The drafting of a fear of the future of higher education

The world's largest exporter of oil to transform its higher education system. The recent appointment of Dr. Azzam Al-Dakhil, we have a new Minister of Education, dramatic changes have taken place. Ministry of Education and Higher Education - - the merging of the two ministries into one ministry called the Ministry of Education.

This movement, however, the academic higher education sector has created a number of fears. Even though significant investments in higher education have led to a sharp increase in the number of universities in Saudi Arabia, a move that could potentially threaten or limit this process.

In a recent article in the Times Higher Education, Professor Philip Attach set out a road map emerging universities in Saudi Arabia is to achieve world-class status. He noted cautiously bureaucratic and administrative structures, in order to stand in the way of this objective.

A fusion of the notoriously bureaucratic Ministry of Education is seen as a step in the wrong direction, and is seen as adding more administrative structures.

The country has a great investment, although in recent years in higher education, the universities, and scholarship programs in terms of student enrollment, it is feared the merger might jeopardize the rapid growth of government spending and productivity excellence.

Some 25% of last year's budget was devoted to education, one of the world's highest level. Further, spending on higher education grew steadily to nearly 10% of the budget under the late King Abdullah. However, the former Ministry of Education in its projects over the years and is known for delays in spending wisely. The concern is that the merger may slow down and drive the steady growth of government spending is on the way to a wave of bureaucratic siding.

Autonomy

Serious problems in terms of the autonomy of universities and the merger may cause confusion. Higher education institutions of government policy to push it towards a knowledge economy and the global situation. As a result, productivity and autonomy of practices and a variety of incentives to encourage the academic profession.

This policy contradicts the merger and one step back to the old way of doing things, academic institutions through which they see as an education and prepare students for the jobs market marks. The movement advocates argue that the new ministry responsible for the basic cycle of students at the university's governing body.

However, this means more emphasis on education, and there are few resources for research and world-class performance - together with KAUST King Abdullah University of Science and Technology or the - is no exception. Surely, there is a lack of clarity about this. It is still unclear what will happen to the new ministry and wants to balance what is really happening. If this is so, policy-makers have a clear definition of the roles and missions of universities.

In general, a surprising move to merge the two ministries to represent Saudi Arabia feared drift higher education policy. It is unclear how the legitimate concerns of the autonomy and excellence of the work, but what is true is that Saudi Arabia, the higher education system is doing cosmetic surgery. Only time will tell if this is the best or worse.

Ruwayshid Alruwaili languages ​​and translation of the Northern Borders University, Assistant Professor in the Department of Saudi Arabia.