Al-Diwan Roundup: News and Analysis in Publishing and Academia from the Arab World

Al-Diwan brings you the latest news and analysis in publishing, academia, pedagogy, and knowledge production from across the Arab world.

What History Books for Children in Palestinian Camps?
By Rosemary Sayigh (Jadaliyya)

“The Palestinians might be said to stand in deep need of self-knowledge and cultural unity in this, the longest and most arduous of struggles against colonialist dispossession, yet because of external political pressures and educational fragmentation they lack this basic tool for reproducing a threatened ‘peoplehood,’” writes Rosemary Sayigh.

Gaza’s School Exam Joy Replaced by Fear and Loss
By Mohammed Omer (Middle East Eye)

Israel’s violent bombardment of the Gaza Strip in recent weeks has interrupted the strip’s way of life once again. This time, the rising death toll destroys the happiness of completing final exams.

Israeli Occupation Forces Raid Palestinian Cultural Magazines
By Sarah Irving (The Electronic Intifada)

Amid Israeli raids on Palestinian homes and businesses following the kidnapping of three Israelis outside of Hebron, the Jerusalem based English-language magazine This Week in Palestine was caught in the crossfire.

Don’t Let Egyptian University Appointments Become a Political Game
By Ahmed Abd Rabou (Al-Fanar Media)

Ahmed Abd Rabou argues that the Egyptian state is encroaching upon the independence of Egyptian universities.

The Fragility of a Deteriorating Arabic?
By M. Lynx Qualey (Arabic Literature [in English])

In an interview with the Daily Star, author Iman Humaydan says that the Arabic language is at risk of becoming disconnected from its native speakers and younger generations.

Universities in Iraq are Caught in the Conflict
By Elizabeth Redden (Inside Higher Ed)

Violent struggles in Iraq between the government and the Islamic State (IS or previously known as ISIS) put Tikrit University at the center of fighting. Earlier in June, militants had also stormed the University of Anbar.

Syrian Rebel Groups Promising Kids Education and Sending Them to War: HRW
(Reuters)

Human Rights Watch reports that militant Islamist groups in Syria are sending children to fight in the civil conflict with the promise that they will receive a free education.

Report Highlights Hurdles Facing Qatar’s Private Education Sector
By Lesley Walker (Doha News)

According to investment bank Alpen Capital’s latest GCC Education Industry Report, private firms are being discouraged from investing in schools in Qatar due to tough regulations and high costs.

The Future of English in Multilingual Morocco
By Youssef Laaraj (Morocco World News)

Youssef Laaraj analyzes the debate over whether or not the English language should be introduced into the Moroccan school system as a rival to dominant French-language instruction.