Raising stakes in the education agenda
Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Learning Curve: Perspective
New Sunday Times - 12-1-2014
ON New Year's Eve, the Saudi Arabian government announced the allocation of more than SR200 billion (RM175 billion) -- out of a total budget of SR855 billion -- for the education sector to propel development.
In his keynote speech, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said that the "massive spending will continue in sectors that support sustainable development". He stressed the need to carry out projects to enhance the welfare of citizens. The allocations for the education sector have increased dramatically in the last four years. They grew from SR105 billion in 2008, SR122 billion in 2009, SR137 billion in 2010 and SR150 billion in 2011 to the highest amount ever of SR204 billion in 2012.
More than 50 per cent of the population is aged below 25 years, and education is crucial to overall capacity-building. The allocation cannot come at a better time when the countdown to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development started last week (see Learning Curve, Jan 5).
In September last year, the Ministry of Higher Education was reportedly quoted as saying that the number of universities and colleges in the Kingdom has shot up to more than 300. There are 25 universities in the public sector at present. The number of medical colleges grew to 56 in 2012 from just three in 2003. Last year, the number of community colleges rose to 45 from 20 a decade ago. The new budget will see the building of another 465 schools and expenditure for scholarships will hit SR22 billion.
The Education Ministry has a 10-year strategic plan (2004-2014) to overhaul the education system in line with King Abdullah's vision. Saudi Arabia is laying a strong foundation for a knowledge-based society by investing in education. In 2011, the Office of the Director-General of General Administration for Quality Management of the Ministry said that the Kingdom's transformation into a knowledge society will be achieved within 15 years.
It is with this in mind that Al-Qassim University's College of Business and Economics held a Symposium on Knowledge-based Society on Dec 24, 2013. The aim is to make an assessment of the role of the tertiary institution in general and the college in particular in establishing such a society in the future. Prominent speakers from around the region as well as the world shared valuable experiences in specific industrial sectors linked to the university and the local communities. Malaysia's information technology expertise and engineering experiences in the construction of mega-infrastructure projects worth billions are widely recognised. It is hoped that ventures of mutual benefit will continue to be enhanced in the coming years.
One optimistic note in this direction was the announcement of the appointment of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) secretary-general Iyad Amin Madani after the 12th Summit of the OIC in Cairo, Egypt, early last year. He was nominated for the post at the 39th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC member states in Djibouti. He took over the helm from Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu early this month and is the first Saudi official to fill the five-year post.
A Saudi public figure, Iyad has served in different cabinet posts. He was appointed a member of the shura council up until 1999 when he became Hajj Minister (1999-2005). He was then appointed Minister of Culture and Information in February 2005.
He also has extensive experience in the media sector as well as the Saudi airline. He was named chairman of the board of directors of Knowledge Economic City in March 2012. He has also served as vice-president of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Foundation for Housing Development.
Iyad was conferred the Tan Sri (Knight of the Most Distinguished Order of Crown) title in March 2009 by the Malaysia government for his contributions to enhance Saudi-Malaysian ties. An honorary doctorate was conferred on him by Universiti Islam Antarabangsa.