Research on Educational Policies and Practices in the MENA Region: Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Scholars (Mentorship Session)

• In Event: CIES Wednesday Roundtables
  In Group Roundtable Paper Session: Research on Educational Policies and Practices in the MENA Region: Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Scholars (Mentorship Session) (Table 6)

Proposal

Chairs and Discussants: The roundtable will comprise of Nagwa Megahed and Basel Akar (Co-Chairs); Zeena Zakharia, Roozbeh Shirazi, Elizabeth Buckner, Jason Dorio (Co-Facilitators); Shaimaa Awad, Nazly Abaza, Karim ElSamman and Ahmed Sameh (MESIG Members) and other interested MESIG members

Abstract
In fulfillment of one of its main objectives, the Middle East Special Interest Group proposes this roundtable session to provide an opportunity for dialogue among senior and junior scholars, educators and development practitioners interested in the study of the region. The wave of popular uprisings beginning in late 2010 has engendered complex realities with new challenges for educators, administrators, youth, civil society, and policymakers in the region. These challenges are magnified especially for emerging scholars who seek to conduct quality research on educational policies and practices in the MENA region. The roundtable session will create the needed space for reflection and examination of these challenges as related to different research interests and approaches, offering opportunities for knowledge exchange, support and mentorship among senior and junior scholars and practitioners interested in the region.

This roundtable session will be led by the current co-chairs of MESIG, Nagwa Megahed and Bassel Akar, joint by former MESIG chairs, Zeena Zakharia, Roozbeh Shirazi, Elizabeth Buckner along with Jason Dorio who will all serve as co-facilitators of this session. Four junior scholars of the MESIG, Shaimaa Awad, Nazly Abaza, Karim ElSamman and Ahmed Sameh, will join the session. In the meantime, the session will be announced and invitation will be sent encouraging other MESIG members to join the session.

The facilitators will provide a brief rationale for the session, followed by a short presentation by each of them to trigger the discussion and offer their insights as related to their scholarly work and professional experience in Middle Eastern and North African countries. Each brief presentation will end with reflective questions to engage participants in dialogue as related to their experience and research interest. Afterwards, participants will be invited to share their research interests and current projects in the region, their reflections and insights and their respective challenges and/or questions. Then, the co-facilitators will offer their response from the perspective of their expertise and interest. Issues of discussion may include challenges and opportunities for different approaches for examining educational policy and reform; social justice; economic, social and cultural development during transitional periods; human rights, citizenship and activism; donor agencies, civil society and international development; diversity and equity and other sociopolitical issues of participants’ interests.

Authors

• Nagwa M Megahed, The American University in Cairo

• Bassel Akar, Notre Dame University - Louaize

• Zeena Zakharia, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Roozbeh Shirazi, University of Minnesota

• Jason Nunzio Dorio, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

• Elizabeth S Buckner, Teachers College, Columbia University