FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A University of Arkansas delegation visited higher education institutions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in April, meeting with leaders there to explore opportunities for collaborative partnerships.

The delegation includes:

• Michael T. Miller, professor of higher education
• Sean Mulvenon, professor of educational statistics and research methods
• Denise Airola, assistant director of the National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems at the University of Arkansas
• Ajay P. Malshe, professor of mechanical engineering
• Janinne Riggs, former special assistant to the Arkansas commissioner of education

Miller said the group visited the 14 campuses of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates. Three projects possible for collaboration are a data management system for kindergarten through post-secondary education, a nanotechnology institute and a Middle Eastern policy studies center.

University and government officials in the United Arab Emirates want to transform the country’s economy from one based solely on oil to a broader, commerce-based economy with Emiratis running enterprises, according to Mulvenon, who spoke about the educational data system.

“They realize that oil is not a long-term financial solution, and they want to do a better job of educating the populace,” Mulvenon said. “They don’t want someone to come in and sell them a model. They are interested in having us as a partner to build and integrate a sustainable educational model. Over the course of time, the model will be self-sustaining, and we can continue to collaborate with them on projects.”

Mulvenon directs the National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems based in the College of Education and Health Professions. The office provides a readily accessible source for reliable educational achievement data in Arkansas and has assisted other states in building similar data management systems.

Miller, a department head and coordinator of the university’s higher education academic program, added: “We had several broad goals in making the visit, including exploring how the institutional research functions of the system and individual campuses monitor, store, code and retrieve data, and, subsequently, how these data feed back into decision-making. Additionally, we looked at how K-12 institutions and systems build data models that can feed into the college system, and, ultimately, how all of that data can be used to improve education across all levels.”

Malshe described the trip as a terrific experience, both professionally and personally. Malshe is the Twenty-First Century Professor of Materials, Manufacturing and Integrated Systems in the College of Engineering, and he directs the University of Arkansas Materials and Manufacturing Research Laboratories.

“I experienced a country ‘being born,’ where there is vigor for investing in life, growth and passion to reach out to the world outside for fresh ideas,” Malshe said. “The goal of our trip was American-UAE cultural exchange, to pave educational pathways and contribute to mutual economic growth.

“It is important to note,” Malshe continued, “that I could see many women students passionate about learning in colleges, which is certainly a potential that may tailor the UAE society in the years to come.”