<div dir="ltr"> <span class=""> lost in translation</span> <h1>How Qatar University’s language policy is holding back students</h1> <div class=""> <div class=""><img src="http://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/shaheen_pasha.jpg?w=240"></div>
<div class=""> By <span class="">Shaheen Pasha</span> — <span class="" title="2013-04-02 10:30:05">April 2, 2013</span> <div class=""><span class="">Shaheen
Pasha teaches international journalism at the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst. She has been a financial reporter for Reuters,
CNN and the Wall Street Journal, and previously reported from Dubai and
Cairo.</span></div> </div></div> <div class=""><img src="http://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/english-duchess-visits-qatar.jpg?w=880"><div><span class="">Qatar University changed its official language to Arabic—even as the country has become a global destination. <span class="">Getty Images/Chris Jackson</span></span><div class="">
</div></div></div> <div class=""> <div> <p>In
Qatar, where expats outnumber local Arabs nearly 8 to 1, there is a
palpable concern among locals that the gas-rich nation has put its
cultural identity on the selling block. With a steady influx of global
businesses and Western law firms opening their doors in Doha, you’re
more likely to hear the sounds of English banter on the Corniche than
Arabic.</p><p>But Qatar is fighting back—much to the detriment of its future and that of its next generation. Last year, Qatar University <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Debate-Arises-at-Qatar-U-Over/130695/">reverted to Arabic as its primary language</a>
for business, law, social sciences and humanities as part of the
country’s push to strengthen the use of Arabic language in public
education. “Arabic is the mother tongue of most QU students so there is
certainly an advantage to teach in Arabic,” says Nael Mohamad, a
spokesman for Qatar University in an e-mail.</p><p>That may be true in
the short run and for those students seeking public sector jobs within
Qatar. But Qatar’s ambitions lie further West, making English a language
of necessity for Qataris eager to be part of the large global
marketplace. That’s especially true since Qatar won the right to host
the FIFA 2020 World Cup. The tiny Gulf kingdom has committed to
developing $60 billion worth of infrastructure projects ahead of the
deal, ushering in a wave of foreign players eager to be a part of the
development boom. Who better to work alongside the influx of foreigners
in the private sector than local Qataris, fluent in English, who are
adequately trained in the finer aspects of business and law?</p><p>Beyond
its own infrastructure goals, deep-pocketed Qatar has become an
aggressive investor in foreign assets. In February, Qatar Holding, a
unit of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, said it will launch a <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/19/qatar-investmentfirm-idUKL6N0BJ6AY20130219">$12 billion investment firm</a>
to buy assets globally. Such endeavors offer a unique opportunity for
Qataris to play a larger, sustainable role in the shaping of their
country’s economy. But to make a meaningful contribution, their skills
must be on par with Western competitors.</p><p>There is no debate that
Arabic is at the heart of Qatar’s cultural heritage. Even Robert
Musgrove, chief executive of the Qatar International Court and Dispute
Resolution Centre—an English common-law court established in 2009 to
attract international business to Qatar—agrees. Yet, “similarly it is
recognized that if there is a global language of commerce and law, it is
English,” he said. “If Qatar is to develop lawyers whose ambition is to
appear in international commercial courts of the world, they will need
to be educated in international law in English. “</p><p>And business
majors will need to understand a basic truth: most modern international
business contracts are written in English. QU’s Mohamad said “a suitable
level of specialized English will continue to be a requirement for
graduation” and some elective courses will be offered in English. But
that may not be enough to make QU graduates – a majority of whom are
locals –competitive in today’s workplace. There are a number of foreign
universities, such as Northwestern and Texas A&M universities, with
campuses in Doha. They teach in English.</p><p>Graduates from these institutions will have an edge. And that edge may make all the difference.</p><p><em>We welcome your comments at <a href="mailto:ideas@qz.com">ideas@qz.com</a>. </em></p>
</div> <a href="http://qz.com/69698/how-qatar-universitys-language-policy-is-holding-back-students/">http://qz.com/69698/how-qatar-universitys-language-policy-is-holding-back-students/</a><br></div><br clear="all"><br>
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