Lebanon ranks 8th globally in cultural exports in Global Knowledge Index 2021

August, 32022- Lebanon has ranked eighth globally in the volume of cultural exports within the sector of research development and innovation in the Global Knowledge Index 2021, issued by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) in collaboration with United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The index measures global knowledge in countries based on their sustainable development policies and modern human life, ability to build knowledge societies, and develop future oriented policies.

The index evaluated 154 countries and contained seven secondary indicators, covering 155 variables selected from over 40 international sources and databases. The index marked the performance of six crucial knowledge sectors namely, pre-university education, technical education and professional training, higher education, information and communications technology ICT, research development and innovation, and economy. It also had a secondary indicator that noted the social, political, economic, health and environmental context under which these sectors were being managed.

The results of the Global Knowledge Index 2021 underwent a comprehensive review during the seventh edition of the Knowledge Summit 2022 that was held at Expo 2020 Dubai. The index indicated that Lebanon displayed exceptional performance in terms of the average number of students per every teacher in higher education, compensation to members of the training committee as a proportion of total expenditure on higher education institutions, the volume of cultural exports as a proportion of all exports, the percentage of female teachers to male teachers in higher education, and the percentage of technical education and vocational training posts.

Lebanon has achieved moderate performance in terms of knowledge infrastructure, ranking 92nd out of 154 countries in the Global Knowledge Index 2021 and 29th out of 39 countries with high human development. Lebanon has further achieved best performance in Higher Education sectoral indices by ranking 31^st globally. According to sectoral indices, the country ranked 49^th in the Research, Development and Innovation; 89^th in the Technical and Vocational education and Training; 98^th in the Information and Communication Technology; 92^nd in the Economy; 116^th in the Pre-university Education; and 139^th globally in the Enabling Environment.