Learning Center

The theory of multiple intelligences urges a rethinking of how teachers should approach subjects and topics. If children do not learn in any one way, then the teacher truly must teach "in the way the child learns." Guided by the very diverse intellectual profiles of students in a classroom, teaching must become less of a single approach aimed at all students and more of a crafted effort to engage the multiple intelligences, or potentials, represented in the room. In Intelligence Reframed, Gardner identifies "the ready availability of new and flexible technologies" as the "one fact [that] will make individually configured education a reality in [his] lifetime": Once parents learn that there are indeed several ways to teach most topics and most subjects, affluent families will acquire the materials for home use. And pressures will mount for schools and teachers to have available, say, the "Eight Roads to Pythagorus" or the "Eight Paths to Plat...

Over the last decade, Howard Gardner's influential theory of multiple intelligences has almost revolutionized the way many psychologists and educators think of intelligence. For almost a century psychometricians, or intelligence testers, had seen it as a fixed trait—IQ tests demonstrated that you were either "smart," "normal," or "deficient." Gardner, on the other hand, has argued that intelligence is multifaceted and dynamic—expanding far beyond the linguistic and logical capacities that are traditionally tested and valued in schools. In his latest book, Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century, Gardner is careful to emphasize the cultural—as opposed to the purely genetic—factors that shape an individual's intellectual development: I now conceptualize an intelligence as a biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in ...

Learn more about Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences as it applies to education. This article explores an important part of implementing Gardner's theory in the classroom: assessing students' "intelligences profiles."

ability to relate and understand others. These learners try to see things from other people's point of view in order to understand how they think and feel. They often have an uncanny ability to sense feelings, intentions and motivations. They are great organizers, although they sometimes resort to manipulation. Generally they try to maintain peace in group settings and encourage co-operation.They use both verbal (e.g. speaking) and non-verbal language (e.g. eye contact, body language) to open communication channels with others.

ability to perceive the visual. These learners tend to think in pictures and need to create vivid mental images to retain information. They enjoy looking at maps, charts, pictures, videos, and movies. puzzle building, reading, writing, understanding charts and graphs, a good sense of direction, sketching, painting, creating visual metaphors and analogies (perhaps through the visual arts), manipulating images, constructing, fixing, designing practical objects, interpreting visual images. Possible career interests: navigators, sculptors, visual artists, inventors, architects, interior designers, mechanics, engineers

These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads). They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.

Information about learning styles and Multiple Intelligence (MI) is helpful for everyone especially for people with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder. Knowing your learning style will help you develop coping strategies to compensate for your weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths. This page provides an explanation of what learning styles and multiple intelligence are all about, an interactive assessment of your learning style/MI, and practical tips to make your learning style work for you.

There are three basic types of learning styles. The three most common are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. To learn, we depend on our senses to process the information around us. Most people tend to use one of their senses more than the others. Today's lesson will help you determine which of these learning styles you rely on the most. There is a series of 16 questions that are related to the three main learning styles. Read the question and select the answer that closest fits your answer. Don't think about the questions too much. Go with your first choice. After you answer each of these questions, just click on the submit button at the bottom of the page. If you are connected to the internet, the computer will evaluate the results and display how many of each answer you selected. Once the computer has evaluated your answers, it will show your primary learning style. Sometimes people have two or three that all have about the same number of choices. Some people depend on two o...

Cambodia and Thailand have indefinitely postponed an annual border meeting in the midst of an ongoing row over Preah Vihear temple, Cambodia's defense minister said Thursday. The 7th General Border Meeting, which was to be held in Thailand on Aug. 27, was officially delayed because Thailand's defense minsitry had not prepared necessary documents, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh said Thursday. At the meeting, both side were expected to sign agreements on border security, cooperation on landmine disposal, prevention of drug and human trafficking, and other security measures. The meeting was to be “a very important basis for maintaining security and peace along the border,” said Chhum Socheath, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense. Both sides have said the postponement is not related to a recent dust-up over Preah Vihear temple, where the ownership of a nearby 4.6-kilometer stretch of land is disputed.

The children look helpless. It’s easy to see how celebrities such as Madonna and Angela Jolie think they’re helping communities by adopting children. But it’s charities such as Riverkids that are really stopping the cycle of poverty. Back in the classroom, volunteers prepare their own lessons. It means the children are at a disadvantage, as no one really knows what the previous teacher has taught. My first class is a group of nine to 15-year-olds and I’m armed with flashcards and basic-English books. As I walk into the classroom, the students stand and chant, ‘Good morning teacher’ in Khmer and then English, as they clasp their hands together in the traditional respectful greeting. After English is computer studies – but, as Riverkids doesn’t have the resources to buy an electricity generator, and there’s a power cut every day, the lessons are always cut short.

I manage to make it to the end of the lesson – sweat running down my back. I’m in the country’s capital city for three weeks as part of a volunteer project, helping the charity Riverkids, which offers children at risk of being trafficked or sold into prostitution, a free education. And, as thousands of students across the country receive their A-level results this week, they’ll be thinking of heading off abroad to volunteer as well. The brochures bill it as ‘rewarding’ and a chance to ‘give something back’. What they don’t prepare you for is the hard work that goes with it.

There are forty beaming faces staring up at me waiting for my next move. They giggle as I jump up and down, attempting to sing ‘with a moo-moo here’ from Old MacDonald’s Farm. I know I look ridiculous, but I’m far from caring. It’s 4pm in Cambodia and it’s a searing 40C. We are crammed into a tiny, non-air conditioned make-shift classroom in Phnom Penh. I’m trying desperately to keep their attention as they want to go and play.

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Why do some business owner-managers hit the profit target more often than others? They do it because they keep their operation pointed in that direction - direction of profit making. They never lose sight of the goal - to finish the year with a profit.Below find a list of guides that will help you improve your personal management skills while helping toy to zero in on profit making. It points out that you must keep informed, make timely decisions, and take effective action. In effect you must control the activities of your company rather than being controlled by them.A beginner rarely shoots a hole in one, hits a bull's-eye, or hooks a prize winning trout. Topnotch performance in golf, shooting, and fishing requires knowledge, practice, and perseverance.Similarly, in small businesses, year-end profit comes to the owner who strives for topnotch performance. You achieve profit making goals by knowing your operation, by practicing the art of making timely, balanced judgments and by co...

Most people in business spend a lot of time communicating in writing. While the inter-office memo and the fax are old hat, you will spend a good few hours a day fighting your inbox. Add to this reports, white papers, proposals and resumes, it's certain you will need to sharpen your word power to succeed. Social Networking - We are not all social gadflys, some of us struggle to make small talk. It is a key skill to learn though, it is true what they say, sometimes it is more who you know than what! Speaking - Public speaking ranks high amongst the worlds most popular fears. You must overcome it and the best way is to practice. It might feel more comfortable working from the safety of your desk but at some point you are going to have to present. Better to have some experience under your belt before being forced to perform unprepared when it really counts. Sales - You might think you do not need to sell but we all sell every day. From even before your first day you will be selling, st...

Sandstorm describes a future where a series of conflating events leads to significant regional instability, including conflict between the US and Iran, thereby creating a turbulent domestic environment and adverse economic conditions for Saudi Arabia. The Fertile Gulf describes a world in which Saudi Arabia takes advantage of a global environment characterised by robust demand for energy and increasing globalisation and is able to expand its physical and human capital, providing a platform for diversified growth despite grappling with environmental problems. ”As one of the largest economies and a key political player in the region, Saudi Arabia has a critical role in determining the future of the Middle East, if not the world,” Nicholas Davis, scenario expert at the WEF and co-author of the study, said in a statement.

“While transparency is increasing and adherence to the rule of law has improved in recent years, there is room for far greater efficiency and openness in government structures,” the study states.“The scenarios indicate that this would reduce opportunities for corruption, increase the effectiveness of public programmes and mollify some critics of the government who have the ability to destabilise the nation.”One area that has come in for criticism in the past is the kingdom's courts. The government earlier this month announced plans to spend 7 billion Saudi riyals ($1.87 billion) to overhaul its judiciary system, promising to place more importance on the independence of courts.The WEF study presents three possible scenarios for Saudi Arabia over the next 20 years - Oasis, Sandstorm and The Fertile Gulf - taking into account domestic issues, regional stability and the world economy.

In the Arab world, what UN literature calls national human rights institutions (NHRIs) have emerged in recent years. A few of them—for example in Morocco and Palestine—have attained a degree of autonomy in confronting governments. Most Arab NHRIs, however, have been unable to establish legitimacy in society because they are seen as government organizations. In addition, the relationship between these institutions and independent human rights groups is often tense, especially when it comes to subjects such as civil rights, political reform, and constitutional reform. All NHRIs in the Arab world were created by the ruling elite during two waves of activity over the past two decades. The first wave occurred in the 1990s, when governments in certain countries—Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Palestine, and Yemen—launched these institutions as part of a package of policies to shore up wavering political legitimacy at home and absorb social crises. The second wave came in the context of the...

“One of the KSA’s key challenges is to ensure that its education system is geared toward supporting the growing private sector as a means of aiding diversification and reducing reliance on state-run industries,” the report states.“The scenarios demonstrate that ensuring that highly qualified Saudi workers with relevant skill sets are available in an innovative economy is crucial to the country, in reducing national unemployment and the economy’s current reliance on foreign labour."Saudi Arabia, like the rest of the Gulf, is heavily reliant on foreign workers - around 33% of the population is made up of expatriates - and has had mixed results with schemes the government has introduced to try and encourange Saudi nationals into the workforce. Unemployment among Saudis currently stands at around 11%.

Education and institutional reform are key to the future of Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extend the rest of the region, according to a study released on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum (WEF).In its latest look at where the Saudi Arabia will be in 20 years time, the WEF points to these areas as the biggest challenges facing the kingdom’s economic and social development.‘Saudi Arabia and the World: Scenarios to 2025’ questions whether the Gulf Arab state will be able to implement necessary economic and political reforms, whether it will be able to maintain internal stability and whether it can develop an environment in which business can flourish.

In the Arab world, what UN literature calls national human rights institutions (NHRIs) have emerged in recent years. A few of them—for example in Morocco and Palestine—have attained a degree of autonomy in confronting governments. Most Arab NHRIs, however, have been unable to establish legitimacy in society because they are seen as government organizations. In addition, the relationship between these institutions and independent human rights groups is often tense, especially when it comes to subjects such as civil rights, political reform, and constitutional reform. All NHRIs in the Arab world were created by the ruling elite during two waves of activity over the past two decades. The first wave occurred in the 1990s, when governments in certain countries—Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Palestine, and Yemen—launched these institutions as part of a package of policies to shore up wavering political legitimacy at home and absorb social crises. The second wave came in the context of the...

Senior Saudi officials have announced recently that they will soon begin trying terrorism suspects held in connection with a series of major attacks that began in 2003. Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Sheikh Muhammad al-Luhaidan and Justice Minister Dr. Abdullah Aal al-Sheikh in separate interviews with Saudi dailies in July affirmed Riyadh’s plans to establish separate security courts. The move to begin trials signals the government’s belief that it has largely defeated the “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” organization. The use of the court system to battle extremism was not possible while the government perceived al-Qaeda as an existential threat; clearly it has now been downgraded to an internal security threat. Reports of the creation of specialized security courts have been circulating for several years and there have been seemingly contradictory statements from the Ministries of Interior and Justice on whether or not the courts would be created and when they would beg...

Senior Saudi officials have announced recently that they will soon begin trying terrorism suspects held in connection with a series of major attacks that began in 2003. Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Sheikh Muhammad al-Luhaidan and Justice Minister Dr. Abdullah Aal al-Sheikh in separate interviews with Saudi dailies in July affirmed Riyadh’s plans to establish separate security courts. The move to begin trials signals the government’s belief that it has largely defeated the “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” organization. The use of the court system to battle extremism was not possible while the government perceived al-Qaeda as an existential threat; clearly it has now been downgraded to an internal security threat. Reports of the creation of specialized security courts have been circulating for several years and there have been seemingly contradictory statements from the Ministries of Interior and Justice on whether or not the courts would be created and when they would beg...

Senior Saudi officials have announced recently that they will soon begin trying terrorism suspects held in connection with a series of major attacks that began in 2003. Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Sheikh Muhammad al-Luhaidan and Justice Minister Dr. Abdullah Aal al-Sheikh in separate interviews with Saudi dailies in July affirmed Riyadh’s plans to establish separate security courts. The move to begin trials signals the government’s belief that it has largely defeated the “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula” organization. The use of the court system to battle extremism was not possible while the government perceived al-Qaeda as an existential threat; clearly it has now been downgraded to an internal security threat. Reports of the creation of specialized security courts have been circulating for several years and there have been seemingly contradictory statements from the Ministries of Interior and Justice on whether or not the courts would be created and when they would beg...

Saudi representatives and their agents constantly claim that the ministry of education’s textbooks have been reformed. As our July 2008 report demonstrates, this is mendacious: The culture of hatred against the non-Wahhabi is alive and well in the Saudi government’s Islamic studies textbooks. These textbooks are required for all Saudi pubic schools and dominate the Saudi curriculum in the upper grades. The ministry posts these texts in full on its website and the government’s Wahhabi establishment ships them free to mosques and Muslim schools and libraries throughout the world. According to Saudi human-rights expert Ali Al Ahmed, president of the Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs: “This could be a watershed for Saudi education. Prince Faisal is known to be effective and have the king’s trust. He is someone capable of overhauling the curriculum.” This is not to say that Saudi Arabia is moving toward a separation of mosque and state. That would require, for example, not mere...

The new head of the muttawah — the religious police who violently enforce Wahhabi dress and behavior strictures on Muslims and non-Muslims alike — is the auspiciously-named, reputed moderate Abdul Aziz bin Humain. The former head of the Consultative Council Saleh bin Humaid replaces the country’s Supreme Judicial Council head, who just a few months ago declared it permissible for Muslims to kill owners of satellite television channels and in 2004 sanctioned Saudi jihadists to go to Iraq to kill Americans. The Grand Ulema Commission is being reestablished with diverse Sunni leaders that will dilute the influence of the hardcore Wahhabis. The king also replaced the cultural minister with the open-minded former ambassador to Lebanon, reshuffled the human-rights commission leadership, and created a new position of deputy minister of education for female affairs and appointed a woman to the post, making her the most senior woman in the Saudi government. Most significantly, the king repl...

Saudi Arabia has just had its own St. Valentine’s Day Massacre — a bloodless one that brings hope of much-needed reform. On February 14, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah carried out a sweeping shake up of his cabinet and government. He replaced several of the government’s top Wahhabi ideologues with others thought to be more religiously tolerant, reform-minded, and with close working ties to the king. If there is any truth in the adage “personnel is policy”, this may be the first real sign that the King, who ascended to the throne in 2005, intends to live up to his long-term but, until now, overblown reputation as a reformer. While nothing is certain, this gives hope that Saudi Arabia may finally be ready to adjust peacefully to a globalized, pluralistic modern world. And, with Saudi Arabia’s disproportionate and distorting impact on Sunni Islam worldwide, this gives hope also for American security interests.

Thus far reform has largely meant putting putative reformers behind key desks in ministries and public bodies. So, in marked contrast to Saudi tradition and to the wider regional trend, the education ministry has become something of a reformist fiefdom, at least as far as the top jobs are concerned, making it an important focus of Abdullah patronage in the intra-Saud power play. Actual reform of educational practice, however, has not progressed beyond some curricula and course book changes, as well as the establishment of a controversial co-educational island of excellence, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) near Jeddah. KAUST, notably, is not under the authority of the higher education ministry, even though it is envisaged that it will eventually be subjected to formal state control. One area that is likely to get attention, whoever succeeds Abdullah, is technical training. Saudi Arabia cannot bridge the gap between population and economic growth without o...

Under the ageing King Abdullah, those in the al-Saud family seeking to advance economic, legal, and political (or, perhaps more accurately, administrative) reform seem to be in a race against the clock. The assumption of many inside the Kingdom is that the next two to three years could be decisive. Elite figures sympathetic to reform are concerned that what has been achieved—modest by international standards, significant by Saudi Arabia’s—will stall under a King Sultan or a King Naif (the more likely of the two, given health concerns about Crown Prince Sultan). Changes made since Abdullah acceded in 2005 lack an institutional basis and have not captured the imagination of the Saudi public, leading to the impression that they constitute personal whims that can just as easily be taken back or put indefinitely on the back burner. Reform in Saudi Arabia does not constitute a clearly articulated program intended to reach a defined outcome; rather, what is often referred to as reform is more...

While the latest figures show that unemployment in Egypt fell to 9.1 percent in the first quarter of 2010, concerns persist over the long-term effects of the financial crisis on the labor market and the government's role in job creation. Unemployment had stabilized at 9.4 percent in the last three quarters of 2009, according to the CAPMASCAPMAS, rising from a low of 8.4 percent in the second quarter of 2008 as a result of the global and domestic economic slowdown. According to renowned economist Samir Radwan, in an International Labor Organization report titled "Economic and Social Impact of the Financial and Economic Crisis on Egypt," the labor market is strongly linked to the effects of the crisis. "The prolonged labor market recession and the consequent social deterioration are the most serious aspects of the global financial and economic crisis as it reflects on Egypt," writes Radwan. "The labor market outcome of the crisis has been uneven as it affects...

I think that the evidence is for us, the Saudi Arabia people to benefit from. This debate, it is in our interest. We don’t want to be forced to take our young children to foreign schools even in Saudi Arabia, and again I will repeat that the debate on Saudi Arabia about the educational reform and the need for educational reform is stronge. Just a month ago I heard the Crown Prince promising us, and I was as a Saudi parent very thrilled to hear that promise from him, that there will be an overwhelming change, of educational reform coming our way this summer. I hope we’re going to see it this summer. I wrote it about it and many other Saudi writers are pushing for more and better educational reforms and we hope just to see it soon.

That is the wrong conception of Saudi Arabia. The King is an authority not a dictator. He rules by consensus. He has many constituencies he has to look out for. You should see Saudi Arabia as a coalition government between a liberal front and a progressive party and conservative elements. He has to see the interests of all of those groups and come about with a reform, with progress, which will accommodate the need of all sectors of the Saudi society without ending up in dissent or in a break-up situation. We very much appreciate the security and harmony we enjoy in Saudi Arabia among the citizens of the country.

That is the wrong conception of Saudi Arabia. The King is an authority not a dictator. He rules by consensus. He has many constituencies he has to look out for. You should see Saudi Arabia as a coalition government between a liberal front and a progressive party and conservative elements. He has to see the interests of all of those groups and come about with a reform, with progress, which will accommodate the need of all sectors of the Saudi society without ending up in dissent or in a break-up situation. We very much appreciate the security and harmony we enjoy in Saudi Arabia among the citizens of the country.

"This is not a question of a secular education versus an Islamic education," he says. "The Islamists, they are on the defensive. So everybody who comes to them with a practical idea—they see him with a great amount of skepticism and paranoia. And that is delaying reform. "We need to start a serious debate ... on this paragraph, that paragraph, of the textbooks. We need to start comparing our students' performance with students in, say, Jordan. We in the media have to be part of this debate. It's not just a question of making my sons and daughters good Muslims. It's making sure they can get a job in the future." Saudi student Fatima al Khabbaz never thought she would be part of any debate. But then one day she brought an Arabic translation of Hamlet to school to read during a break. A teacher told her that "no books from outside are allowed." "But I'm already finished with my work," Fatima told the teacher. No exceptions, the ...

In fact, the only time a Muslim can attack a non-Muslim is in self-defense, like in Iraq or the Palestinian territories, the teacher says. The al-Qaida attacks on 9/11 and in Saudi Arabia between 2003 and 2006 were not jihad, he says, because they targeted innocent people. Yet, he wonders, how will his students ever be able to learn the difference—if he isn't allowed to discuss the subject? In Riyadh, another teacher, Said Mohammad, says the more officials make sweeping deletions from the Islamic curriculum, the more likely it is that teachers will ignore the mandate. "The teachers have researched these deletions, and we know why the government made them," Mohammad says. "This is the dangerous point: Maybe it makes the teachers more angry. Maybe it makes them teach these subjects even more strongly." Naif al Roumy, who heads an independent corporation charged with reforming the Saudi education system, hears this warning from the teachers loud and clear. "We...

Given its demographics, Saudi Arabia cannot afford baby steps on this issue. Yet on issues of educational reform, the crown prince and his supporters will be fought tooth and nail by conservative elements within society - and the royal family - and therefore need to know that Washington and the American people are closely watching. Neither side can accept the conclusion of one discouraged Saudi journalist that "our education system has come through the storms unscathed and unchanged." While issues of counterterrorism, Israeli-Palestinian peace and high oil prices can appear to have greater urgency, over the longer term nothing will benefit U.S.-Saudi relations more than tackling educational reform. Unfortunately, the intense media focus on oil prices will only send the message back to the kingdom that Americans are no longer interested in reform. Has 9-11 receded so far in our memories that the U.S.-Saudi relationship is once again about nothing more than the price at the pum...

Under the patronage of his royal highness, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, Al Yamamah University held the graduation ceremony for its second group of male students, on Tuesday June 22, 2010. His Royal Highness was received by the YU board of trustees and its chairman, Mr. Khalid M. Al Khudair, YU President Professor Hussain Al Freihi, and the deans of YU’s colleges. The ceremony started with a recitation from the Holy Qur'an followed by the faculty procession, the student procession, and some speeches. Mr. Al Khudair began his speech by expressing his pleasure at the presence of Prince Sattam and by thanking his royal highness on behalf of the board of trustees and the Al Yamamah community for gracing the event. “Acting as a patron for this event indicates His Royal Highness’s care and concern for higher education and signifies the attention provided by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, and the Second Deputy Prime Mini...

The Arab Orphan Day was a lively and joyful one at Al Yamamah University. The Women’s College hosted a party on the 12th of April and invited a group of orphans to share happy moments and have fun. Smiles, laughter, and children’s songs filled the exhibition hall where YU students and staff gathered to join and play with the kids. Popcorn, candies, and presents were given away, and the kids were invited to have their faces painted. The children’s excitement about the activities organized by YU’s students and staff was great. At the end of the day, they said goodbye, looking forward to their next visit to the university.

There is also widespread acknowledgment that the system is failing to produce productive members of society. With 60 percent of Saudi Arabia's population under the age of 18, the kingdom cannot afford passivity in preparing the next generation. That many Saudis now recognize the scope of their problem is evidenced by a growing interest in private education. At the primary and secondary levels, Saudi business interests are working with Western venture capitalists to set up for-profit alternatives to public education. Multinational consulting companies are quietly exploring opportunities for educational development. The kingdom itself has initiated pilot programs testing different models of public education. Given local demand and international concern, Washington and Riyadh should capitalize on the Crawford meeting's window of opportunity and lay out commitments for educational reform. Education remains one of the few areas where the U.S. can credibly engage with Saudi Arabia. S...

Dr. Hessah Al-Sheikh, Dean of the Women’s College, said, “We believe that such events contribute to furthering our students’ understanding of the requirements of today’s competitive market and provide them with the chance to experience what they learn in real-life situations”. She added, “We are proud of the success of this year’s Careers Day” and that this event will be held annually. The Career Day 2010 was sponsored by Sadad, Al Rabie, Riyadh Bank, and Souq.com.

Under its programs and activities targeted at activating its positive role towards the community and as part of its efforts to provide its students with employment opportunities at leading organizations, the Women’s College at Al Yamamah University organized its first Careers Days on May 11 and 12, 2010. The event consisted of an exhibition, where the participants met representatives of different employers, in addition to a number of lectures by chosen elite of Saudi female leaders. The students and visitors benefited from a vast amount of information about their desired career paths. They had a chance to discuss employment opportunities, submit their resumes, and have interviews. Dr. Hessah Al-Sheikh, Dean of the Women’s College, said, “We believe that such events contribute to furthering our students’ understanding of the requirements of today’s competitive market and provide them with the chance to experience what they learn in real-life situations”. She added, “We are proud of the ...

The vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for a world-class international research center to be established in the heart of Saudi Arabia was outlined by Nadhmi A. Al-Nasr, the interim president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, during his meeting with Saudi writers and academics in Jeddah this week. Al-Nasr told of King Abdullah’s personal interest in the plans to launch the new university. Al-Nasr said the king has paid several visits to the construction sites in Thuwal and is very keen to see the university become a beacon of knowledge and research that will contribute to the Kingdom’s progress and development and promote research needed to serve humanity and global prosperity. The university will collaborate with international research centers to promote technological development that will benefit both Saudi Arabia and the world.

This move neither threatens our culture nor is it against our religion as many have mistakenly contended in the past. Indeed, the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue and the Ministry of Education have signed a partnership agreement to promote the culture of dialogue and respect for others — tolerance, moderation and freedom of expression, which are the basis of our Islamic principles. The organizations will cooperate in scientific studies, public opinion surveys and training programs, and the center will provide the ministry with technical support and train teachers in the basics of dialogue. Good education influences positive change and helps us create a healthy environment. When we provide our graduates with quality education, we will be able to turn our nation into a more advanced and knowledge-based society. The current initiatives can propel our nation forward and pave the way to a more effective cultural transformation of Saudi society. With energy prices high and the go...

English teachers attended orientation programs at the start of this academic year, and they were introduced to the latest teaching methodologies and technologies in the field of language. The Oxford University Press has conducted the orientation programs and exchanged views with Saudi teachers on the educational concerns and needs of our students. The press will publish a special version of a new series of books, called “Happy Street,” specifically for Saudi Arabia. I hope this initiative will put an end to the controversy of teaching English in Saudi schools. This cultural chauvinism against the language in many ways has isolated both our students and our nation from the highly competitive global arena. For our students, the consequence is a substandard education; for our nation, the consequence is diminished economic potential. English is the window to the world of knowledge, technology and scientific advancement, not to mention business and international trade. Introducing English i...

The program marks a radical departure from the nation’s traditional teaching methods that employ rote memorization. Developing student communication skills and problem-solving abilities will motivate young Saudis to learn more and foster the curiosity that is at the heart of research — and progress. King Saud University has launched a Nobel laureate program to promote science and technology, develop research and spread a culture of science and innovation with an aim to transform the Kingdom into a knowledge-based society. The university hopes the program will enhance the university’s research and consultancy standards and encourage innovations as well as allowing students and staff to benefit from the experience of the 11 Nobel laureates taking part. King Saud University has also launched a research-chair project supported by royalty, business, banks and philanthropists to finance research chains in all scientific, social and academic fields. Accordingly, the university will name the c...

Significant government efforts and private initiatives support the national objective of achieving academic excellence and improving Saudi universities, which fared poorly in recent rankings. Educational programs and well-endowed funds have been allocated for research projects at universities and teachers training centers to improve education. This year, we have seen several advances that provide great hope for a better educational system that will equip students with the necessary skills needed to power nation’s development.One novel project is King Faisal University’s Preparatory Program (UPP), designed to stimulate critical thinking, change attitudes about learning and prepare students for success in their university studies. Program faculty comes from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and South Africa. It is a Western educational program tailored to fit Saudi student needs.

One example of this is the recent agreement signed by the university and the Institut Francais du Petrol (IFP) to work jointly on transportation energies and materials, as well as joint efforts to find innovative solutions for more efficient, more economical, cleaner and sustainable energy sources and materials. KAUST will offer graduate courses on specific research. The university’s objective is to benefit from established research centers to gain technical expertise in the fields of research, development and training. Reforming the educational system and raising the standard of our schools and universities remain the biggest challenges Saudi Arabia faces today. Significant government efforts and private initiatives support the national objective of achieving academic excellence and improving Saudi universities, which fared poorly in recent rankings. Educational programs and well-endowed funds have been allocated for research projects at universities and teachers training centers to i...

The vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for a world-class international research center to be established in the heart of Saudi Arabia was outlined by Nadhmi A. Al-Nasr, the interim president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, during his meeting with Saudi writers and academics in Jeddah this week. Al-Nasr told of King Abdullah’s personal interest in the plans to launch the new university. Al-Nasr said the king has paid several visits to the construction sites in Thuwal and is very keen to see the university become a beacon of knowledge and research that will contribute to the Kingdom’s progress and development and promote research needed to serve humanity and global prosperity.The university will collaborate with international research centers to promote technological development that will benefit both Saudi Arabia and the world.

The vision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for a world-class international research center to be established in the heart of Saudi Arabia was outlined by Nadhmi A. Al-Nasr, the interim president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, during his meeting with Saudi writers and academics in Jeddah this week. Al-Nasr told of King Abdullah’s personal interest in the plans to launch the new university. Al-Nasr said the king has paid several visits to the construction sites in Thuwal and is very keen to see the university become a beacon of knowledge and research that will contribute to the Kingdom’s progress and development and promote research needed to serve humanity and global prosperity. The university will collaborate with international research centers to promote technological development that will benefit both Saudi Arabia and the world.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper published an article by Mr. Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed about education reform. “It is a difficult task, but a very essential one” Al-Rashid stated. “Dr. Ahmed Al-Eisa, the president of Al Yamamah University wrote a book in which he addresses the problems of education in a fresh and unprecedented way” he added. In Alriyad newspaper, half a page was devoted to a review of Dr. Al Eisa’s book “Education Reform in Saudi Arabia” which covers a variety of structural reforms that deserve an in-depth study.

After the recent Crawford meeting between President Bush and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, it appears that the two countries have made great strides in mending frayed relations. The Saudis got some much-needed public hand-holding, and in return they agreed to take steps to lower long-term oil prices. The crown prince told a close adviser that "it wasn't a good meeting; it was a great meeting." Lost in the blizzard of the media coverage that focused primarily on oil is the fact that the two leaders announced plans to increase the number of Saudi students studying in the U.S., expand military exchange programs that provide education to Saudi officers, and facilitate American travel to the kingdom. The president deserves credit for putting such seemingly banal issues on the bilateral agenda. Notwithstanding the price of oil, few issues are more important to American national security. Today Saudi Arabia faces an education crisis. During our recent two-week visit ...

One impediment to this kind of change is the fact that Saudis doubt their leaders really want it. Instead, they believe the Saudi royal family is merely paying lip service to critics in the United States. When President Barack Obama visited Saudi Arabia in June, a group of U.S. lawmakers staged a press conference to complain that Saudi textbooks still promote hatred of non-Muslims. It's precisely these kinds of actions that provoke defensiveness and even resistance back in Saudi Arabia—most notably from those who could have the most influence over any future reform: the teachers themselves. Hesitant to speak at first, an Islamic-studies teacher in his 30s sits in a cafe attached to a Western-style hotel in the Saudi city of Jeddah. Wearing a shin-length thobe, the style favored by most religious men in Saudi Arabia, the teacher—who does not want to give his name—says he's angry about the changes to Saudi textbooks. "All teachers are under stress about this issue," he...

A girls walks to school in Saudi ArabiaBack in Saudi Arabia, some changes have been made to the curriculum in recent years—changes similar to, but not as far-reaching as, those at the Islamic Saudi Academy outside Washington, D.C. Now any passages relating to Walaa wal Baraa (the question of whether Muslims should associate with non-Muslims) and jihad have been removed from all Saudi textbooks. But Saudi analysts say these deletions have done little to address how the curriculum might have led to violence in the past. "You can't just remove a section of a book and call it change," says Yehya al Amir, who himself once followed the strict Wahhabi-salafi line and recently wrote a book on the origins of modern Saudi extremism. "If you want to change the curriculum, you have to put forward an entirely new way of life, a new ideology."

The next decade will prove to be a critical time for education policy in the region, and small mistakes may pose huge risks in economic and social terms. In the past several years, many developing nations, but especially Arab countries, have come to identify a good education system as a cornerstone of economic progress. The urgency for education reform in the Arab world has been manifested in the various initiatives aimed at improving the quality and quantity of education, especially with a rising young population that represents a majority in many countries of the Arab world. Recent years have witnessed many Arab countries making efforts to develop and implement comprehensive education-reform programs that can result in a skilled, knowledge-based workforce in line with socioeconomic goals.

Recent debates on how best to develop the quality of human capital trace back to Article 26 of the United Nations General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We draw from this article and postulate the following education framework for the Middle East, based on internationally proven best practices. This framework combines three major dimensions central to education reform: A socioeconomic environment in which social and economic priorities can be translated into a viable education strategy and related goals An operating model for the education sector, in which operating entities, good governance, and funding allow for the sustainability of education goals An infrastructure (e.g., quality teachers and curricula, reliable assessment and performance measures, and a good learning environment) ready to make such goals attainable In addition to this framework, an effective implementation represents the other side of the reform coin and requires careful consideration. Effective...

In the past several years, many developing nations, but especially Arab countries, have come to identify a good education system as a cornerstone of economic progress. The urgency for education reform in the Arab world has been manifested in the various initiatives aimed at improving the quality and quantity of education, especially with a rising young population that represents a majority in many countries of the Arab world. Recent years have witnessed many Arab countries making efforts to develop and implement comprehensive education-reform programs that can result in a skilled, knowledge-based workforce in line with socioeconomic goals.Recent debates on how best to develop the quality of human capital trace back to Article 26 of the United Nations General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We draw from this article and postulate the following education framework for the Middle East, based on internationally proven best practices. This framework combines three major di...

In the past several years, many developing nations, but especially Arab countries, have come to identify a good education system as a cornerstone of economic progress. The urgency for education reform in the Arab world has been manifested in the various initiatives aimed at improving the quality and quantity of education, especially with a rising young population that represents a majority in many countries of the Arab world. Recent years have witnessed many Arab countries making efforts to develop and implement comprehensive education-reform programs that can result in a skilled, knowledge-based workforce in line with socioeconomic goals. Recent debates on how best to develop the quality of human capital trace back to Article 26 of the United Nations General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We draw from this article and postulate the following education framework for the Middle East, based on internationally proven best practices. This framework combines three major d...

In May of this year a report by Freedom House on objectionable material in Saudi educational materials drew candid responses from leaders in the Kingdom. Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal, during a press conference with the US Secretary of State, said, "The education reforms in Saudi Arabia go beyond textbook rewriting. And they go into teacher training, directions.. ..And so the whole system of education is being transformed from top to bottom. Textbooks are only one of the steps that has been taken by Saudi Arabia."In early June Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al Faisal, writing in a "USA Today" op-ed, said, "Saudi Arabia is a nation undergoing dramatic self-examination. Every aspect of Saudi Arabia's society and culture is being openly debated. We have recognized that a comprehensive, modern and open educational system -- with new and revised textbooks -- is fundamental to the growth and prosperity of our country. A thought...