A call for quality and excellence in higher education
The quality of HEI graduates is represented by the quality of its internal stakeholders, including students, faculty, and staff
Published: 05:12 PM,Dec 21,2024 | EDITED : 09:12 PM,Dec 21,2024
Higher education has experienced remarkable growth over the past three decades. This is because education is the backbone of an informed and thriving society as there is a high demand for higher education especially in the most needed specialisations.
During the journey which the students travel through their higher education, it determines to a large extent their future and of their country. This also includes the expectation of students’ advancement and progressive development is decided by the quality of education they receive.
There are of course countless number of higher education institutions (HEIs) that exist all over the world. In almost every country, higher education institutions offer degrees in various specialisations, with each country claiming that it has a strongly formed and constructed educational system.
There is no doubt that higher education system is the foundation and most substantial and sturdiest part of the country as it plays a foundational and pivotal role in society.
A country cannot enjoy success and prosperity without having higher education system that is free from flaw, defect, and decay, since all aspects and sectors of the country are heavily dependent of what education produces.
The quality of HEI graduates is represented by the quality of its internal stakeholders, including students, faculty, and staff. But this quality cannot be asserted without being acknowledged by external stakeholders, including employers, internship providers, and community members who are in fact the ones who evaluate the quality of HEI academic and non-academic provision.
An imperfection and weakness of a higher education system hinder the effectiveness of all other sectors. If higher education is degraded with unsound principles and moral values, there will be a change from good to bad in morals, manners, and actions of younger generations.
A country cannot have a strong economy, manufacturing, judiciary system, social structure without having a sound course of study and academic programmes.
A quality higher education system should focus on ensuring that graduates from HEIs should have a degree of excellence in their specialised area, with knowledge and skills that enable them to exercise careful judgement or judicious evaluation of matters receiving or deserving attention.
Within corrupt societies, the primary concern of people is to acquire a piece of paper (the certificate) rather than being preoccupied with the acquaintance with and understanding of a science, art, or technique. That is why holders of various degrees and certificates are in reality lack developed knowledge, skills, vigour, aptitude and ability to use their knowledge effectively and readily in the execution and performance of tasks assigned to them.
In fact, holders of academic degrees from countries with academically and intellectually deficient higher education system lack the learned power of doing things competently, and cannot pass from one stage of experience and proficiency to a higher one. Even the argument of such graduates is not factually grounded and logically presented.
That is why HEIs should have in place clearly stated and described quality management system in order to make certain the quality of its academic provision is attained.
The quality of education HEIs deliver cannot be achieved without an implementation of a systematic, consistent and rigorous quality management system. While such processes cannot be achieved unless HEIs have firmly built and constituted educational system, along with ensuring that relevant mechanisms and benchmarking are sound in design and execution.
Dr Musallam Al Maani
The writer is Dean of Al Zahra College for Women
During the journey which the students travel through their higher education, it determines to a large extent their future and of their country. This also includes the expectation of students’ advancement and progressive development is decided by the quality of education they receive.
There are of course countless number of higher education institutions (HEIs) that exist all over the world. In almost every country, higher education institutions offer degrees in various specialisations, with each country claiming that it has a strongly formed and constructed educational system.
There is no doubt that higher education system is the foundation and most substantial and sturdiest part of the country as it plays a foundational and pivotal role in society.
A country cannot enjoy success and prosperity without having higher education system that is free from flaw, defect, and decay, since all aspects and sectors of the country are heavily dependent of what education produces.
The quality of HEI graduates is represented by the quality of its internal stakeholders, including students, faculty, and staff. But this quality cannot be asserted without being acknowledged by external stakeholders, including employers, internship providers, and community members who are in fact the ones who evaluate the quality of HEI academic and non-academic provision.
An imperfection and weakness of a higher education system hinder the effectiveness of all other sectors. If higher education is degraded with unsound principles and moral values, there will be a change from good to bad in morals, manners, and actions of younger generations.
A country cannot have a strong economy, manufacturing, judiciary system, social structure without having a sound course of study and academic programmes.
A quality higher education system should focus on ensuring that graduates from HEIs should have a degree of excellence in their specialised area, with knowledge and skills that enable them to exercise careful judgement or judicious evaluation of matters receiving or deserving attention.
Within corrupt societies, the primary concern of people is to acquire a piece of paper (the certificate) rather than being preoccupied with the acquaintance with and understanding of a science, art, or technique. That is why holders of various degrees and certificates are in reality lack developed knowledge, skills, vigour, aptitude and ability to use their knowledge effectively and readily in the execution and performance of tasks assigned to them.
In fact, holders of academic degrees from countries with academically and intellectually deficient higher education system lack the learned power of doing things competently, and cannot pass from one stage of experience and proficiency to a higher one. Even the argument of such graduates is not factually grounded and logically presented.
That is why HEIs should have in place clearly stated and described quality management system in order to make certain the quality of its academic provision is attained.
The quality of education HEIs deliver cannot be achieved without an implementation of a systematic, consistent and rigorous quality management system. While such processes cannot be achieved unless HEIs have firmly built and constituted educational system, along with ensuring that relevant mechanisms and benchmarking are sound in design and execution.
Dr Musallam Al Maani
The writer is Dean of Al Zahra College for Women