Emirates Look to the West for Prestige

By ANDREW MILLS

It is hardly a secret that the United Arab Emirates has recruited universities from around the world to set up outposts in the Persian Gulf. Less well known is that it is also tapping Western academics to run its public higher-education system.

This month, Wyatt (Rory) Hume, a former provost of the University of California system, took over as provost at United Arab Emirates University, the most comprehensive of the country's three public institutions. Next month, Daniel M. Johnson,