International Cooperation in IT in the Middle East:

Obstacles & Opportunities

Marwan Tarazi

Birzeit University – BITmtarazi@birzeit.edu

TERENA Networking Conference 2001

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

IT and Globalization

Advances in IT have been so rapid that it has changed the shape of all economic activities in the world, and has pushed the world towards globalization. Economies, which do not deploy a leading edge communication and information processing capabilities, and which do not have the qualified human resources to run and sustain such capabilities, will be pushed outside the world market gradually.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Information Poverty

“Information poverty”, at every level of society, impairs public and private decision-making, policy making, planning without facts.

low productivity, poor quality research, and valuable time wasted hunting for information and repeating research already done

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Widening of the G A P

Information Gap is resulting in Power flow towards the elite who already possess the power and weakening those who are deprived

The world will experience increasing gap between the rich and the poor countries and rich and the poor within developing countries

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

IT and Poverty Alleviation

The poor are the largest human resource in developing countries

Human Resources are amongst the few resources the M.E. Countries possess

IT services are highly labor-intensive (whether highly skilled or lower-skilled)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

IT and the Political Situation

Information Technology is abolishing distanceIT can ease restrictions of movement by providing an alternative media for work, education, health, etc.One of the reasons the ME is in such a state is due to such an information GAP:“The only way nations can secure justice,

sovereignty and economic rights is through the development of the means to protect such rights”

A.B. Zahlan

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Information Technology is a

MUSTAs a tool for development and for bridging the development gap

As an industry for economic growth, development and poverty alleviation

Technology in the Arab World

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Poor Knowledge Infrastructure

No adequate librariesPoor access to international knowledge No access to local knowledge generated within the Arab world or within each countryWeak educational systems

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Science, Technology and Innovation in the Arab

WorldImport of ready technologiesNo culture of Transfer of Knowledge 200 years ago George Stephans was awarded the

contract to build the first Egyptian railway

Arabs have failed to develop the technology base for these and other mechanical industries.

Sept 1999: Bill Gates donates MS products to government of Jordan… IMPACT???

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Very few Centers of creative work in scientific or technical fieldsWeak academic baseNo pockets of high quality science and technology (like India), even though per capita scientific publications in India are lower than the Arab world.Fragmented (internally and within the Diaspora)

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Research and Development

Production and ownership of knowledge is a serious businessExpenditure on R&D Worldwide in 1999 > $500 billionTop 300 companies spent $253 billion These companies spent 33% more in 1999 than in 1996 in pursuit of profit and survival

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

R&D in the Arab World

Widespread disregard of scientific research by Arab governments and industries, e.g.Leading 30 firms in chemical industry in the

world spent $16 billion on R&DAlthough many Arab chemical firms rank

among those, not one of them has developed its R&D capabilities

- total R&D expenditure in the Arab World in 1999 did not exceed 1 billion

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

HR and Brain Drain

Displacement and substitution of old technologies by new technologies kills jobs in Developing Countries and creates new ones in OECDOECD spend significant effort on education, training and retrainingYet rate of technological change is so fast that existing HR production system cannot keep up.

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

The OECD Zero Cost Solution

OECD countries have realized that attracting HR from Third World Countries is a solution to their HR needs at Zero Cost.

OECD countries will probably “drain” 50 to 80% of Arab World IT experts in the coming few years (as with doctors and engineers in the 70s)

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

How to Stop The “Drain”

The only way Third World countries could afford to retain their own human resources is if they established a suitable infrastructure to enable their human resources to contribute to national economic progress.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

New Rules of the Game

Innovation and skills are the generators of economic growth

Capabilities in science depend on sophisticated systems sustained by an entire society

(Quoted from A.B. Zahlan, 2000)

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

IT in M.E.

Growing National Awareness

Being dealt with independently from sciences, R&D and innovation.

Serious initiatives by some countries, e.g. Jordan and Egypt.

Varying levels of an “enabling” environments

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Low Quality of IT Education

1. the lack of adequately qualified trainers and educators

2. Outdated curricula and methodology3. Slow pace of responding to a rapidly

changing technology4. Absence of vivid and dynamic linkages to

business and industry5. Rigidity of the educational system6. Limited Resources

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Small number of professionals

The low intake capacity of IT education programs: the currently available programs produce a small number of IT graduates in areas required by the labor market, or necessary to create an industry.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

IT sector is NOT-Global in a

GLOBAL World

Local market too small

Hardly any links with the Diaspora

No international marketing experience

No international IT business experience

Limited participation in regional and global networks

International Cooperation

Opportunities and Obstacles

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Opportunities in Knowledge Transfer

Training

Joint Projects

R&D

Exchanges

Advise

Industry Partnerships

Access to Knowledge

Networking

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Obstacles

Poor or NO Strategic PlanningNational decisions are made according to political or personal interests Non favorable enabling environmentsIndividualismPoor utilization of expatriate expertisePolitical agendas imposed by International partners

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Birzeit UniversityPilot Projects in

International Cooperation in IT

Center of Excellence in IT

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

MISSION

Building a human resource supply infrastructure that will inject the IT sector with highly skilled IT professionals at the industry, education and policy and decision making levels.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Target Groups

High-quality IT graduates.

High-quality graduates in non-IT disciplines

Updating of IT professionals

Short programs in specialized, focused areas

Support for undergraduate courses

Support the development of university faculty

Liaison with similar international centers

Training of the trainers facility

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Training StrategyIdentification of needsInternationally accredited programs Build partnerships locally, regionally and globally for trainee placements, practical workTrain trainers, and integrate programs into:

1. General IT training programs 2. Academic programs in formal education

programs

Develop specialized training programs for partner organizations or projects.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

R&D Activities

Research IT trends, opportunities and needs

Set strategies, policies and programs for the Center accordingly.

Research new technologies, methodologies, programs, etc.

Identify potential research projects, request for proposals, etc

Develop research & development capabilities that facilitate innovation for IT sector

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Business Development Activities

Business opportunities for graduates through: Advice professional matchmaking identification of potential partners and customers.

Develop IT incubator facilities and services

Provide consulting services

Participate in strategic projects that have a developmental impact on IT

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Partnership Building

Build strategic partnerships with various stakeholders within the IT sector locally, regionally and internationally.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Partnership Building Activities

Expatriate ArabsHigh Brain Drain from Arab countriesHigh number of Arabs per capita basis

studying abroad

International Educational Institutes

International Companies and corporations

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Allocated Premises

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

The Center of Excellence is…

A national resource

Promotes “best practice”

A Pilot

Node for development

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Complementing Projects

Center of Excellence

Vocational

Professional Training

and

Center for

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Center for Professional and Vocational Training

Developing a Training infrastructure for producing a large number of qualified IT professionals

Targeting: The IT “labor force”: Medium to lower skilledThe users of IT in other disciplines

Reliance is mostly on local resources

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Activities

Developing Curricula

Emphasis on methodology: Students take an active approach to learning The role of the teacher changes from a distributor

of book learning to a tutor guiding students. … better balance between the learning of factual

knowledge and the mastering of concepts and processes.

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

…/Activities

Emphasis on soft skills:Creative thinking, problem solving,

languagesTeam work

Industry partnerships

Practical work and placement

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Training of Trainers

Update technical skills

Pedagogy

New methodology

International Certifications

Target professionals

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Training of High School Teachers

Ninety sever percent of all students complete grade 10Clear shortcomings in knowledge and skillsThe key to a qualified future workforce is in upgrading high school educationThe one most important factor is training of high school teachers

17 May 2001 Research Networks in Med Region mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Key to Success

Students take an active approach to learning The role of the teacher changes from a distributor

of book learning to a tutor guiding students. … better balance between the learning of factual

knowledge and the mastering of concepts and processes.

Emphasis on soft skills: Creative thinking, problem solving, languages Team work

We are looking for PARTNERS

Marwan Tarazi

Birzeit University – BIT

mtarazi@birzeit.edu

Thank You

Marwan Tarazi

Birzeit University – BIT

mtarazi@birzeit.edu