On Dec. 27, a New York Times article questioned the sustainability of American universities’ branches that have recently opened in the Persian Gulf. The article cited Northwestern among the various institutions with outposts in the region, but contrary to the struggles many other schools seem to be facing, the Qatar campus (known as NU-Q) appears to be thriving, according to university officials.
The New York Times article stated that universities are attracted to the Persian Gulf area because of “the combination of oil wealth and the area’s strong desire for help in creating a higher-education infrastructure,” but that some were “struggling to attract enough qualified students to survive.” According to John Margolis, Dean of Northwestern University in Qatar, however, the Northwestern program “has a very bright future.”
Serious challenges face higher-education projects in Dubai, specifically. Michigan State University started classes there in August 2008 with only 85 undergraduates. The university is planning scholarships with half-price tuition to the first 100 qualified transfer applicants for the semester starting this month in hopes of bringing more students to the Dubai campus.
In addition, the Rochester Institute of Technology accepted close to 100 graduate students for the 2009-2010 academic year but ended up with only 50 enrolled, according to the New York Times.
The collapse of Dubai’s overheated economy was cited as a reason for both Michigan State University and Rochester Institute of Technology’s struggles to attract a sufficient number of qualified students. However, the model on which U.S. universities operate in Dubai differs greatly from that of Education City in Doha, according to the Huffington Post.
Margolis believes the Qatar Foundation’s active support and the financial aid available to students prevent NU-Q from facing the same challenges that currently confront institutions in Dubai.
“The models differ in the financial support provided to underwrite the programs. The Qatar Foundation provides greater support than is provided in Dubai,” Margolis said.
In an emailed response, University President Morton Schapiro defended the program, emphasizing the distinction between the circumstances in Dubai versus Qatar. “They [are in] completely different economic situations,” Schapiro said.
Abraham Abusharif, Assistant Professor of Medill School of Journalism at NU-Q, agrees with President Schapiro’s assessment. “Qatar’s economy is resource-based, with an eye toward a post-resource economy. Dubai is not resource-rich and depends on investment and speculation,” he said. “Unfortunately, many fall to the temptation of lumping a region together. It should be obvious that there’s nuance among the Gulf nations: economic, social, educational, and in terms of resources.”
Although the effects of the economic crisis certainly have been felt in universities across the world, Abusharif believes the program is less susceptible to the problems that have devastated others in the Persian Gulf. “The crisis has not hindered our effort [in Qatar]. The economic paradigm and scaffolding of Qatar is quite different than Dubai,” he said.
In 2008, the Qatar Foundation invited Northwestern to establish a branch in Education City, a community of educational and research institutions on the outskirts of Doha. The Qatar campus, now in its second year of operation, offers programs in journalism and communication to undergraduate students, aiming to “provide first-rate educational programs equal in quality to those offered in Evanston,” according to Margolis.
Qatar graduates earn the same degree as their Evanston peers, as Weinberg provides the same liberal arts backbone to the journalism and communication programs, said Alan Cubbage, vice president for university relations in an NU press release.
The Qatar program offers benefits “both to the State of Qatar and the region and to Northwestern,” Margolis said. The journalism programs offered at NU-Q play a pivotal role in developing contemporary journalism and creative media in the nation.
NU-Q is aligned with the vision of the Emir of Qatar, H.H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and his wife, Sheihka Mozah, in its efforts to create an open and creative society in the region. “My colleagues, staff and our wonderful students have no question at all about the viability and value of NU-Q,” Margolis said.
Abusharif emphasized the uniqueness of the program, stating “regional students and Western expats learn important skills in journalism so as to report and write stories from a perspective that the world press can stand to hear.”
Globalization is a benefit inherent to NU-Q. “Quite possibly in the case of faculty, [there will be] new agendas for research and creative work inspired by their time in Doha,” Margolis said.
Although NU-Q is not currently in “floundering” status, there still are various challenges to running a campus 7000 miles and nine time zones away. “Start-up is never an easy process,” Margolis said. “Residential housing for faculty, staff and their families posed problems last year. Now, people are housed in far better villas and apartments.”
According to Margolis, NU-Q currently has 75 students in two classes, sophomores and freshmen, with more than 50 faculty and staff supporting these students.
President Schapiro visited Qatar a couple of weeks ago and was “very impressed with the students there. They are remarkable young men and women,” Schapiro said.
The class size is also a benefit to students and faculty, allowing for rapid academic progress, according to Abusharif. “In three semesters, I’ve seen the kind of student growth that makes a compelling argument about things to come and the wisdom of NU coming out here,” he said.
“Most of our students are bilingual, aware of Eastern and Western dynamics, and live in a region that appears to be attracting a lot press coverage,” Abusharif said. “I don’t see that dissipating anytime soon.”