Like the government of many other countries, Qatar’s government views education as a crucial element in the nation’s economic, social, and political development. Qatar has embarked on reforms at all levels of its education system, the goal being to develop the human capital of Qatari nationals and to ensure that Qatar’s citizens can contribute fully to society, both economically and socially.

Progress is being made, but Qatar still faces a number of challenges. The education system for kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) does not adequately prepare Qataris for work or post-secondary study, and current reforms to the K–12 system will take time to bear fruit. The Qatari population is small, and the country depends on a large expatriate workforce for both low- and high-skilled labor.

Few Qataris have the training or qualifications needed for high-demand, high-skill jobs. Employment practices, which are linked to the social welfare system, provide Qataris, especially men, with secure, wellcompensated jobs in the government sector: Nearly 77 percent of employed Qataris work in the government or government enterprise sectors. And Qatari women, who are more highly educated than Qatari men, are less likely to pursue career employment and have limited employment opportunities because of cultural tradition.

Qatar has used its wealth to improve post-secondary educational opportunities—for example, by establishing a number of world-class institutions in Doha’s Education City. But these efforts to enhance the quality of education have not undergone a broad strategic review. As a result, the extent to which available post-secondary educational offerings can meet Qatar’s current and future demands remains uncertain.

1. In which occupations can Qataris make the greatest contribution to the society and economy, and what education and training are needed to realize these contributions?
2. What measures might encourage more Qataris, especially young men, to pursue post-secondary education?
3. To what extent do existing institutions meet education and training needs? Are new investments required, and if so, where?
4. What are the benefits and costs of establishing local postsecondary institutions at the undergraduate and graduate levels versus sending students abroad for these studies?

Contents

• Chapter One: Introduction
• Chapter Two: Overview of Qatar and the Policy Context
• Chapter Three: Skill and Occupational Demands
• Chapter Four: Qataris Who Do Not Pursue Post-Secondary Education
• Chapter Five: Education and Training Provision
• Chapter Six: Options for Providing New Educational Opportunities
• Chapter Seven: Recommendations
• Appendix A: Study Approach and Methods
• Appendix B: Post-Secondary Degrees Offered in Qatar
• Appendix C: Training Providers in Qatar

Visit Post-Secondary Education in Qatar RAND Download Page

Cathleen Stasz • Eric R. Eide • Francisco Martorell
with Louay Constant • Charles A. Goldman • Joy S. Moini • Vazha Nadareishvili • Hanine Salem
Prepared for the Supreme Education Council
© Copyright 2007 RAND Corporation

Preface:

The government of Qatar is embarking on a number of reforms to support the nation’s economic and social development. Qatar’s future depends on citizens whose education and training prepare them to be full participants in economic, social, and political life, and Qatar has made significant efforts to improve educational opportunities.

The efforts have included individual initiatives focused on post-secondary education, but these initiatives have not been subjected to a broad strategic review. Qatar’s Supreme Education Council asked the RAND Qatar Policy Institute to study the current situation and to help identify priorities for developing post-secondary educational offerings that better respond to the country’s economic and social demands.

This monograph, which reports on the resulting one-year study, is written primarily for decisionmakers in Qatar. It may also be of interest to researchers and policymakers involved in higher education, as well as to those concerned with education and economic development in the Middle East.

This project was conducted under the auspices of the RANDQatar Policy Institute (RQPI) and RAND Corporation’s Education unit. RQPI is a partnership of the RAND Corporation and the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development.

The aim of RQPI is to offer the RAND style of rigorous and objective analysis to clients in the greater Middle East. In serving clients in the Middle East, RQPI draws on the full professional resources of the RAND Corporation.

RAND Education analyzes education policy and practice and supports the implementation of improvements at all levels of the education system.

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