The reality of scientific research in Arab universities

Prof. Moustafa Mohamad El Abdallah Alkafry
2022 / 6 / 25

With the exception of the traditional Arab universities such as Al-Azhar, Al-Qarawiyyin, Al-Zaytouna and other ancient religious universities, most of the Arab universities are newly established and the first modern college that was opened in the Arab world is the Faculty of Medicine in Cairo in 1827, followed by the American University in Beirut in 1866, and Saint Joseph University in 1875. Then the University of Algiers in 1879, and if we exclude the Egyptian University, which was established in 1908, the chronological age of most Arab universities does not exceed thirty years. At the end of the 1940s, the number of Arab universities did not exceed six, two national universities in Cairo and Damascus, and four foreign universities, two in Beirut, one in Algeria and the other in Cairo. Starting in the fifties, universities began to increase randomly, keeping pace with the declaration of political independence for the Arab countries. The number of Arab universities at the end of the nineties exceeded one hundred universities.
Universities in most Arab countries are still newly established institutions. Although it achieved during this period an advanced scientific leap in education. But it did not reach the desired effect on other higher education goals, especially in the field of scientific research in the humanities and social sciences. Arab universities have achieved the required quantity of specialists and specialists for the Arab community, but they have not been able to achieve this type, although some qualitative achievements in this field have sometimes emerged on the scene. Arab universities have not been able to achieve the required in the field of scientific research and the establishment of specialized research centers in the humanities and social sciences. It must be noted that there are reasons that prevent the achievement of the desired goals, and they are-limit-ed to two main -dir-ections:
1 - General reasons:
It is related to the policy and -dir-ections of Arab universities. The modernity of universities in the Arab world necessitated a focus on teaching and not giving the required attention to scientific research, in addition to not linking scientific research with comprehensive development plans, as universities and Arab educational institutions tend in the majority of their research towards research in purely theoretical concepts. Most of the research there is focused on serving the researcher, and it comes as a supplement to obtaining a new certificate´-or-for the purposes of academic and job promotions.
The lack of scientific research requirements in most Arab universities, information centers, human elements, and computer services. This is accompanied by a lack of administrative, legislative and organizational matters, the absence of a well-studied program for research priorities and fields, the lack of regulations and agreements for communication between Arab research centers, the difficulty of marketing research, the heavy teaching burden on a faculty member, and the absence of a plan for coordination between research and researchers. In addition, there is not enough interest in the attendance of scientists and researchers for scientific conferences, and the lack of an appropriate scientific climate within the universities themselves. In addition to the weakness of research cooperation with foreign universities, especially European ones. Which leads to impeding the intellectual and knowledge transfer between Europe and the Arab world and between Arab and European universities.
2 - special reasons:
It relates to the scientific research method and its personnel. In the forefront of which comes the small number of researchers and their poor productivity, and the lack of appropriate conditions for scientists and researchers. This has led to the emergence of conditions that do not help´-or-encourage faculty members in Arab universities to pursue scientific research, including the lack of Arab and foreign scientific references and the small amounts allocated for scientific research in the budgets of higher education in most Arab universities compared to what is allocated by similar universities in developed countries. (The amounts spent on scientific research in the Arab countries do not exceed 0.5 of the national income, while the developed countries spend more than 2% of their national income on civil research alone. As for the expenditure on scientific research for each member of the population, it does not exceed 2.3 dollars in the Arab world, while it ranges between 50-100 dollars for developed countries).
Perhaps the most dangerous task of the university is the task of scientific research. The university is the institution that is entrusted with keeping pace with scientific progress in the world and working to adapt and absorb it and conduct research and studies in various fields of knowledge, but scientific research in Arab universities, in terms of research in the field of humanities and social sciences and research in exact sciences´-or-Applied, it does not receive sufficient attention, whether in terms of budgets allocated to it´-or-in terms of organization´-or-in terms of research requirements and care for the minds and creativity in the Arab world. The following indicators show us this reality:
• Comparing the military and security budgets with the budgets of education and scientific research seems meager and insignificant, as statistics indicate that Arabs consume 42% of the total military expenditures in the world.
• During the period when the Soviet -union- in the eighties allocated 4.67% of its national income to scientific research, the Arab countries allocated 0.27% of their national income to scientific research.
• When the proportion of scientists in the Soviet -union- reached 5172 researchers per million citizens in 1980 and this ratio in America was 2,679 researchers per million citizens, we find that in the Arab countries it does not reach about 206 researchers per million citizens.
• Expenditure on scientific research in the Arab world in 1980 represented 7.7% (1/13) of Japan s spending, and about 4.5% (1/18) of the expenditure of the Soviet -union-.
The following table shows the reality of scientific research in Arab universities through some indicators, such as the absolute number of researchers, the number of researchers per million people, the total absolute expenditure on scientific research, and the percentage of spending on international research out of the gross national product during the years 1980-1990.
Some indications about the reality of scientific research
In the Arab world 1980-1990
Statement 1980 1990
Number of researchers (researcher) 51000 77000
Number of researchers per million population 330 363
Total expenditure on scientific research (billion dollars) 8.3 1.3
Expenditure on scientific research In GDP 0.97% 0.76
Source: Prepared by the researcher based on Mona Fayyad, Al-Hayat newspaper, issued on September 28, 1995, p.19.
We note from the data in the above table that the number of researchers in the Arab world has increased from 51,000 researchers in 1980 to about 77,000 researchers in 1990, and the ratio of researchers to the population has also increased from 330 researchers per million people to 363 researchers per million people. This percentage is low compared to its counterparts in developed countries´-or-even in developing countries. But the most dangerous development appears in the third and fourth indicators, where the volume of total expenditure on scientific research in the Arab world declined from 8.3 billion dollars in 1980 to about 1.3 billion dollars in 1990, and the percentage of expenditures on scientific research in the gross national product also declined. From 0.97% in 1980 to about 0.76% in 1990, despite a decrease in this percentage compared to its counterparts in developed and developing countries.
Prof. Dr. Moustafa El-Abdallah Al-Kafry
Faculty of Economics - University of Damascus




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