Sometimes, one wonders when the pursuit of the almighty dollar (well, it used to be almighty) blinds university administrations and academicians to the world’s realities or common sense.
With apparently little oversight, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has taken it amongst themselves to go to Saudi Arabia, set up a University and plans to award Cal Poly Degrees in Engineering. This raises several questions:
1) who knows about this project? Who approved it?
2) Did Cal Poly turn a blind eye to some of the Saudis enlightened ‘cultural’ requirements. Will Women, Jews and Gays be allowed to teach?… nah… I don’t think so.
3) Will female Saudi students be able to participate… I hear a NO?
4) How does this help spread tolerance and understanding?
A recent on-line article discusses these and other questions …. however, the only question I have for Cal Poly’s controversial Engineering Dean or Cal Poly president Warren Baker… will you take credit for what your Saudi friends may unleash ultimately on America?
It doesn’t take a scholar to recognize the fact that Saudi Arabia doesn’t hold the same values on life and human rights as do most Americans. Even Provost William Durgan of Cal Poly in addressing members of the Cal Poly Academic Senate (email) wrote:
“It is clear and indisputable that there are significant differences in American and Saudi cultural constructs, ethical tenets and understandings of human rights and responsibilities.”
The problems with doing more business with Saudi Arabia concerns the amount of moral and ethical compromises we as a country and as a people have to make in order to make a buck. I would have thought we would have learned our lesson.
History points to the cooperation between American Universities and Nazi Germany far after it was clear with whom we were dealing.
So, the question I have for Cal Poly and all other American Universities is simply: how much of our American freedoms or core values is anyone willing to sacrifice in order to make a buck?
More reading:
Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (Wikipedia)
Human Rights Watch — Saudi Arabia
Amnesty international — USA– Saudi Arabia
U.S. State Department Report on Human Rights — Saudi Arabia
So, it goes without saying that we nor any of our institutions should support Saudi Arabia’s isolationist ways. Helping the Saudis keep their ‘education in-house’ is the problem. If ever the little kingdom will move into any of the current centuries of civilized behavior, it will come only with greater exposure to the west and not less.
Cal Poly is just wrong.
Roger Freberg
