Learning from Curriculum Development for Employability and Entrepreneurship in the Middle East

This chapter adds to the volume by providing a first-hand account, discussion,
and reflection on our experience of coming in as outside “experts” from
Australia to develop courses for universities in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region. This chapter provides a comparative analysis of two
cases illustrating and discussing cross-cultural collaborations for curriculum
development for an Industrial Design (ID) program and an interdisciplinary
design program in the Middle East, namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This chapter aims to provide a
better understanding of Quality Assurance (QA) processes and the purpose of
curriculum development for employability and entrepreneurship in the MENA
region. To meet this aim, we describe the planning processes for the development
of the new curricula and the evolution of the programs. We reflect on the differences and similarities of QA frameworks, and their interpretation and
use by the universities in the KSA, the UAE, and Australia. We compare the
processes and outcomes around specialization versus inter- and transdisciplinarity,
as well as around employability in traditional industry versus education
for entrepreneurship and future jobs. We observed significant differences
between the two recipient MENA countries, and between them and Australia.
These related to the understanding and foci of the graduate attributes; the
understanding and implementation of course development processes; and the
responsibility of provision and oversight of QA oversight in each country.
In closing the chapter, we share important learnings through our reflections.