English Language Institute grant to help Yemen schools

OSU wins $860 thousand grant to assist teaching English in Yemen universities

By: Daniel Acee

Posted: 4/22/08

At the end of this February, Oregon State University received a grant for $860 thousand from the World Bank to assist with University education in Yemen. Oregon State was the only lone university that applied for the grant.

OSU's English language institute competed with a Dutch consortium, a British consortium and a Texan consortium of schools and private businesses to develop four Yemeni universities.

The World Bank chose OSU because of prior involvement setting up an ELI in Yemen from 1985-1990. According to the World Bank, OSU had more expertise in that area.

"I had heard about the World Bank grant from one of my teachers, but I didn't know that OSU had been chosen to receive it," said Christine Moore, a senior in biology with a marine option. "I am interested in seeing what we do with it."

The four universities OSU will be working with are the University of Sana'a, University of Aden, University of Taizz and University of Dhamar.

"We are training Yemeni trainers [to then train university professors, faculty and staff] from the four universities in three categories: technology in the classroom, teaching in research and English language," said Jane Averill, the director for OSU's ELI.

A series of workshops were produced for the Yemen trainers that will then teach professors, faculty and staff at each university.

Averill will be joining the principle investigator of the Yemen program, Deborah Healey next week accompanied by a staff member from OSU administration and OSU technological staff member.

Each staff member will be holding workshops on their respective job positions to Yemeni university associates.

Healey's position as the principle investigator gives her absolute responsibility for the overall conduct of a sponsored project.

According to the Drexel University Office of Research Compliance and Administration, Healey is responsible for controlling the technical direction and academic quality of the project, and will ensure that the sponsored project is carried out in compliance with the terms, conditions and policies of the World Bank and the university.

Healey explained that after the ELI program is completed, the universities will be able to offer more specialized programs and courses for academic and management staff.

"We seek 'diffusion of innovation' across a broad number of faculty members through extended training of a cadre [a small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession] trainers, rather than just providing short-term workshops for a large number of faculty members," Healey said in a press release.

The next step in Phase 2 is to develop business models for each university allowing them to become self-sustaining.

"I hadn't heard of this grant before, but I think it's incredible to see the work that our university puts into helping other countries develop successful higher education systems," said Andrew Traylor, a sophomore in environmental science.

Phase 3 of this program will involve the university staff from Yemen coming to Corvallis and giving workshops, as well as learning how a different country's higher education school is run.

"During Phase 3, 30 Yemeni trainers and 10 university presidents and officials will be coming to OSU.

"We will be delivering workshops to them from the center for teaching and learning, different university officials and the writing intensive curriculum program," Averill said. "The university presidents will be giving talks on the realities of Yemen education."

When Phase 3 begins, members of the OSU community are encouraged to have one of the university staff over for dinner.

"This is a great opportunity for people here in Corvallis to get involved in something new; they get to learn about a completely different culture, and it will help break down stereotypes on both sides," Averill said.

If you are interested in having dinner with one of the Yemeni university staff, the ELI website (www.oregonstate.edu/international/contact/eli) has contact information and will be able to provide specific details.

The program will be over at the end of the fiscal year in June, but OSU will be funding follow-up visits.

"OSU is really buying into making this training a reality and we plan to provide support in any way we can to make this process sustainable," Averill said.

Daniel Acee, staff writer

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