Introduction of an integrated model for Educational Technology " "- As for the focus of the fifth to this new strategy, it focuses on the employment of the latest trends of educational technology in the higher education sector, and securing innovative alternatives at a lower cost to advance the knowledge forward, in response to the need for more effective skills that are in line with the directions of the twenty first century. The strategy proposes an integrated high-level model for IT education that will benefit both students and teachers, parents, and higher education institutions, and administrators, and employers, through a unified portal that include integrated analytical data on integrated learning and provide direct guidance and feedback . The proposed model by the strategy also includes the development of the capacities of the teachers, and the development of academic programs and extra-curricular activities, as well as the preparation of graduates to increase their employability. It is hoped that this will contribute to an increase in the quality of opportunities available for our children to be the best choice in the labor market. He pointed at the conclusion of his speech that the Secretariat-General of the Higher Education Council would work on a detailed operational plan , with the help of a number of experts , which includes the method of implementation and its mechanism and coordination with institutions of higher education in the Kingdom , especially on the introduction of programs that must be consistent with this strategy in its national dimension . This proposed plan will be presented to the next meeting of the Council.