Teaching is a learning experience. My short time as a teaching assistant at Zayed University (ZU) has challenged my perceptions and allowed me a first-hand look at some of the real-life issues faced by Emirati students. Apart from the unbelievable hours and experience, those students I have had the pleasure of working with are what I appreciate the most. These young Emiratis’ have reshaped my ideas of the youth in this country and have given me some optimism to counteract my unending criticality.
These past few months have been eye opening. I used to be the first to champion the view that Emirati youth take too much for granted and do too little, but now my criticisms have found new targets. The first myth that I had to dispel with was that Emirati youth are incapable of objective and critical thought. The lack of critical faculty is a feature pervasive in society transcending nationalities. We all, from time to time, face this invisible wall within ourselves or in our interactions. I had previously concluded that Emirati youth were simply accustomed to this practice and that it had become ingrained in social norm. This, I now see, is not the case and the lack of objectivity and critical thought in Emirati youth is not their fault or the result of passivity. There are institutional failures at play that have resulted in many Emirati youth not being given the requisite training and preparation they need to develop these crucial life skills.
Credit must be given to ZU though, having proven itself to be a model for higher education in the UAE and the broader region. The faculty and facilities are at par with top international universities. However, the majority of students have not been adequately prepared to best utilise the wealth of expertise and knowledge available to them. The gap between capacity and capabilities is mainly due to secondary educational institutions being sub-par. Here, I specifically refer to the public education sector.
I hope this is a problem we are aware of and we actively take steps to remedy. It will surely be slow progress, but the current status quo is unacceptable and our youth deserve better. Another pervasive issue I noticed at ZU has been the almost absolute lack of Emirati faculty. Do not mistake the following as a call for Emiratisation, but there is a benefit to having at least a few qualified and capable Emiratis with similar cultural backgrounds as the students to act as mentors and role-models. Such role-models are especially important because this is a pivotal stage in the development of students’ capacity for critical and independent thought.
Regarding Emiratisation, my main criticism is that it seems to be about filling quotas or that it is simplified to a mere game of percentages. It is not enough for Emiratis to fill token positions in human resources or similar departments. Emirati students are in dire need of Emirati mentors in their classrooms and lecture halls. However, it is important to recognise it is not simply a matter of employing more nationals.
We simply do not have the adequate capacities within the local talent pool to achieve our goals. Our students are being taught by experts from around the globe because these individuals have chosen to contribute to the development of the UAE by providing their unique and valuable knowledge and skill-sets.
We need to acknowledge the importance of such individuals and our dependence on them. Without their tireless efforts our universities and students are empty shells. The role of the foreign expert in the UAE is crucial. The development of the UAE has and continues to rely on expats. Emirates airline, for example, will not have been the global beacon to the city of Dubai without the dedicated efforts and expertise of Sir Maurice Flanagan and Tim Clark.
I hope a few of the many Emirati masters and PhD students studying abroad will consider looking into academia or consider adjunct faculty positions when they return home, they will be contributing an immense national service. I also hope institutions will recognise the importance of fostering and developing local talent by thinking creatively about ways of managing expectations and realities.
It is all about recognising limits and finding a sustainable balance. The steps taken by the UAE to advance its education sector must be commended, but we must also not shy away from objective analysis and criticism. Without which, stagnation and false perceptions are likely to prevail. The students in my Introduction to Culture and Society class are being exposed to ideas that are both challenging and thought-provoking, those in the senior seminars are applying critical thought to complex and controversial topics. They reflect what I see as the best traits in Emirati society, keenness and a willingness to be challenged.
Gaith Abdulla is a Dubai-based writer. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gaith_ab
