Universities in Arab Countries: An Urgent Need for Change

Dr. Baydoun was educated at the University of Jordan, Amman (BSc, 1971), the American University of Beirut (AUB) (MSc, 1977) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil, 1978 and PhD, 1980). At present Professor of Biology at AUB and secretary general of the Arab Academy of Sciences. Previous positions include: Chairman of the Biology Department at AUB and Assistant president and Director of Planning and Development at Yarmouk University, Jordan. Awards include: The Award,of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, Abdul Hamid Shoman Prize for Young Arab Scientists for Biology, Distinguished Scholar Award of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, and the Developing World Study Award of the Royal Society, UK. Membership in Societies: Cambridge Philosophical Society; Biochemical Society, London; American Society for Plant Biologists,USA;Institute of Biology, London; the Arab Academy of Sciences and TWAS. Publications: Over 50 articles in refereed international journals in addition to proceedings of international conferences and books Research Interests include: plant cell wall biosynthesis, membrane fusion, nanotechnology and medicinal plants.






John Hillman
Professor Hillman, Director and Chief Executive of the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) during 1986-2005, oversaw the incorporation of the Scottish Agricultural Statistics Service (later retitled Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland - BioSS), staff transfers from the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, links with the University of Dundee, establishment of Mylnefield Research Services Ltd, new buildings, expansion of staff numbers, and major revision of the research portfolio. Prior to his appointment at SCRI, he was Professor and Head of the Department of Botany, University of Glasgow.



In the period 1995-1997, he was Chairman of the UK Technology Foresight Sector Panel on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and then the Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Sector Panel. During 2000-2005, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the BioIndustry Association and chairman of its Industrial Biotechnology Group. Other positions held include President of the Agriculture and Food Section of the British Association; member of Court of the University of Abertay Dundee; visiting professorships in the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh, and Strathclyde; editor and referee for several scientific journals; various committees of the Royal Society of Edinburgh;