Arab Region Universities Offer Choice of Single-Sex, Mixed Environments

Sarah F. Maini attended an all-girls school in her native Syria from sixth grade through high school. But for college Maini sought a coed Arab region university. She decided on the Lebanon branch of the Arab Open University, where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in business studies.

Maini says the transition from an all-girls school to a mixed-gender learning environment wasn't at all a hard adjustment.

"I prefer mixed schools," says Maini. "It gives girls a push to get over their fears to face the other sex."

Ahmed Abdelnour, international marketing coordinator at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, says students and parents from the Gulf region are typically more conservative and the issue of coeducation does occasionally come up when applying for undergraduate studies.

"Many of the students themselves don't seem to mind co-education but their parents usually prefer segregated environments, hence some prefer to send their children to federal universities in UAE since they are segregated," Abdelnour said, via email.

[See how Arab universities are offering opportunities to women.]

Arab region students considering studying in a different Arab country can choose from single-sex, coed and segregated universities.

Single-sex universities enroll students of only one sex, such as Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia, the largest women's university in the world. Students can also choose a coed university in the region, such as the University of Jordan, where men and women attend classes together. Segregated learning environments, such as at Al Azhar University in Egypt or most Saudi universities, separate male students from female students.

Mohammed Salah Mayhoub, a professor of architectural engineering at Al Azhar University, where men and women attend classes and live on two separate campuses under one administration, says there are advantages and disadvantages to the different types of learning environments.

"At the segregated universities, I think students concentrate better, spend less time showing off," says Mayhoub. "On the other hand, at the coed universities students get a better chance to understand the other gender."

Majda Omer, a professor of computer science at the coed Sudan University of Science and Technology, says that whether coed, segregated or single sex, the quality of education doesn't differ much. She says Arab societies tend to raise their girls to be shy and conservative, and "therefore when there is no mixed education it gives her the courage and the openness to do her best in learning."

She says this allows students to concentrate on educational achievement and competition. But, at the same time, she says that a "coeducation environment allows both sexes to know each other's skills," and does not present an obstacle to pursuing their studies.

[Learn how online courses can help women in the Arab region.]

At UOW, Abdelnour says they tell concerned parents that they take the behavior of their students at school seriously. They expect students to adhere to their university code of conduct as well as the local authority guidelines "that take into consideration the local culture as well as the diversity of our student population which promotes tolerance and being culturally sensitive and aware."

Abdelnour says school officials also emphasize the importance of diversity and exposure to peers of different nationalities, which can better prepare them to live and work in a multinational environment. The school also invites students and parents to visit the university to get a feel for the campus environment.

Salim Kanaan, director of admissions at American University of Beirut in Lebanon, says in his frequent recruitment trips to secondary schools in the region, he has never come across students or parents asking about universities that were not coeducational. He says coeducational schools are particularly important when it comes to employment opportunities in a competitive job market, as the degree is just one factor.

"The ability to be able to have an open debate and have a critical mind and be able to adapt to various environments are but additives that would ensure a competitive edge over others for the work opportunities," said Kanaan, via email.

For applicants looking for a job in fields where the genders have equal opportunities, Kanaan says being a graduate of a single-sex university is a disadvantage.

[Learn how to get comfortable at a coed Arab university campus.]

Donald Bates, president and professor at Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait, says as a parent and educator he would recommend a coed university for the social and educational aspects provided by that type of learning environment. Ultimately, he says, parents and students should choose what makes them most comfortable.

"It is important that they are in an environment in which he or she feels completely at ease," said Bates, via email. "This is to ensure that they are in an optimum position to excel in their studies and reach their full potential."

Having experienced both single-sex and coed learning environments, AOU student Maini says she would never consider single-sex or segregated universities.

Since joining AOU, Maini has thrived at her coed school and says she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I am a competitive person," says Maini. "And, usually girls are smarter than guys. And in fact, most of the guys in my classes ask for my help."

See the complete rankings of the Best Arab Region Universities.

Anayat Durrani is a Los Angeles-based freelance education reporter for U.S. News, covering Arab region universities.