Higher education in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) has reached a pivotal point where universities have a significant role to play in developing a new generation of talented professionals who can help cement the region’s position as world leaders on the global map with an enviable reputation for innovation.
The decisions being made in MEA’s universities now will shape how they can best support students through a higher education journey where career success is the expected outcome, and deliver this at scale.
Maged Fahmy, Ellucian’s Vice President for MEA, looks at the changes taking place in the higher education sector and the steps universities in the region are taking to prepare for the future.
How Would you Characterise the Current Higher Education Landscape across the Middle East and Africa?
Change is happening at speed in this region to tackle a range of different issues. In Africa, where there are more than 400 million people aged between 15 and 35, participation in higher education remains stubbornly low at just 9%. This is well below the 38% global average. As a result, universities are looking at how they can deliver more affordable, flexible and technology-focused learning opportunities. The goal is to attract more students, but the increase in numbers needed is currently beyond the capacity and technical capability of many existing institutions.
In the Gulf, participation rates are high and rising, so universities here are more focussed on delivering quality, career-focused learning for students. Many have strengthened their links with industry to make employability a key outcome for their academic programmes. They will need to be able to adapt these as the needs of employers change over time.
Although the sector may have different priorities and challenges, there’s a strong shared focus on providing a higher education experience for students that results in long-term career success.
What Macro Forces are Influencing the Evolution of Universities in the Region?
There’s a mixed bag of factors influencing what’s going on in the region’s higher education sector right now.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Centennial 2071 have both generated significant investment in developing knowledge-based economies. Universities will naturally play a central role in creating a pipeline of professionals with the digital and practical skills to help achieve these national ambitions.
Africa’s long-term plan to boost the economic growth and development of the continent through the Agenda 2063 initiative, designed to make higher education more accessible to a wider range of students, particularly in key areas such as science, research, and innovation. Part of this will be students and graduates moving across borders to expand the African higher education system.
Learning will need to become more blended to meet these goals, with micro-credentials and modular courses offered as standard. Student success will also be increasingly evaluated not only on academic performance, but also career readiness.
How Does the Diversity of Institutions across MEA Shape Innovation?
The significant difference in the size and digital maturity of the sector means progress will happen over time. We’ve seen large public universities modernising legacy systems as a priority to cut administration and improve efficiency across their institutions.
For smaller universities and international branch campuses, there are fewer issues with old edtech so the focus is much more on how tools such as AI can help to personalise learning, track students’ career pathways and identify which teaching approaches get the best outcomes. Both approaches are critical for the future long-term success of students and their institutions.
What Does Digital Transformation Mean for Universities in MEA Today?
Many institutions have recognised the need to eliminate data silos in recent years, as part of their digital transformation plans. More systems are being integrated to achieve this, which creates a firm technical foundation for delivering a more personalised learning experience for students.
At the University of Kalba in the UAE, Ellucian’s AI-powered degree planning tools are being introduced to tailor academic plans for every student, with built in flexibility to adapt to change. The technology will also help the institution to streamline course registrations and forecast demand so timetables can be optimised based on the latest information. We will continue to see more of this innovation in the coming years.
Are there Common Technology Challenges and Priorities across the Region?
The integration of multiple systems is a key priority and universities need to bring in the right technical expertise to help them manage this smoothly. There can also be a significant cultural shift to navigate, which requires change management support to help staff embrace new ways of working. The student voice is also becoming increasingly important for shaping future teaching and learning.
What Expectations Are Students Bringing from a University Technology Perspective?
Universities are seeing a marked increase in students who expect the seamless, fully digital experience they are familiar with in other areas of their life, throughout their academic journey. This includes when they are enrolling on new courses, exploring the micro-credentials on offer or accessing support services. These services need to be mobile-first and built on intuitive platforms that use AI to offer personalised guidance and support. Students also want to be able to track their own progress, and identify potential barriers early so they can take action to get the best outcome from their studies.
A wide range of AI chatbots and predictive analytics tools have already been developed to help universities in this region to meet their students’ changing expectations.
How Can Universities Future-Proof their Technology Investments?
Integrated AI-enabled systems give universities the information they need to understand their student body and make informed decisions about how to help them succeed. The insight from these tools can help institutions future-proof the education they provide and target investment where it is needed.
Institutions can use AI and connected platforms such as Ellucian’s Student SaaS solution to attract and retain more students from emerging new markets, develop new courses and skills for life and create learning pathways quickly in response to changing workforce needs. These tools will become increasingly important for delivering the national goals set out by governments across the region over the next decade and beyond.
How Will Higher Education Technology Shape the Sector in MEA over the Next Decade?
The changing regional policies will see digital campuses become just as important as physical ones as demand for hybrid and online learning scales up at pace.
Technology can put universities on the front foot by indemnifying local skills gaps and courses to attract students wanting to maintain and upskill their qualifications throughout their careers. As national economic and social priorities change, the sector will see AI becoming intrinsic in allowing universities to tailor learning for a more diverse range of students, who want more autonomy to drive their own success.
What Advice Would You Give to Leaders Starting their Transformation Journey?
Knowing what a successful digital transformation looks like for each institution, and what technology can help them achieve, means senior leaders can target investment on the key priorities. Whether a university wants to become a regional hub for AI or develop the next generation of climate specialists, the end goal is essential to plotting the most effective pathway for success and what systems are needed to get there.
After that, it’s about sharing the ambitions and expectations of the institution so that individual staff and departments understand why they are being taken on this journey and can play their part in achieving the best outcomes. With the vision, university technology, and people aligned, institutions can progress steadily towards their own goals and help shape the future of higher education in the region.
Learn how Ellucian Student can support institutions across MEA to deliver successful digital transformation.
