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A Survey Reveals How the Pandemic Has Hurt MENA Research
A survey of scholars done in the late spring and early summer that included researchers who study the MENA region showed the pandemic’s adverse effects and the occasional beneficial ones on research, the authors of the survey say.
Previous Coverageتغطيات سابقة
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An Arab Film Festival in the U.K., SAFAR, Adapts to the Online Environment
The SAFAR Film Festival had to shift to an online format this year because of Covid-19. On the plus side, that might mean more viewers at a time when interest …
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Sudan’s Floods Destroy Schools and Dreams
Catastrophic Nile floods cause yet another disruption for Sudan’s schools and universities, already beset by coronavirus shutdowns and a year lost to political upheaval.
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Egyptian Translation Center’s New Guidelines Could Stifle Freedom of Thought
The National Center for Translation was created to make knowledge from across the world accessible to Egyptians. Many see its new guidelines as a move to restrict freedom of thought.
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A Stateless Poet Finds Her Home and Identity in Literature
Mona Kareem, who will teach at Princeton University this fall, employs her poetic talent to highlight the issues of Kuwait’s Bedoon population.
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‘Life Must Go On’: Syria’s Universities and Schools Prepare to Reopen
With Syria apparently experiencing many more cases of Covid-19 than the government publicly acknowledges, parents and students are wary about the scheduled openings of universities and schools.
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Sharjah Performing Arts Academy Fills an Educational Gap in the Gulf
The academy, about to start its second year, bases its curriculum on local culture and expands the opportunities for Gulf students to study the performing arts without going abroad.
Research
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Land of No Rain: How Jordan Is Facing a Parched Future
With limited rainfall and aquifers already over pumped, the kingdom is running out of water. Researchers are tackling some aspects of the problem, but hard choices still lie ahead.
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Egyptian Universities Ramp Up Research to Meet Covid-19 Crisis
For many Egyptian universities, the coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity to refocus on supporting research in different fields for the benefit of society.
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How Policy Makers and Universities Can Help Arab Scientists
Advances by Arab scientists, such as a faster new coronavirus test developed in Jordan, could benefit their home countries and the world. Universities and governments must do more to help …
Inequality
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How Some Arab Children Are Shut Out of Classrooms
A new report details the ways in which government policies and on-the-ground practices exclude some children—because of gender, disabilities, and many other reasons—from schools.
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New Report Details Where Children Are Excluded From Education
A new report and website give a country-by-country examination of how children are welcomed in schools or shut out from them.
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Showing Their Faces Online Is Difficult for Some Arab Women: Educators Must Respond
As Covid-19 forces classes to go online, educators need to be more aware of the blind spots surrounding cultural norms that limit some Arab women’s ability to participate.
Resources
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Thrills and Fantasies: Lighter Reading for a Summer of Disruption
Here’s a recommended reading list of lighter works to take your mind off Covid-19. Many are inspired by the broad sweep of history across the Middle East and North Africa.
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An Online Conference Focuses on Overcoming a Difficult Time for Education and Jobs
The conference brought together educators, students, entrepreneurs and advocacy groups to discuss how to support young people in the Middle East and other areas.
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Online for Free: A Summer Reading List
Publishers and literary websites are making it easy to find good reading material from or about the Arab world, with many free offerings to choose from.
Opinion
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A Survey Reveals How the Pandemic Has Hurt MENA Research
A survey of scholars done in the late spring and early summer that included researchers who study the MENA region showed the pandemic’s adverse effects and the occasional beneficial ones …
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5 Ways to Connect With Online Students
In remote teaching, it’s easy to forget that students are real people. Here’s why connecting early and often with them is vital, and how to do it.
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Seize the Opportunities that Online Education Offers, says a Lifelong Learner
Distance education provides exceptional opportunities today for thousands of students to expand their knowledge and develop their skills in a way that was impossible a year ago, the author says.
What Others are Reading
A Guide to Top Platforms for Online Courses
Al-Fanar Media explores some of the major Arabic and non-Arabic online learning platforms that offer university-level courses at low cost or free.
For Kids: A Summer of Arabic Podcasts, Readings and Online Activities
Parents in search of activities for children cooped up at home this summer can find a growing number of books, readings and games in Arabic online.
African-Iraqis Also Need the Black Lives Matter Movement
As the global movement against racism grows, it’s time for the Arab world to look at similar racial discrimination in its midst.
Arab Universities Begin Reopening After Covid-19 Closures
Officials in several countries called the openings tentative and said they could be reversed if the number of infections rises.
