Bringing the American College Model to the Arabian Gulf: New Challenges for Intercultural Education

1. The Arabian Gulf education sector appears to be eager to emulate the American model of higher education in pursuit of the observed success of Knowledge economies. American institutions of higher education have been producing employable graduates, successful businessmen and entrepreneurs, and competent professionals, teachers, and researchers who are the productive force behind the massive amounts of highly sophisticated research, publications, and creative works. 2. For successful implementation of the American model in non-American environment, educators and higher-education authorities need to be clear about the salient features of existing local systems of education, the salient features of American higher education, where the gaps and differences are and how they impact the outcomes. 3. Some of the major aspects of American higher education are not being replicated in the Arabian Gulf institutions aiming to emulate the American college model. Educators need to explore the value and applicability of specific institutional frameworks and academic and pedagogical approaches practiced by American colleges and universities in achieving the desired outcomes in a different cultural and social context.Peer Reviewe