Al-Watan newspaper

READERS may raise their eyebrows in surprise from the above title especially that I am an academician and a university staff member!!

I fully support the independence of the universities because it will ensure them freedom and allow them to spread the spirit of creativity and innovation.

This is the general understanding worldwide but, unfortunately, this cannot be applied in our country in its present circumstances.

Frankly speaking, the condition of some Saudi universities is extremely bad though they are semi-independent.

Some colleges and departments have become like personal farms. Some of the officials appoint their relatives and friends in the department. Just imagine, what will be the case if the universities are given full independence?

Now at least some of these colleges and departments at least fear the ministry and their action but when the universities are given full independence, the same officials will act with impudence without any fear of action from the ministry or consideration for it.

When the universities are made fully independent, this little fear of the ministry or the small consideration for it will disappear in thin air and the colleges will do whatever they want.

Some people may say, in good faith, that board of trustees would be established to run the universities. They believe that such boards will solve the problem and will be supervisors of the universities.

This is exactly to the contrary. The situation may further worsen. Some universities will be made into special domains for their senates and therefore the boards of trustees will not be able to do anything regarding this.

The universities, in this case, would return to their old routine which is "you serve me and I will serve you".

It is true that there is a major campaign against the financial corruption currently going on in the country. We should, however, not forget that there is an administrative corruption, which is eating up the country's bone.

This is a fact of life that nobody can deny.

Add to this, there are some university officials who lack competence, do not have clear-cut strategies and do not have any farsightedness and are more into self-preservation than anything else.

This becomes very clear when some of them appear on TV for interviews or even from their behavior in real life.

Regretfully, when all are hanging the slogan of the Kingdom's 2030 Vision, very few of them are keen on its implementation.

We have not seen any radical changes in the administrations of the universities as it had happened in the other government departments. Some university rectors are still holding on to their places.

I always tend to liken the freedom and independence to a beautiful and fast car like the Ferrari. It needs smooth and well-paved roads in order for it to to run.

If, however, there are sands and ditches you will need a four-wheel-drive car even if it does not look as beautiful and elegant as the Ferrari.

The university’s independence is an attractive principle but time is not right for it. We still need a four-wheel-drive car to cross the hurdles of bureaucracy, wasta (nepotism) and administrative corruption.

The problem of some people is that they bring international methods so as to apply them in our universities without making the necessary changes that would suit our local environment despite the beauty and attractiveness of the idea.

Every society has its own specialty despite the spread of the international standards.

I wish I could put booklets in every bus stop to tell the society that our present condition is not suitable for the independence of the universities.

I still believe that the Ministry of Education has a role to play in supervising the universities at least for the time being.

I do not mind the creation of a committee or a high administration panel to supervise the performance of the Saudi universities. We need an autonomous body to evaluate the universities or the situation will further deteriorate.

We need tens of years before we give our universities their full independence. During this time, the universities should be prepared through changes in regulations and mentalities.

After this our universities will be ready for independence. Only then we can give them the autonomy they need.