Welcome to the Al Qasimi Foundation’s Policy & Practice Blog
The Policy & Practice blog highlights works and discussions that impact our community, inform policy decisions and best practices, and affect the social, cultural, and economic development of our emirate, the UAE, Gulf region, and beyond. Below you will find our blog posts, op-eds, and reviews.
Want to contribute?
In addition to discussing the Foundation’s own research findings, best practices, and priority areas, we welcome contributions from local and international academics, practitioners, policy makers, as well as our peer organizations and partners. If you would like to contribute, email grants@alqasimifoundation.rak.ae for more information.
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Stephanie Short, Nikhil Hawal, & Nasser Sai Albusaidi
November 06, 2018
Issues of recruitment, retention, and integration of healthcare professionals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), such as doctors and nurses, require attention, as the majority of these healthcare professionals in the UAE are internationally trained graduates. This begs the question, what factors would facilitate or hinder implementation of more streamlined and modernized health workforce governance in the UAE?
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Helen Abadzi
October 31, 2018
Much innovative thinking is underway on increasing the influence and utility of Standard Arabic. One potential area for exploration concerns the script. Unlike the Latin alphabet that is used to write multiple languages, the Arabic script has evolved mainly to meet the pronunciation needs of Standard Arabic. To increase the influence and use of Arabic in schools and in international contexts, a greater range of sounds is needed. What options exist?
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Reham Zahran, RAK Academy
July 15, 2018
During the UAE-Vietnam Teacher Exchange Program in March 2018, UAE teachers conducted the first stage of action research projects comparing the UAE and Vietnamese education systems, looking at classroom, teacher, administration, and ministry level policies and practices that we could potentially apply in our own schools to improve student achievement and international assessment results.
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Holly Cook, Al Qasimi Foundation
June 05, 2018
Over the past few years, innovative out-come based funding models have been receiving increasing amounts of interest from governments, philanthropic organizations, and NGOs worldwide. One such model, Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), uses private capital to fund social services and promises both social benefits as well as financial returns.
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Dr. Helen Abadzi, writing for Al-Fanar Media
April 25, 2018
Dr. Helen Abadzi, writing for Al-Fanar Media, discusses how the near-absence of inflection in English has helped make it an international language. And that has spoiled the prospects of Modern Standard Arabic as an easy vehicle of communication. Why is that, and what should be done about it? Recent research she conducted at the Al Qasimi Foundation points to possible solutions.
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Dr. Natasha Ridge, writing for Edu Alliance
April 23, 2018
AQF Executive Director Dr. Natasha Ridge, writing for Edu Alliance, discusses the challenges of preparing GCC students for higher education abroad. While the domestic higher education sector in the GCC has been growing and improving in recent years, there remains a strong desire on both the part of families and policymakers to send national students to study abroad. This however, has not been an easy task and many students are only offered a conditional admission that usually requires some kind of foundation program.
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Susan Kippels
March 28, 2018
Philanthropic support of education has been rapidly growing across the GCC region. However, there has been a shortage of research and discussions of the implications of this increased involvement for the education sector. These discussions are essential for developing inclusive, sustainable policies and practices.
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Dr. Natasha Ridge
March 21, 2018
AQF Executive Director Dr. Natasha Ridge, writing for Alliance Magazine, reviews the new report Philanthropy in the Arab Region. The report makes a valuable contribution to understanding philanthropic efforts across the region and draws attention to the challenges facing the nascent sector.
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Matthew MacLean
February 25, 2018
In most of the Gulf, 'heritage' is separated from 'modern' daily life. Unlike other cities, Ras Al Khaimah is different; it mixes buildings from multiple time periods. Encounters of heritage are part of everyday life, with the Old Town seeing a resurgence as its authenticity, slower pace, and accessibility draw Emiratis and tourists.
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Dr. Natasha Ridge
January 29, 2018
AQF Executive Director Dr. Natasha Ridge, writing for Al-Fanar Media, looks at how the role of the father is changing in the Middle East. She explains her research, which found that Arab father involvement has a positive influence on their children's lives, particularly on their academic success.
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