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.


British Library Partners with Qatar Foundation for Digitization of Middle Eastern Historical Records
By Sovan Mandal (Good E-Reader)

A new partnership between the British Library and the Qatar Foundation promises to digitize archival and manuscript material that accumulates to more than half a million titles from across the Middle East.

Editors Take Over Egypt’s Leading Literary Journal
By Nadia Ahmed (Mada Masr)

Amidst the political turmoil engulfing Egypt, the country’s leading literary journal, Akhbar al-Adab, has had a small revolution of its own. The journal’s editors have tried to incorporate a collective form of management, sidestepping the editor-in-chief in the process.

“The Discourse Exists”: The Launch of the Library of Arabic Literature
By Sal Robinson (Melville House)

The Library of Arabic Literature, a series of thirty-five books to be published through a partnership between NYU Press and NYU Abu Dhabi, aspires to make translations of Arabic literature affordable and available to the general public.

Khaled al-Maaly: Poetry Worldwide Has No Boundaries
By M. Lynx Qualey (Arabic Literature)

M. Lynx Qualey interviews Iraqi poet Khalid al-Maaly and founder of the publishing house Al-Kamel Verlag. The interview is in both Arabic and English.

Tribal Violence Plagues Jordanian Public Universities
By Rasha Faek (Al Fanar)

Violence between tribal affiliated groups has increased across university campuses in Jordan, causing fear amongst administrators and students.

Using Technology to Help Educate Syrian Refugees
By Wissam S. Yafi (Syria Deeply)

Wissam S. Yafi writes about the difficulty in providing education for children displaced by the conflict in Syria.

100 Schools for Yemen
(Khaleej Times)

Yemen is the least developed country in the Middle East, and ranks 121 among 140 countries on gender equality, with a particular weakness in primary education for young girls. According to the Khaleej Times, a primary education program sponsored by Dubai Cares-CARE International, and Save the Children, new programs are being put in place to increase access to education for young girls.

More E-Textbooks for Educational Institutions
By Janice Ponce de Leon (Gulf News)

According to Gulf News, the demand for digital textbooks in the Middle East and North Africa has increased due to the shift toward digital curriculums.