East of West: Rearguing the Value and Goals of Education in the Gulf

The international branch campus is a relatively new but growing phenomenon that raises many questions of values, pedagogy, and culture and is also receiving increasing scrutiny. What an international branch campus imports unchanged from its home country, in terms of curriculum, student services, and culture, and what it adapts to local populations and culture is an issue of great consequence. The authors address commonly held ideals and goals of Western education and their compatibility with/adaptability to Qatari national development goals, document the challenges in serving local and regional student populations, and summarize their acquired knowledge as instructors and academic advisers.