This policy issues note is focused oninternationalization of higher education and the linkagesand implications that internationalization has for skillsmobility. Internationalization is one of the most importantdevelopments that globalization has brought to highereducation worldwide. In the Middle East and North Africa(MENA) region, it has turned into quite a complexundertaking. The Arab Spring has made it clear that youngpeople in MENA are asking for more and better opportunities:to study and work; to move about the world; and to learn andto create new knowledge and enterprises. Higher education,migration, and labor mobility are key policy areas as MENAnations address the need for a strong skills base tounderpin the economic and social development of the regionsdisparate economies. All three policy areas share aninterest in the development, recognition, and application ofeducational qualifications, in the quality of education andtraining, and in the ability of people to acquire, provide,and use education for their own well-being and for theirnation's benefit. This note is intended to be the basedocument for a policy dialogue integrating the three issuesassociated with the development of human capital: highereducation, migration, and labor mobility. This note seeks tointroduce a systematic policy discussion about theinternationalization of higher education to help MENAcountries improve the quality and relevance of their highereducation systems, open opportunities for better skillsdevelopment, and improve high-skilled labor migration. Thereare important interactions among the formation of skills andcompetencies, the acquisition of credentials andqualifications, and where and how those skills are applied.These include the quality of education, the ease with whichcredentials are recognized in different countries, the roleof international partners, and the incentives to study andwork in the region and elsewhere. This note will explore howa regional approach to accreditation and recognition ofqualifications could bring benefits and understanding of thecomplex interactions among student mobility, domestic highereducation, and the economic and social developmentpriorities of MENA countries. It will also provide evidenceon the importance of setting goals for intra-regionalstudent mobility and for student and faculty flows into theregion through accreditation, student and faculty exchange,hiring incentives, and research infrastructure includingcompetitive research grants. Finally, the note willdemonstrate the need for a clear policy on the 'exportof educational services.'
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