In a move that’s certain to cause simultaneous cheer and consternation among students at Qatar University, the Supreme Education Council has issued a decision that classes at QU be conducted primarily in Arabic. 

Effective this fall, the disciplines of law, international affairs, media and business administration must all be taught in Arabic, the SEC has decreed, as reported by the Gulf Times.

The preservation of Arab culture and language has become an increasing source of concern in Qatar, where expats comprise 85 percent of the population and the lingua franca is English.

But the council’s decision still comes as a surprise to many, given Qatar’s desire to prepare its young people for a “knowledge-based economy.”

What are your thoughts? Was this a necessary step, or a backwards one?