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

Publishing

Mic’s Drop
By Adrianne Jeffries (The Outline)

Mic.com, initially PolicyMic, has grown drastically since its founding in 2010. However, with that growth came increasing criticism of the platform from within its own ranks, as well as from without. Former employees discussed ethical disparities between the image Mic projects and the company’s founders, how it favors breadth of topics over depth, and impact of the recent shift towards using the linguistic and stylistic markers of mainstream news.

The Professor is In: Is it Too Soon to Talk to Publishers?
By Karen Kelsky (Chronicle Vitae)

Dr. Karen Kelsky tackles the question of when is a good time to contact publishers about one’s dissertation. Highlighting the differences between a dissertation and a book, Kelsky outlines the problems with approaching publishers too early, as well as the benefits that can come along with having contacted publishers once one is on the job market.

Bokova and Al Qasimi Certify Sharjah as UNESCO World Book Capital 2019
By Porter Anderson (Publishing Perspectives)

Earlier in August, Sharjah was formally selected to be the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019. Positioning the selection of Sharjah as the 2019 World Book Capital against being a historical hub for literacy and cultural advances, Bodour Al Qasimi hope to initiate programming during the year focusing on reading, inclusivity, and heritage.

Who Owns the Internet?

By Elizabeth Kolbert (The New Yorker)

Elizabeth Kolbert, taking in the opinions of authors on the subject, reflects on the role of the Internet in shaping knowledge production. She looks at initiatives, such as Google’s attempt to scan every book, that attempt to subvert copyright laws and common distribution practices.

Education

Rising Tuition in Jordan Highlights Flawed University Finances
By Mohammad Farij (Al-Fanar Media)

To keep Jordanian universities running, administrators claim that there is no way to garner the funds necessary other than through tuition hikes. Students who are unable to afford these increases often postpone continuing their degree programs, and even when they can pay, students feel as though they do not benefit from the facilities that their money supposedly pays for.

When Mentorship Goes Off Track
By B.R.J. O’Donnell (The Atlantic)

As part of The Atlantic’s “On the Shoulders of Giants” series, B.R.J. O’Donnell talks with W, Brad Johnson, a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, about the reality of mentorship. Johnson discusses the toxicity of an absent mentor—be it intentional absence of unintentional—and the issues posed by unaligned expectations from the mentor-mentee relationship.

As the Ivy League Goes…So Goes American Higher Education?
By Brian Mitchell (Academe Blog)

Expanding upon Brandon Busteed’s op-ed on elite universities and their leading style, Brian Mitchell continues to question how elite universities can change their behavior to further develop their importance to society.