International conference addresses Challenges in Higher Education
The University of KwaZulu-Natal in partnership with QS Asia will host the Second QS Middle East and Africa Professional Leaders in Education (2nd QS-MAPLE) Conference and Exhibition – a first for South Africa. Leading academics from the Middle East, Asia and Africa will converge in Durban tomorrow to engage in scholarly exchange and deliberations on issues facing higher education globally. It aims to provide a forum that encourages higher education in the Middle East and Africa to develop in a global context. It also provides a collegial environment for delegates to form international partnerships. QS is also well known for its World University Rankings and the conference will provide useful information on the process of institutional evaluation and how this will lead to greater worldwide recognition of Middle East and African universities.The conference is being held at the Elangeni Hotel from 3-4 May.
In addition the conferenceaimsto promote the development of higher education in the Middle East and Africa in the global context, stimulate international partnerships, and support the processes of institutional evaluation and upgrading that will lead to greater worldwide recognition of their universities. Prominent speakers include:Prof Olugbemiro Jegede, Secretary General and CEO: Association of African Universities. He will deliver a keynote address titled: World University Rankings: Implications for African Universitieson Thursday, 3 May 2012 at 11h00 at the Elangeni Hotel.
The central thrust of this keynote presentation is to draw attention to the implications of these world rankings to the day-to-day running of universities in Africa. This conversation would direct attention to where and what African universities should be engaging themselves in to make their campuses highly appealing to the public and conducive for quality instruction and learning. In education what must be of paramount interest are the learning environment, the provision for excellent relevant research, the quality of the graduates and how they are perceived and received/accepted by the public. Charity, they say, must begin from home.
The Head of Education Management and Infrastructure Division (Directorate for Education) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) - France Mr Richard Yelland, will deliver a keynote address titled ‘What in the world is happening to Higher Education’onThursday, 3 May at 10h30.
In the presentation Richard Yelland will review some of the dominant trends in higher education drawing on the latest OECD data. Student numbers have grown globally with the need for higher level skills in the knowledge economy. Countries and societies invest heavily in higher education for both social and economic benefit, and the number and diversity of institutions has grown. However, access is still skewed and the potential of technology to meet future needs has not been fully realised. At the same time, the increasing internationalisation of higher education has focused attention on rankings of institutions which reflect research intensity more than educational quality, and distract policy makers and institutional leaders from key issues of affordability, productivity and relevance.Dr MasibudiMangena, the formers Minister of Science and Technology, will be the keynote speaker in the closing plenary session on Friday, 4 May.
The 2nd QS-MAPLE as it comes at a time when the Middle East and Africa is seeing notable growth in its universities. The Arab world is experiencing a revolution, with a surge in higher education, along with its privatisation and its internationalisation. In 1940 there were only ten universities in the Middle East and North African countries. By 2000 there were 140 such institutions, and by 2007 their number had reached 2601—two-thirds of which were founded after the 1980s. Eight universities were operating in Saudi Arabia in 2003, but at least 100 additional universities and colleges have been created there since, and the country’s annual budget for higher education has reached $15 billion, for 23 million inhabitants. Likewise, Africa has seen just as rapid a growth in its universities. Enrolment in tertiary education grew faster in Africa than any other region over the last four decades. While there were fewer than 200,000 tertiary students enrolled in the region in 1970, this number soared to over 4.5 million in 2008 – a more than 20-fold increase.
With growth come both opportunities and challenges. It is hoped that QS-MAPLE will be an event that will address the issues of quality improvement and internationalisation that will bring more Middle East and African (MEA) universities up to world standards.
The QS-MAPLE Conference was launched in response to growing interest from the international higher education community in holding a major annual forum similar to the successful QS-APPLE (QS Asia Pacific Professional Leaders in Education) Conference – now in its seventh year - that addresses the fast-emerging globalisation of higher education in the Middle East and Africa.
Notes to Editors:
How QS-MAPLE started
A total of 160 participants from 93 institutions in 35 countries attended the inaugural QS-MAPLE in May 2011 in Dubai, UAE. The event, themed ‘Globalising Higher Education in Middle East and Africa’, was co-hosted by Dubai International Academic City and held at the Dubai Knowledge Village.
Some 66 speakers from 26 countries discussed and debated emerging trends and major developments in higher education in the region. They spoke on 30 subject areas in five parallel tracks. In addition, many exhibitors representing leading higher education institutions and organisations from 12 countries were also present to provide information on higher education opportunities and services.
The Conference programme is available on request. Please contact Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer via or 031 260 8737 to RSVP to attend any sessions or to facilitate interviews.
Issued by NomondeMbadi
Executive Director: Corporate Relations
University of KwaZulu-Natal