Building Research Capacity in BRICS and Beyond: Lessons from the International Community

Research capacity building and research productivity are essential to the economic flourishing of any nation. Over the past decade, innovation and investment in research and development in BRICS countries – especially India and China – have strongly contributed to their economic growth. The scholarly literature shows that the five-member states have high numbers of (a) university graduates – especially in the fields of engineering and computer science – and (b) research outputs – mainly quantitative. The issue, however, is that the quality of BRICS graduates is sometimes questionable, and the nations are not considered as relevant global players when it comes to the research impact factor. To that end, it is essential to align quantity with quality in BRICS’ higher education institutions. As growing economies, BRICS need to increase their investment in higher education and research capacity building to maximise their economic prosperity. Researchers who are knowledge producers and innovators can be considered the foremost role players in transferring university research to society. Therefore, investing in quality development and support is of the essence. This article is based on the voices of 32 international scholars affiliated with the Comparative Education Society in Europe. The respondents shared their views via an open-ended survey about: (a) the development of globally competent researchers; (b) the expectations placed on present-day researchers; and (c) the demands researchers face in terms of research productivity. The findings indicate that, regardless of the context, researchers are confronted with similar demands, namely: to secure funding; engage in international and interdisciplinary research projects; and produce tangible outputs. It is also evident that research capacity building at respondents’ respective institutions needs enhancement in order to align with the current research demands.

Seventh Annual GCES Symposium: Innovation and Transformation: Values, Challenges, and Prospects for Education in the GCC

The Gulf Comparative Education Society (GCES) held its seventh annual symposium under the sponsorship of the Arab Open University Kuwait, the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research from April 5th to 7th, 2016. Entitled “Innovation and Transformation: Values, Challenges, and Prospects for Education in the GCC,” the symposium was held at the Arab Open University in Kuwait City, Kuwait. It consisted of three different pre-conference workshops, two keynote addresses, three featured panels and seven breakout sessions with over 42 presentations by both invited speakers as well as those who had submitted abstracts. The speakers came from a wide variety of countries including the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Switzerland, England, Australia, and the United States, and represented different voices in the education sector, such as policymakers, academics and researchers, school providers and leaders, consultants, and teachers.

The Fifth Annual Gulf Comparative Education Society Symposium Locating the National in the International: Comparative Perspectives on Language, Identity, Policy, and Practice

The Gulf Comparative Education Society (GCES) held its fifth annual symposium under the sponsorship of the Higher Colleges of Technology, the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, and Middlesex University Dubai from April 8 to 10, 2014. Entitled “Locating the National in the International: Comparative Perspectives on Language, Identity, Policy, and Practice,” the symposium was held at the Dubai Women’s College in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It consisted of a pre-conference workshop, one keynote address, four featured panels and eleven breakout sessions with over 55 presentations by both invited speakers as well as those who had submitted abstracts. The speakers came from a wide variety of countries including the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Switzerland, England, Australia, Germany, and the United States, and represented different voices in the education sector, such as policymakers, academics and researchers, school providers and leaders, consultants, and teachers.