Special Initiatives: AMIDEAST 50th Anniversary Conference
Summary Report
Higher Education in the Arab World: Preparing for
the Global Marketplace
AMIDEAST was founded in
1951 with the purpose of strengthening mutual cooperation
and understanding between Americans and the peoples
of the Middle East and North Africa. To commemorate
our 50th anniversary in a special way, we organized
and hosted an international conference to deal with
a serious issue related to our work: higher education
in the Arab world and the extent to which it is meeting
growing private-sector needs for personnel with the
skills to deal with the global economy. This was intended
to be a policy makers’ conference that would enable
participants to exchange views in a constructive way.
Summaries of the presentation that were made over the
three-day conference, held in Marrakech, Morocco in
March 2002, are available via the links below. We hope
that this collection will facilitate a continuing discussion
of the important issues raised at the conference.
Welcoming Remarks by Ambassador Margaret Tutwiler
Royal Message from His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco
Introduction of Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan by
Mrs. Leila Sharaf
Keynote Address by Her Majesty Queen Rania of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan
Plenary 1: The Needs of the Private Sector
Mr. Nemir Kirdar
Plenary 2: The Arab Workforce: What Are the Needs of
the Market?
Mr. Mourad Cherif
Mr. Laurence DeWitt
Mr. Abdelaziz Al Sugair
Dr. Hossam Badrawi
Plenary 3: Higher Education in the Arab States—A
UNESCO Study
Luncheon Panel Views of Under-30 Skilled Workers
Ms. Ingy Galal Mahmoud
Mr. Mohamed Miloudi
Mr. Yasser Gebreel
Ms. Raghda Butros
Day One: Afternoon Program
Plenary 4: Challenges Facing
Arab Universities
His Excellency Dr. Najib Zerouali
His Excellency Dr. Khalid Al-Ankary
Dr. Noureddine Dougui
Plenary 5: Funding Issues:
Can Foundations Help Meet the Educational Needs
in the Arab World?
Dr. Mervat Badawi
Mr. Edward F. Ahnert
Mr. Ken Wilson
Dinner Address
by Assistant Secretary of State Patricia Harrison
Day Two: Morning Program
Concurrent
Panel, Session I: Meeting Workforce Needs-Perspectives
and Cases
Panel A: Experiences in the Energy and Manufacturing
Sectors
Mr. Ali Al Ajmi
Ms. Maliha Al Ayar
Mr. Jerry Calhoun
Dr. Saleh Al Amr
Panel B: Experiences in Information Technology
Dr. Yahya Salqan
Mr. Driss Laraki
Mr. Fathi Farah
Concurrent Panel, Session II: Meeting Workforce Needs-Challenges
& Opportunities
Panel A: Arab University Perspective on Bilingual
Education
Dr. Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah
Dr. Tayib Kamali
Dr. Earl (Tim) Sullivan
Dr. Isam Zabalawi
Dr. Mohammed Dajani
Panel B: Applying Arab and Islamic Values in Building
a 21st Century Workforce
Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri
Dr. Mongi Bousnina
Dr. Mohamed Shubair
Day Two: Afternoon Program
Luncheon Address
by His Excellency Dr. Abdulkarim Al Iryani
Plenary 6: Private Sector Responses
Mr. Thomas Knudson
Ms. Bonnie Starkey
Day Three
Plenary 7: Which Learning Tools
Work?
Mr. Pete Martinez Dr. Norman Harris Mr. Fathi Farah
Dr. Gail Stevenson
Plenary 8: Quality, Standards,
and Regulation
Dr. Rima Khalaf Hunaidi
Dr. Leonard Haynes
Dr. Paul Ramsey
Dr. Adnan Badran
Concluding Luncheon
Address By Dr. Tom Bartlett
Appendices
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