An Analytical Framework for Education Hubs

Abstract

Qatar is one of the first countries to announce its intention to become a regional education hub and invest in its development. In less than 15 years, Qatar has become home to over ten foreign academic institutions, top science and research organizations, and over 4,000 students and researchers from around the world. The case study examines the rationales, initiatives, and policies guiding the development of Qatar as an education hub and elaborates on the three hub components: the branch campuses in Education City, the Qatar Science and Technology Park, and the establishment of new science and medical institutions. The chapter looks closely at the approach used by the Qatar Foundation to invite and finance foreign universities to establish a branch campus within Qatar’s Education City and to focus on a specific program for which they are well respected. The long-term intention of the education hub initiative is to enhance and retain the needed human resources and to develop a research culture and capacity.