What’s it like to be an Arab academic in the Middle East?

A new study, conducted in three countries – Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq – looks at the motivations and challenges of an academic career.

It aimed to investigate how Arab academics view an academic career by answering four main questions: What are the motives for engaging in academia? What are the factors that generate job satisfaction? What are the factors that generate dissatisfaction? And what are the challenges to pursuing an academic career?

Motives for being an academic

• Value of an academic career: Most participants emphasised the importance of academia, highlighting the “value of education”, “building an educated generation” and “positively influencing the lives of others”. They viewed the academic profession as a “noble” and “worthy” pursuit.

• Development opportunities: Many participants appreciated “opportunities for development and continuous learning” in academia. They described research as a “non-stop learning process” that requires ongoing knowledge updates to keep pace with technological changes.

• Community respect and social status: Some interviewees were motivated by “community respect and social status”, noting that academia is a respected profession and contributes to an elite social standing.

• Economic reasons: A minor theme emerged regarding economic benefits, with eight participants indicating that academia provides better job opportunities and advantages.

Career challenges

• Immature learning culture: Participants noted that students prioritise obtaining certificates over acquiring knowledge, with parents often reinforcing this mindset. The education system is likened to schooling rather than fostering critical thinking, and traditional teaching methods do not meet current demands.

Additionally, large class sizes hinder effective learning, and the perception of education as a business undermines teaching quality.

• Management issues: Many interviewees highlighted bureaucratic constraints within higher education institutions as a barrier, citing restrictive policies that hinder the implementation of new ideas.

• Underdeveloped research culture: A lack of genuine interest in research among academics was noted, with many viewing it as a means for promotion rather than acquiring knowledge. Some participants linked this issue to inadequate institutional support for research.

• Work-life balance: Participants expressed concerns over their heavy workloads and the challenge of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, with many working beyond traditional hours.

Additionally, Jordanian participants mentioned instability when it came to rules regarding promotions as an obstacle to their career progression. Overall, the challenges varied slightly among different nationalities, but the core issues remained consistent.

Satisfaction with an academic career

Recognition emerged as a key factor of job satisfaction among interviewees, with many stating that acknowledgement from the community and students greatly influences their feelings, exemplified by comments like “acknowledgement erases everything”.

Job security was also highlighted, with one participant noting the low risk of layoffs and high demand for academics, although some Bahraini participants pointed out that job security is mainly found in state universities, with private university academics being more vulnerable.

Autonomy was another important factor; interviewees appreciated the flexibility in their schedules, as illustrated by comments about choosing when and where to work, despite a heavy workload.

Additionally, social status played a role, with participants saying that community respect for the profession contributes to their job satisfaction.

Among Iraqi participants, a significant theme was the need for stability in the legal and legislative environment, as well as calls for objectivity and transparency, which they said would enhance their job satisfaction.

Overall, recognition, job security, autonomy and social status were the primary factors that contributed to job satisfaction among these academics.

What generates dissatisfaction?

• An absence of collegiality: Many participants noted a lack of real collaboration and teamwork, with only a few Bahraini interviewees reporting a positive academic community.

• Changing rules and regulations: This was seen as a source of dissatisfaction, particularly when it relates to bureaucratic procedures. While some Jordanian participants viewed it as a professional challenge, many from other nationalities echoed these concerns.

• A lack of academic freedom: Participants felt restricted by legal, religious and political issues, with Iraqi academics specifically noting limitations, even when it came to minor decisions. A Bahraini interviewee acknowledged some academic freedom, though not as much as expected.

• Low quality of education: This concern relates to weak higher education institutions and insufficient collaboration with international universities, a focus on obtaining certificates more than learning, and large class sizes that detract from education quality.

• Insufficient research funding: Almost all Iraqi and Jordanian participants expressed dissatisfaction regarding limited research funding, which shifts the focus predominantly to teaching. Bahraini academics did not raise this concern.

The findings of the study, involving 59 academics, show that the factors motivating faculty members to engage in academia are mostly intrinsic, while dissatisfaction and challenge factors are mostly extrinsic.

It also demonstrates that not all career challenges are perceived as contributing to job dissatisfaction, as factors that generate dissatisfaction go beyond mere challenges.

Although the main factors that generate satisfaction, as well as dissatisfaction, are similar to those found in the general research literature, there are some new ones linked to Arab culture and legal systems.

The perception of an academic career as a respected path within societal culture constitutes a primary motivator to pursue academia.



Hashem Alshurafat is an associate professor in the department of accounting, Business School, the Hashemite University, Jordan. E-mail:hashema@hu.edu.jo. Waed Ensour is an associate professor in the department of business administration at the Business School of the Hashemite University. E-mail: waed@hu.edu.jo. Hadeel Al Maaitah is an assistant professor in the department of business administration at the Business School of the Hashemite University. E-mail: hadeel@hu.edu.jo. Radwan Kharabsheh is an associate professor in the department of business administration at the Business School of the Hashemite University.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.