Tadween Publishing brings you the latest news and analyses from the publishing and academic worlds that relates to pedagogy and knowledge production.

How University Admissions Distorts Some Arab Societies
By Elizabeth Buckner (Al Fanar)

Elizabeth Buckner takes a look at the current admissions process for many universities across the Arab world. Buckner argues that youth must be given more flexibility in the decision making process over what they want to study in order for Arab higher education to fulfill the needs of society and the economy.

Why High Schools Should Treat Computer Programming Like Algebra
By Jordan Weissmann (The Atlantic)

The Atlantic hosted its third-annual Technologies in Education forum on 15 May 2013, which examined how new policies and technology are affecting education. Jordan Weissmann presents a roundup of the forum’s ideas and conclusions, stating, among other things, that there is a greater necesity for better education based in technology and teaching styles that adapt to each student’s needs.

The Real Costs of Self-Publishing a Book
By Miral Sattar (Mediashift/PBS)

The allure of self-publishing a book is increasing as the idea becomes more popular; however, as enticing as the idea may be, one cannot forget about cost. Miral Sattar does an excellent job of breaking down the cost for how much it would take to publish a high quality book on your own, from cover to back.

Elite Journals: to hell in a handbasket?
By Hadas Shema (Scientific American)

Hadas Shema examines a new study that looks into the influence of “elite” journals and emerging journals depending on how many times each has been cited. The study suggests that elite journals are not necessarily dying out, but the hierarchy of journals might be changing.

Google Play for Education could kill the iPad in Schools
By Meghan Kelly (VentureBeat)

Google is trying to tap into the education market with Google Play for Education. By using android tablets, students and teachers can interact and create new education programs and exercises with a store full of Google apps. The only downside in this new venture is certainly the cost it would take to put tablets into the hands of each student in a classroom.

Education reform’s next big thing: Common Core Standards ramp up
By Amanda Paulson (Times Higher Education)

Common Core standards have been adopted by K-12 schools in 45 states across the US and some are touting it as one of the most promising education reforms in decades. But is the plan moving too quickly?

We’re Doing a Lousy Job of Getting Poor Kids to College
By Kayla Webley (TIME)

Despite government programs that promise to help fund education for low-income children, the picture for most remains bleak. Kayla Webley takes a look at the numbers and examines how well the United States is doing at giving an education to underprivileged youth.  

By Yasmin Moll, Emily McKee, Tessa Farmer, and Jessica Barnes

[Image by Walt Jabsco via Flickr]

The Middle East is a region that is continuously in the news and frequently the focus of controversial, polarizing and sometimes virulent debate within both policy and media circles. Scholars working on the Middle East face a unique set of challenges in their teaching and research. What they have to say, and how they say it, is often subjected to intense scrutiny by those with vested political or ideological interests. Such extra-scholarly pressures can pose serious threats to academic freedom and exercising professional responsibility. In light of these circumstances, the Taskforce on Middle East Anthropology created a resource guide in 2006 titled Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility after 9/11: A Handbook for Scholars and Teachers. The first edition of the handbook was based on ethnographic interviews with and research on academics working on the Middle East who have encountered obstacles in their teaching and scholarship.

In 2012, we gathered as a revision committee to update the handbook. Continuing the collaborative approach of the original taskforce, we have tried to learn from as many people as possible about the diversity of tools available to assist academics in what are, at times, difficult circumstances. We evaluated the current atmosphere of academic freedom via a survey distributed to faculty and graduate students studying the Middle East and updated the document to reflect legal changes that impact the ability of academics to carry out their scholarship and teaching. We also reviewed major controversies over academic freedom since the original version of the handbook was published in 2006 and updated links, citations, and contact information.

Our research highlights the influence of a growing number of extra-academic organizations, formed with the mandate of “monitoring” the scholarship and teaching of Middle East specialists. Their efforts to silence individuals they disagree with is a threat to the academic freedom of all scholars, but especially untenured faculty in a precarious job market. As a result of this surveillance, some professors we surveyed reported feeling like they are “walking on eggshells” or “walking in a minefield” in their teaching and research on the region. 

Despite these challenges, many professors have used the increased scrutiny to engage the academic community in richer discussions about the region. Many go to great lengths to foster a classroom environment that is open to discussing multiple viewpoints. The perception of the region as always embroiled in conflict can offer professors greater latitude to explore “sensitive topics.” In addition, some professors feel that being scholars of a region that is constantly in the news and the center of public attention leads to their expertise having higher value within their home institutions.  For many, the “Arab Spring” has become an excellent counter-argument to pervasive negative stereotypes about the Middle East. They report that student perceptions of the Middle East have improved as the uprisings have “humanized” Arabs, although it has not always led to significantly more sophisticated understandings of the region and its role in current political affairs.

The handbook is divided into two major parts. The first section examines the diverse institutional resources available to faculty who face threats to their academic freedom, including internal university structures, professional organizations, legal recourse, and media outlets.  It addresses core concerns that scholars in these situations may have: how to find allies within the university, how to prepare for a potentially controversial event, how to initiate a letter campaign in defense of yourself or a colleague, and when to contact the media.

The second section is a practical guide to dealing with difficult situations that may arise in the classroom. What should a teacher do if a student accuses him or her of bias? How should disruptive outbursts by students be handled? How can a teacher best respond if a student makes a racist or discriminatory remark in class? The handbook discusses specific pedagogical techniques to manage such situations.

Research for the handbook suggests that scholars of the Middle East who face challenges to their academic freedom often turn first to the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) for support. However, discipline-specific organizations also serve as an important additional resource for scholars in such situations. Disciplinary annual meetings and publications for members can offer venues for discussing existing threats to academic freedom and sharing techniques to address these challenges.

Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility: A Handbook for Scholars and Teachers of the Middle East is available here.

[A version of this article appeared in the October 2012 issue of Anthropology News.]

In that historical moment after the September 11 terrorist attacks, American politicians and pundits launched a debate about whether torture should be employed to combat terror. Those who endorsed the use of torture, and even some conflicted torture opponents, affirmed the consensus view that torture is unequivocally bad. But, they opined, if torture was necessary to elicit vital information to keep Americans safe, it would be a justifiable lesser evil in the service of national security. Nowadays, drone strikes have supplanted torture as the popular lesser evil. 
 

The main thrust is to reexamine the idea of "the frontier" as primarily a rural space. The argument is that Zionism, despite the ideological orientation of Labor Zionism and the central role of kibbutzim and agriculture in the Zionist self-imagination, became over time an increasingly urban settlement project. Consequently, the violence associated with frontiers also became increasingly concentrated in urban areas—exemplified by Jerusalem and Hebron today. 

In a rare public appearance, Bashar Assad visited Damascus University on May 4 to dedicate a statue to the martyrs from Syrian universities who have been killed in the country’s two-year ongoing violence. While Assad’s appearance is undoubtedly a calculated political move, there is no question that the state of education in Syria has been devastated by the conflict that has consumed the country.