Tadween Roundup: News and Analysis in Publishing and Academia from the Arab World

News and stories with a focus on the publishing industry, education, and technology from across the Arab world.


Will the Latest Generation of Online Courses Help the Arab World?
By Maha Bali (Al Fanar)

MOOCs have sparked heated discussions and debates over their use in higher education, but how would they fare in the Arab world? Maha Bali, an educator at the American University in Cairo, looks into this question and experiments with the usefulness of MOOCs in the Arab world.

Preserving Syria’s Intellectual Capital
By Allan E. Goodman and Mark A. Angelson (Chicago Tribune)

In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, Allan E. Goodman and Mark A. Angelson call on the international community to help save Syria’s academics, scholars, and students from the peril of civil war. While the media has focused on the atrocities taking place across the country, the authors argue that the danger facing academia and education in Syria must not be ignored.

War Threatens Whole Syrian Generation with Illiteracy
(Middle East Online)

According to Save The Children, the education of 2.5 million youth in Syria is in jeopardy and more than a fifth of schools in Syria have been obliterated or remain unusable due to the ongoing conflict. 

School’s in for Summer: Syrians Struggle to Catch Up
By Niamh Fleming-Farrell (The Daily Star)

Despite it being summer, when children take their break from school to enjoy their youth, schools in Lebanon are still holding class for Syrian refugees who are trying to make up the time lost in their education.

Palestine’s Women Head to College
By Tiffanie Wen (The Daily Beast)

Reflecting a growing trend in the Arab world, more Palestinian women are attending university and obtaining degrees than men, and are outperforming them in some areas. Yet, while more and more women are flocking to higher education, they still face a higher unemployment rate (thirty-three percent) compared to men (twenty percent).

Egypt’s Revolt Brings Hope for Higher Education
By Farouk El-Baz (The Chronicle of Higher Education)

According to Farouk El-Baz, while Egyptian protesters, from 25 January to 30 June, called for political and economic reforms, there was also an underlying cry for improving the country’s education system. El-Baz argues that while Egypt strives toward political and economic stability, education reform must also be a top priority in order to move the country forward.

Academics get key posts in Egypt’s caretaker government
By Ashraf Khaled (University World News)

After a massive shakeup in early July, Egypt’s newly installed interim government has been announced and includes not only politicians, but also academics. Law professor Hossam Issa is the new head of higher education and the founding dean of the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Cairo, Nabil Fahmy, will become foreign minister.