Al-Diwan brings you the latest news and analysis from the publishing and academic worlds that relate to pedagogy and knowledge production. 

Publishing

Why Beall’s List Died – and What it Left Unresolved About Open Access
By Paul Basken (The Chronicle of Higher Ed) 

Mr. Jeffrey Beall is an academic librarian at the University of Colorado at Denver who developed a long list of scientific journals he deemed exploitative and “unscrupulous.” However, nine months ago, Beall deleted this list. Paul Basken looks at the circumstances surrounding Beall’s list that pushed him to take it down.

Ready for Frankfurt Book Fair: Next Page’s Balkan Catalogue in Arabic
By Porter Anderson (Publishing Perspectives)

Through translations, Yana Genovia, the Next Page Director, established this initiative to increase the knowledge flow on the Balkans to Arabic readers. The books selected for translation were chosen by translators themselves to highlight the “important role of the literary translator in the process of cultural interaction.”

Moving Beyond E-books…and into the Virtual
By Laura Dawson (Publishers Weekly)

Laura Dawson, thinking back to her fascination with Masquerade, a children’s book filled with puzzles and clues to find a treasure in the physical world, sees a great opportunity for publishers to engage readers in a new way. Through augmented reality, publishers can bring the characters and stories of beloved books to life.

The Color Fetish
By Toni Morrison (The New Yorker)

Scanning several examples from American literature, Toni Morrison outlines the role colorism has played in shaping narrative. Not only has it shaped characters and their storylines, but, according to Morrison, “[colorism] is the ultimate narrative shortcut.” Turning to her own works, Morrison explores the task of writing raceless stories and the reception of these pieces.

Education

Academic Censorship and Faculty Resistance
By Jay Smith (Academe Blog)

Reflecting on his battle over academic freedom with the University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill administrators, Professor Jay Smith pays his respects to the many organizations and people whose vocal frustrations allowed his course to be reinstated.

Harvard Rescinds Chelsea Manning’s Fellowship
By Colleen Flaherty (Inside Higher Ed)

After the resignation of Michael Morrell, who was a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, as well as criticism from CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, Dean Douglas Elmendorf of the Kennedy School rescinded his fellowship offer to Chelsea Manning. Elmendorf cited concerns over the honorific implications of offering a visiting fellow position to Manning as the reason for revoking the invitation.

I’m tired of men belittling female academics – take our research seriously
(The Guardian)

Sexism seeps into every corner of academia, according to the author. Not only do women endure senior male scholars dismissing their research despite the fact that these men do not have a background in the subject, but she herself has also faced undergraduate students questioning her grading, a situation none of her male colleagues have ever been in or could imagine.

A Regional Survey: How Arab Countries Regulate Quality in Higher Education
By Rasha Faek (Al-Fanar Media) 

Recently, Al-Fanar Media conducted a country-by-country survey on higher education; Rasha Faek’s article delves into the data collected and the meaning behind it. The survey looked at the perquisites to establishing a new university in several Arab countries, accountability mechanisms, and government involvement in supporting or opposing higher education institutions.