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Call for Papers
Theme: Conceptualizing the Global University
Type: International Conference
Institution: American University of Sharjah
Location: Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)
Date: 3.–4.5.2014
Deadline: 1.2.2014
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Situated in the United Arab Emirates, twenty kilometers from Dubai,
American University of Sharjah (AUS) is a pioneer among the new
universities in the Arabian Gulf. It will be hosting a conference on
the Global University on May 3 and 4, 2014.
The Global University has emerged as a new force in education through
the delocalization of the site of learning. It is manifested in the
growth of global network universities undertaken by various Western
universities to enable students and faculty to study and conduct
research at different poles around the world. It is also manifested
in the spread of branch campuses in different parts of the world
which, although by no means a new phenomenon, are increasingly used
to generate not only profit but also prestige for both the university
and the host. Finally, indigenous universities are increasingly
adopting a globalized and standardized curriculum to remain
competitive.
The Symposium on the Global University, an interdisciplinary project
at AUS which held its first workshop in May 2013, connects scholars
from different backgrounds and interests to develop a series of
frameworks for better understanding the changing university. The
conference Conceptualizing the Global University will build on that
effort by bringing together scholars from the Middle East, Asia,
Europe and North America who are interested in the ways in which
universities have recently been used to contribute to national and
regional development and are embedded in global transformations.
Researchers whose work focuses on areas such as transnational
education, the impact of universities locally (as well as globally),
the transformations caused by technological change on academic life
and the future of universities are invited to submit paper proposals.
This conference will contribute to the task of better understanding
the ways in which universities-particularly in the Middle East,
Africa and Eurasia-are developing within, apart and a pace from a
globalized world.
The symposium aims to explore the university from a number of
perspectives which reflect both local and global considerations. To
begin with, while we are interested in the broader global experience,
special attention will be given to those papers which focus upon
universities in the Arabian Gulf. In addition, the importance of
historical developments will be addressed because they provide a
basis both for the "colonial university" and the postcolonial issues
which continue to define education and the production of knowledge.
Accordingly, we are interested in papers that explore the cultural
and linguistic challenges which punctuate the full range of
globalized university activities. Submissions which investigate the
many features of the "crisis"' of the contemporary university will be
welcomed as well. The symposium also invites scholars who are
motivated to probe both the benefits and pitfalls associated with
technological change (MOOCs, e-learning, etc.) to connect these
themes to the wider conversation about the "global university" and
its futures. Finally, drawing many of these themes together, we look
forward to presentations which investigate the viability and
sustainability of both new universities (include branch campuses) and
the programmatic changes which have taken place in older
institutions.
Potential topics include:
* The History of the Global University:
Papers may explore the rich history of processes which help to
contribute to the shaping of the Global University. The symposium
welcomes historically oriented papers on any facet of the globalized
university and particular attention will be devoted to those which
explore the following:
- The emergence of universities in the Arabian Gulf and MENA region;
- Governance and authority in colonial universities;
- Colonial and postcolonial universities, and the emergence of the
Global University.
* The Viability of the Global University Model:
There is a widespread concern among stakeholders, students and
university staff that universities are under attack. This concern
extends to the Global University. Potential papers might investigate
topics such as:
- The increased corporatization of universities;
- The growth of standardization and regimes of accreditation;
- The relationship between industry, government and the Global
University;
- The overall viability of the explosion of universities.
* Language and Culture:
The growth of the Global University offers unique challenges to
language and culture. Papers might interrogate topics such as:
- The role of language in the Global University and its
relationship to national identity;
- The transformation of language and culture into commodities,
inside and alongside the Global University;
- The potential for Arabic as a language for knowledge production,
particularly in the Gulf.
Abstracts (300-500 words) and short biographies (200 words) should be
sent to <[email protected]> by February 1, 2014. Informal queries
can be sent to Dr. Stephen L. Keck at <[email protected]>. Limited funding
for local expenses will be available on the basis of demonstrable
need. Decisions will be communicated to all submitters by February 20
to enable presenters to organize their travel.
Steering Committee:
Dr. Fatima L. Badry
Dr. Hassan Bashir
Dr. Thorsten Botz-Bornstein
Dr. Nawar Golley
Dr. Kevin W. Gray
Dr. Stephen L. Keck
Conference website:
http://www.aus.edu/iccgu
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