West Bank and Gaza - AMIDEAST, human resources development project : an assessment

(AMIDEAST) to strengthen higher education and provide manpower training in the West Bank and Gaza. External evaluation covers the period 1978-1/86 and is based on a review of AMIDEAST documents and literature on Palestinian education, and interviews with concerned Palestinian, U.S., and Israeli personnel. The Palestinian system of higher education is as advanced and balanced as any in the Third World, all the more remarkable since it has developed for the most part under Israeli occupation, without government financing or direction. Palestinian universities vary in mission, history, and affiliation, but all seem to have the residents' support. The universities enjoy a measure of self-governance despite the military occupation and they have substantial linkages with Arab countries, especially Jordan. Nonetheless, the outlook remains uncertain. Institutional planning is weak, many of the universities having been established only in the past 20 years. There is no one authority responsible for planning and coordination - the Council for Higher Education, established in 1977, has not developed into such an agency. The universities' orientation and atmosphere are influenced by the military occupation, and educational leadership has been weakened by Israeli policies of banishment and by recruitment of administrators with little experience. Financial viability will be problematical if external assistance - the universities' main source of income - is interrupted. Employment for graduates is another concern. While the institutions are likely to attract and absorb greater enrollment, the territories' economies cannot sustain the manpower. AMIDEAST has excellent relationships with the universities and has managed the grant-funded Faculty Development Program well. As of 4/85, 240 faculty members have received U.S. graduate scholarships; 95 returned to teach, 10 withdrew, and 135 continue to work on their degrees. Most participants did well academically and the selection of institutions and fields of study has been excellent (although more doctorates are needed in engineering and business). More than one-third of all Palestinian faculty are U.S.-trained, a ratio which will increase over the next 3 years. A.I.D. has also funded: undergraduate scholarships totaling some $1.4 million (only a small percentage of total student fees) at West Bank universities; short-term training for some 100 participants (there is some confusion among U.S. PVO's regarding AMIDEAST's responsibilities in this area); and two applied research projects. Several specific recommendations are made for continued A.I.D. support, through AMIDEAST, to Palestinian universities.