US higher education going GLOBAL

Parents Forum
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<p>I was aware of business schools like Wharton developing partnerships with foreign universities to deliver executive education across the globe (<a href="http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/custom/globalprograms.cfm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/custom/globalprograms.cfm&lt;/a> ), but I was not aware that some US universities were talking about expanding entire campuses. Guess I haven't been keeping up with this trend. A recent article in Inside Higher Education talks about the trend and NYU's plans to expand in the United Arab Emirates.
<a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/08/31/nyu%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/08/31/nyu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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The typical model for establishing branch campuses abroad is to offer specialized programs or schools. In Qatar, for instance, Carnegie Mellon University offers business administration and computer science, Cornell a medical school and Georgetown a School of Foreign Service. Also in Qatar, Texas A&M offers engineering, and Virginia Commonwealth art and design.</p>

<p>But New York University is in negotiations to possibly go one big step further: to open a full-blown campus — “a mini-NYU” — in Abu Dhabi, according to a senior faculty member who was part of a group that traveled to the United Arab Emirates to scope out the site in January.</p>

<p>“Everything we do at NYU in New York City in theory would be done on a much smaller scale [in Abu Dhabi],” said the faculty member, who requested anonymity since the negotiations, which have been going on for more than a year, have not been publicly announced. The “mini-NYU” would be most comparable to the American Universities in Cairo or Beirut — a full undergraduate college with divisions in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It would have a research component and eventually, the faculty member said, the plan would be to add graduate programs, too.

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<p>Here's another article about Fairleigh Dickinson (NJ) starting a campus in Vancouver BC, of all places.
<a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/06/08/fdu%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/06/08/fdu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Some questions to ponder....Is there so much international demand for higher education that US institutions can't overlook broadening their base from a market expansion standpoint? And are US institutions so good (or fast to market) that they beat out the non-US competition?</p>

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Is there so much international demand for higher education that US institutions can't overlook broadening their base from a market expansion standpoint?

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<p>The current situation in the UAE is unique. In a few short years (~50) cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi have grown exponentially. The need to for top notch education has also grown. While some students do go overseas for education this doesn't really solve the problem. While there have been some new colleges built in the country (the American University of Sharjah comes to mind <a href="http://www.aus.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.aus.edu&lt;/a&gt;) Abu Dhabi is looking to become a hub for education and wants to become one ASAP. Having a branch of a famous prestigious university is a great answer. </p>

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And are US institutions so good (or fast to market) that they beat out the non-US competition?

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Well actually the Sorbonne University already has a branch in Abu Dhabi(<a href="http://www.paris-sorbonne-abudhabi.ae/index.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.paris-sorbonne-abudhabi.ae/index.htm&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p>

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<p>I bet there will be all full-pay there…</p>