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Overview
International Conference on Conceptualizing the Global University
Overview
Situated in the UAE, 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.
Abstracts (300-500 words) and short biographies (200 words)
should be sent to [email protected] by February 28, 2014.
Informal queries can be sent to Dr. Stephen L. Keck at [email protected]. Limited funding for expenses will be available on the basis of demonstrable need. Decisions will be communicated to all submitters by March 15 to enable presenters to organize their travel.
Topics
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; and, - 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 28, 2014. Informal queries can be sent to Dr. Stephen L. Keck at [email protected]. Limited funding for expenses will be available on the basis of demonstrable need. Decisions will be communicated to all submitters by March 15 to enable presenters to organize their travel.
Accommodation
Visa Information
Citizens of the following countries can obtain a visa upon entry: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland (Netherlands), Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vatican City.
Citizens of other countries will require a visa to enter the United Arab Emirates. If you are flying to the UAE using Emirates Airlines or Air Arabia, the airline can get you the necessary visa if you make the request in advance. If you elect to apply for a visa at the UAE embassy in your country, we will be glad to provide you with any supporting documents that you may need, such as an invitation letter indicating the acceptance of your paper.
Steering Committee
- Dr. Fatima L. Badry (American University of Sharjah)
- Dr. Hassan Bashir (Texas A&M University - Qatar)
- Dr. Thorsten Botz-Bornstein (Gulf University of Science and Technology Kuwait)
- Dr. Nawar Golley (American University of Sharjah)
- Dr. Kevin W. Gray (American University of Sharjah)
- Dr. Stephen L. Keck (American University of Sharjah)
- Dr. David R. Lea (American University of Sharjah)
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