10th Conference Trialogue of Cultures, 2006, Mediterranean Sea

Transcription

Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung
The foundation of ALTANA AG
Trialogue of Cultures
Mediterranean Sea –
Gap or Bridge?
Perspectives on Cooperation in
Education and Scholarship between
Germany and the Arab World
10
© Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung
Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe
GTZ, Eschborn
June 2006
ISBN 3-7973-9993-7
10th Conference
Mediterranean Sea –
Gap or Bridge?
Perspectives on Cooperation in
Education and Scholarship between
Germany and the Arab World
GTZ-Haus, Berlin
September 12–13, 2005
Contents
Editorial
6
Albrecht Graf von Kalnein
Christoph Beier
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)
Introduction
Cooperation between Germany 14 Daniel Stoevesandt
and the Arab World in Science and
Gießen
Education – Overview and Examples
How International Cooperation in 24 Assia Bensalah Alaoui
Education and Intercultural Dialogue
Rabat-Agdal
Can Lead to an Efficient EuroMediterranean Partnership
Germany’s Contribution to Building 48 Martin Beck
Knowledge-Based Societies
Hamburg
in the Arab World
Cooperation in Scholarship 66 Sari Nusseibeh
and Research
Jerusalem
International Cooperation as a 71 Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker
Pillar of Scientific Excellence
Bonn
Unity in Diversity: Who is Doing What 80 Johannes Ebert
in German Educational and
Cairo
Cultural Politics Abroad?
Education and Scholarship – 90 Mongi Bousnina
Putting Plans for Cooperation
Tunis
into Practice
A Key Feature in Overcoming Deficits 98 Dagmar Awad-Gladewitz
of Development: Improving Basic
Sana’a
Education in Yemen
The Mubarak-Kohl Initiative – 104 Peter-Michael Schmidt
a German-Egyptian Success Story
Cairo
in the Training Area
Perspectives and Outlook: 110 Noha El-Mikawy
Wrapping up Workshop
Beirut
Discussions
Concluding Statement 114 Hans-Heiner Rudolph
Eschborn
German-Arab Cooperation 118 Ala Al-Hamarneh
in Education and Science and the
Mainz
Intercultural Dialogue –
an Arab Perspective
Publishers’ Debate
Building the Bridge: 126 Ibrahim El Moallem
the Role of Books and Reading
Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea
in Intercultural Dialogue
Michael Klett
Chair: Michael Lüders
References 148 Assia Bensalah Alaoui
Ala Al-Hamarneh
Bibliographical Note 150 Nils Warner
Participants 152 Biographies
166 Overview
Selective List of German and Arab 170 Alexander Vey
Institutions in the Areas of
Education and Science
Background 179 Herbert Quandt, ALTANA AG,
Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung and
GTZ, Eschborn
Technical Data 182
Editorial
Albrecht Graf v. Kalnein
Christoph Beier
The history of academic relations across the Mediterranean Sea reaches
far into the past. Our account of those relations ought to start in the seventh
century AD and in late antiquity, whose cultural legacy could only survive the
migration of the peoples and the dark ages thanks to Arab scholars. Because of
the era of our Sicilian emperor, Frederic II (1194–1250), and the occidental philosophy of that time, this history is intertwined with Germany in a special way.
The admiration for Arab culture in these parts was demonstrated in the thirteenth century by the anecdote that Albertus Magnus, the great Cologne philosopher and theologian, donned Arab clothing in order to emphasise his status as a scholar on arriving in Paris, the then capital of knowledge, in 1245.
Equally, in later periods of intellectual departure, such as early humanism
(Nicolas of Cues) or the Enlightenment, the high regard of German writers for
Arab culture was exemplified by the use of Nathan the Wise as school reading
material and the now traditional adoration for the Moorish ruler Saladin in
6
Editorial
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s work. Nonetheless, this fascinating story has almost
been forgotten today, or is at least no longer prominent in the public consciousness, because of the aberrations on both sides following September 11, 2001.
Academic relations between Germany and the Arab world are currently at a
low ebb, to the extent that the majority of countries in that region do not even
figure in statistics of pertinent German institutions, such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) or the Deutscher
Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service).
Part of the cause of this is undoubtedly the currently deplorable “image” of that
cultural area, which, ultimately, even some graduates or foundations cannot
avoid. More important, or fundamental, however, seem to be “inner Arab”
reasons, such as science policy or the state of the education system.
If food for thought was provided even by dry figures, such as the “basic data”
of the World Bank on education and health – according to which, to take Egypt
as an example, 33 percent of all men were still illiterate in 2002 (Turkey: 6 percent) – then the Arab Human Development Report on education (AHDR) resembled a wakeup call whose echo can still be heard. This inquest of the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a heartening review of the
7
Editorial
rich cultural history of the Arab world, provided by the Muslim authors of
the study, could make the volume a manifesto for a revival of the education
system in the region.
Against this backdrop, the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung decided to devote the
Tenth International Conference of its “Trialogue of Cultures” to the range of
topics mentioned. The Trialogue of Cultures, in view of the danger of a “clash
of civilisations”, is designed to promote the communication potential between
the three Abrahamian cultural circles. It focuses on education and science as
well as on the younger generation. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) was keen to accept the invitation of the Foundation to
cooperate in this broad and difficult area. In its venerable building at the Reichpietschufer in Berlin, the conference found a suitable spot which combines an
intense atmosphere with a central location.
The organisers met the requirements by means of their distinctive preparation: on our behalf, young academics of the universities of Gießen, Mainz
and Tübingen explored individual facets of the subject (cf. the contributions by Daniel Stoevesandt,
“The Trialogue
Ala Al-Hamarneh and Alexander Vey in the volume
of Cultures, in
in hand). Thanks to an earlier conference in Washingview of the danton, in cooperation with the Hudson Institute and the
ger of a ‘clash of
LeFrak Forum of the State University of Michigan,
civilisations’, is
attitudes and experiences could be gathered from the
designed to proUnited States – that is to say, from a scientific commote the communication potential
munity which has, for decades, been linked with the
between the three
subject, in Germany as well as now in Iraq, by way of
Abrahamian cula very specific history of examination of dictatorship
tural circles.”
and of efforts for reconstruction.
Therefore, 37 experts from three continents were
on solid ground when they met for a detailed debate of issues whose relevance
reaches beyond Germany, the Arab world and their mutual relations. In addition, the education system, the cooperation between researchers and universities, and the book and reading culture touch upon basic questions of the
twenty-first century in an era of innovation-driven science and unlimited exchange. The volume in hand, Mediterranean Sea – Gap or Bridge? Perspectives on Cooperation and Scholarship between Germany and the Arab World,
comprises the most important contributions and results of the conference in a
specially prepared edition, and presents them for discussion. It almost goes
without saying that the contributions offered here cannot but represent the
view of the (co)authors on the issue handled.
Whether they wish to be or not, the three “cultural circles” are linked by
monotheistic faith and geographic origin, and share an esteem for (holy)
scripture and books – a potentially fertile ground for culture and science.
Thus the conference, which took place among a closed circle of experts and
in a deliberately discreet manner, provided the cue for a panel discussion
which appealed to a wider audience. We witnessed a debate in the heart of
Berlin on the subject “The Role of Books and Reading in Intercultural Dia8
Editorial
From left: Christoph Beier, Albrecht Graf v. Kalnein, Hans-Joachim Rabe and Michael Lüders at the GTZ-Haus
logue”, between Ibrahim El Moallem, Lord George Weidenfeld of Chelsea, and
Michael Klett: three leading publishers from Cairo, London and Stuttgart – a
Muslim, a Jew and a Christian – who, in the spirit of Lessing, vouched for
mutual tolerance and regard, but also called for a heightened interest of the
reading public in the literary treasures of the others.
Meanwhile, a first crop can be harvested in this field. At long last, promoted
by the Frankfurt Book Fair 2004 with its guest region, the Arab world, there
is, at least in Germany, an increasing interest of publishing houses and readers
in the subject of west and east. We hope that a book series, such as the “Neue
Orientalische Bibliothek” of a Munich publisher, will be supported by similarly
commendable enterprises in the Arab cultural area. However, we need nothing
less than infinite patience and perseverance in order to create a new, more positive image of the other. What kind of shift can be triggered by a conference of
three dozen experts? We combine the presentation of this book with the appeal
that pertinent institutions and specialists should not falter in their efforts to
build bridges for communication and exchange.
The same is true of the private foundations in Germany, whose attention
regarding our relationship with the Middle East or the Near East leaves, in
our opinion, something to be desired compared with their doubtless praiseworthy programmes concerning encounters between, say, Germany and France
or the USA. In the form of a summer academy on “culture(s) of learning” in
early summer 2006 in Alexandria, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut
Kairo, at least one skein of this conference will be continued: the work of
young teachers of the three cultural areas towards a modern education for
students and schools of the region.
The conference has provided examples of experiences and possible encounters
between academics from different spheres, as well as of flaws in the hoped-for
bridge across the Mediterranean, whose cultural and geographic reality still
9
Editorial
lags far behind the inherited, programmatic appellation. The comments of the
principal of the Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, for example on the manner
and degree of real, quiet exchange between scholars of Al-Quds and the Hebrew University, did raise hope. But to what extent are such continuous encounters and cooperation still an exception to the rule?
In the area of culture and science, there seems to be no way around such
sensible collaboration. In particular, the history of the Ottoman Empire, or
Arab (cultural) history itself, to which the AHDR refers so convincingly, can
lead to progress on this issue. For instance, in the era of Saladin – who, through
Lessing’s play Nathan the Wise, lives on in Germany as well – the biography of
the scholar and writer, court physician of Saladin and head of the Jewish community, Moses Maimonides (Córdoba 1135–Fustat/Cairo 1204), is a powerful
testament against extreme religious zeal and in favour of learning, human service and academic freedom. The Trialogue of Cultures, hoping against hope,
10
Editorial
The publishers’ debate at GTZ-Haus in Berlin. On the panel (from left): Michael Klett, Ibrahim
El Moallem, Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea and Michael Lüders (chair).
continues to back the potential of a shared history and the common issues of
the three cultures – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – which remain linked by
the Mediterranean area.
The ambitious conference, including the preparatory phase, could hardly
have been realised without special commitment by all parties concerned. That
is also true of this volume published by Societäts-Verlag, which we are now
handing over to the public: those, as we hope, well-meaning and active readers
at home and abroad. In conclusion, some participants and assistants, should be
mentioned by name and in gratitude: Birgit Röhrig, Elvira Groll and Dr. HansJoachim Rabe (GTZ), Nils Warner, Hamza Alamoosh and Martina Kaup
(Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung), and Ulrich Berkmann (for Societäts-Verlag). J
Christoph Beier
Eschborn and Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, February 2006
11
“I have selected this
title for the book,
Gawidan Khurd
(Eternal Wisdom,
in Persian), to tell
the reader that the
minds of all nations
are essentially but
one. They do not
differ from one another from country
to country; they do
not change with
time, and they do
not grow old and
fragile.”
Ibn Miskawieh
(325–421 AH, 938–1030 AD)
“Eternal Wisdom”
Introduction
Cooperation between Germany
and the Arab World in Science and
Education – Overview and Examples
Daniel Stoevesandt
Compared with other regions of the world, relations between Germany
and the Arab world1 in the fields of science and education are still quite undeveloped. A region with roughly 300 million people – more than the USA – plays
an insignificant role in international academic life. I am not going to discuss the
various reasons for this, but rather will support my thesis with figures and a report on the most important cooperation agreements. I will concentrate on the
exchange of students and academic personnel between Germany and the Arab
world. For it is precisely the long-term personal contact with foreign cultures
and peoples which helps overcome cultural gaps. I will then go on to suggest
further activities that could be undertaken by the German side in the fields of
science and education.
Student and Academic Personnel Exchanges
If we examine the extent of cooperation, we discover that, up till now, there
has not been a great deal of literature published on the topic. All that exists is
extensive statistical material on exchanges of students and academic personnel
between Germany and the Arab world.
The most informative publication on this topic is the annual Wissenschaft
weltoffen report of the German body responsible for academic exchange, Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange
Service).2 Here, we find very detailed statistics on the backgrounds of the foreign students in Germany 3, the foreign academic staff in Germany, and the
countries visited by German students and academic personnel abroad.
In the 2003/04 winter semester, according to the report, 13 774 Arab students
were in Germany, compared with 12 741 in 2002/03 and 11 687 in 2001/02. But
1 The term “Arab world” is intended to cover the following countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt,
Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the Palestinian territories.
2 Most recently, Wissenschaft weltoffen 2005. Daten und Fakten zur Internationalität von Studium und Forschung
in Deutschland, Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), Bielefeld 2005. See also chart 1–3 and
http://www.wissenschaft-weltoffen.de
3 The term foreign students is used to distinguish them from domestic students who already live and study in
Germany. Foreign students are foreigners, therefore, who come to Germany to study.
14
Yemen
UAE
Tunisia
Syria
Sudan
Saudi
Arabia
Qatar
Oman
Morocco
Libia
Lebanon
Kuwait
Jordan
Iraq
Egypt
Bahrain
Algeria
Cooperation between Germany and the Arab World in Science and Education
Chart 1: Arab students in Germany by country of origin
the annual increase of eight or nine percent in Arab students still falls short
of the overall rise in foreign students in Germany (13 percent and 14 percent,
respectively). The foreign students’ main countries of origin are Morocco
(6791), Tunisia (1601) and Egypt (1124).
Morocco stands out as a country of origin – far fewer students come from
the other Arab countries, as Chart 1 shows. In the case of the smaller Gulf
states, the figures are so low that they hardly register on the diagram, as they
mostly comprise 3–11 people. It must be borne in mind, however, that the population of some of the countries does not exceed that of a German city. The
Palestinian territories are not included in the statistics.
If the number of Arab foreign students studying in
Germany is seen relative to the overall population of
“It is precisely
their countries of origin, however, a different picture
the long-term
emerges. Even though Morocco retains its top posipersonal contact
tion, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan are very strongly
with foreign
represented, whereas Egypt is only in fifth place. The
cultures and
ten most popular areas of study for Arab foreign stupeoples which
dents in Germany include information technology,
helps overcome
mechanical engineering and economics.
cultural gaps.”
The report provides no informative data on German students in Arab countries. The Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (Federal Statistical Office Germany) regularly conducts
surveys in which the number of German students in a given country is established. But these surveys only cover countries where more than 125 Germans
are studying, which is not the case in any Arab state. The main target countries
for German students are the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland.
Over the past few years, Germany has also been the destination of many
Arab scholars, graduates and post-doctoral students. All told, 689 people were
15
UAE
Yemen
Tunisia
Syria
Sudan
Saudi
Arabia
Qatar
Pal.
Territoties
Oman
Morocco
Libia
Lebanon
Jordan
Kuwait
Iraq
Egypt
Bahrain
Algeria
Daniel Stoevesandt
Chart 2: Students
in Germany during the 2003/04 winter semester for the purpose of research or
further education, compared with 614 in 2002/03 and 620 in 2001/02. This
meant that they accounted for roughly three percent of all foreign academics,
graduates and post-doctoral students in Germany.
By contrast, the Arab academic world does not seem to hold much interest
for Germans. In 2001, 2002 and 2003, 48, 59 and 65 Germans, respectively,
were attracted to Arab countries. The main countries here were Egypt, Morocco
and Syria. Fewer than one percent of the total 5300 or so German academics,
graduates and post-doctoral students spent a period of research in the countries of the Arab world.
Exchange of Students and Academics with DAAD Support
If we look at the numerous institutions supporting stays abroad, we find
that the activities of the DAAD are the most prominent.
The support provided by the DAAD not only reveals strong regional concentration, but also significant differences between Germans and Arabs. Chart 2
shows the distribution of Arab students in Germany compared with German
students in the respective Arab countries. The principal countries become clear,
as does the fact that there are fewer German students in the Arab world. The
median value for the years 2002 to 2004 was used in order to avoid distortions.
These may emerge, for instance, if the DAAD supports group trips, giving rise
to atypically high figures.
The differences between German and Arab visiting academics in the DAAD
statistics are comparable to those published in the Wissenschaft weltoffen report. Here, even after a statistical mean has been established, Iraq is still very
strongly represented. While only eight and three academics, respectively, came
from the country in 2002 and 2003, the number in 2004, when the DAAD statistics also included short stays, was 101. Other countries strongly represented
are Egypt, Tunisia and Syria (see Chart 3).
All told, the DAAD helped 1704 Arabs per year to study or carry out research in Germany, which is equivalent to 5.6 percent of the overall support
16
UAE
Yemen
Syria
Tunisia
Sudan
Saudi
Arabia
Qatar
Pal.
Territoties
Oman
Libia
Morocco
Kuwait
Lebanon
Iraq
Jordan
Egypt
Bahrain
Algeria
Chart 3: Scientists
granted to foreigners. At the same time, 465 Germans per year were granted
support to visit the Arab world, representing 2.3 percent of all Germans receiving such support. On average, the DAAD used 4.9 percent of its annual
budget 4 – €12.3m – to promote student and academic exchanges between Germany and the Arab world.
Activities of German Foundations and other Institutions
A poll of selected German foundations5 revealed that the Arab world plays a
relatively small role in terms of the support provided for both students and academics and also conferences. In the case of the Studienstiftung des deutschen
Volkes (German National Academic Foundation), the support provided for studies, practical work experience and language courses in Arab countries accounts
for one percent of overall activities in this area. The situation is similar at other
foundations and institutions which offer such assistance. By and large, the Arab
world accounts for 0.4–1 percent of the total support provided for studies, and
in some cases it does not figure at all. In addition, given the extremely low figures – the number of those supported is mostly somewhere between five and
ten – not all foundations have included the Arab world in their statistics. In some
cases, special programmes exist to offer financial assistance to academics from
less developed countries on research projects in Germany. One example is provided by the Georg Forster scholarships of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung.
Apart from promoting the exchange of students and academic personnel,
German institutions also make sizeable amounts of money available for conferences, publications, and research projects in, or on, the Arab world.
4 The DAAD’s average annual budget of roughly €248m also includes an estimated €20m of other, non-person-
nel costs, representing about 8 percent.
5 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Friedrich-
Naumann-Stiftung, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Alfried Krupp
von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, InWEnt, Robert Bosch-Stiftung, Körber-Stiftung, Alexander von HumboldtStiftung, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Gottlieb Daimler- und Karl Benz-Stiftung, Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung and
Gerda Henkel Stiftung were covered.
17
Daniel Stoevesandt
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), for example, is very active in post-war Iraq. It will provide literature after the “Books for Iraq” programme expires and is supporting new research
projects. Apart from that, the DFG focuses on Jordan, Israel and Palestine. It
concluded a cooperation agreement with Jordan’s Higher Council for Science
and Technology in 2002, which has been used by over 20 academics and
twelve research teams. In addition to extensive academic cooperation with Israel, the DFG also supports a special programme for promoting trilateral German-Israeli-Palestinian projects.
The Gerda Henkel Stiftung, which primarily focuses
on historical studies, funds not only the archaeological
“Iraq has many
projects of German research workers in Jordan and
workers who,
Syria,
but also diverse research activities devoted to the
while very wellArab
world
in Germany. However, the foundation also
qualified, are
finances
conferences
for German and Arab scholars.
unfamiliar with
The Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung of ALTANA AG prothe latest techniques due to the
motes the exchange of young German, Israeli and
country’s decades
Palestinian journalists by means of travel and research
of isolation.”
scholarships for six months of study or practical job
experience in the host country. Several years ago, the
Bertelsmann Stiftung began to provide support for young journalists in Israel
and Palestine during their training. It finances a school for journalists in Israel,
and is also involved in substantive issues through its cooperation with the HenriNannen-Schule in Hamburg. In addition, it has initiated and supported the establishment of the Mubarak Public Library in Cairo.
The cross-culture internships offered by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa, Institute for International Relations) are intended to encourage dialogue between young adults during their professional careers. In the first phase
of this programme, young people from the Arab world are given the opportunity to gain practical work experience in Germany over several months. In addition, the ifa has organised dialogues with the Arab world in the fields of media
and culture for several years now.
In July 2005, the central German chamber of commerce organisation,
Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag (DIHK), ran the second GermanIraqi economic conference, together with InWEnt, in Munich. Alongside investment opportunities for German firms in Iraq, the conference focused on the
training of Iraqi specialist personnel in Germany. Iraq has many workers who,
while very well-qualified, are unfamiliar with the latest techniques due to the
country’s decades of isolation. Eleven-week practical training periods at German
companies are to help impart the necessary expertise.6
In April 2005, the Anna Lindh Foundation began its work in Alexandria, the
first joint foundation between the 25 member states of the European Union,
Turkey, Israel and eight Arab states (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan,
the Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Syria, Lebanon). This institution is de6 See http://www.deutsch-irakische-wirtschaftskonferenz.de
18
voted to bringing nations together, combating racism and xenophobia, and
helping to bring an end to armed conflicts. It intends to become a network of
networks, helping to combine and coordinate existing activities. What is new is
its two-plus-two approach: in future projects supported by the foundation, two
states from the North and two from the South are required to be involved.
Selected Cooperations between German and Arab Universities
Until now, there have been very few cooperation arrangements between
German and Arab universities. Where they exist, they are mostly based on cooperation between German institutes of Islamic or Oriental studies and German
departments in the Middle East. In May 2005, Erlangen University – also with
Oriental studies playing the leading role – set up an extensive cooperation agreement with Ajman University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates. But the partnership is not restricted to those studying Arabic or German,
and incorporates a wide array of academic fields. Dialogue between the two
cultures will be promoted by means of joint academic conferences and research
projects as well as exchanges of students and academic staff. Previously, Erlangen University had established contact with universities in Amman, Baghdad
and Mosul.7
Encouraging such cooperation arrangements is one of the aims of the TEMPUS
Programme of the European Union. TEMPUS was launched in 1990 by the
Council of Ministers of the EU; it promotes the reform of university education
in the partner states of the European Union. Only since 2002 has TEMPUS
been extended to cover those states around the Mediterranean (MEDA states8)
which have partnership agreements with the EU. A budget of €7.81m is available for the programme. Projects supported by TEMPUS in the MEDA states
in which German institutions are involved are mainly in the field of the natural
sciences and medicine. Such projects include the cooperation agreements between RWTH Aachen and Cairo University, FH Munich and the Syrian ministry for higher education, Saarbrücken University and a technological institute
in Palestine. The MEDA projects account for about 40 percent of all TEMPUS
cooperation agreements.
German Academic Involvement in the Arab World
In recent years, German universities have become increasingly interested in
the Arab world. To a growing extent, the work of German universities is being
encouraged in Arab countries. Most projects are based on cooperation with local partners, where the German side primarily provides the expertise and the
Arab side the capital.
7 See Universitätspartnerschaft Erlangen-Ajman. Studieren für den Dialog,
http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-469/_nr-333/i.html
8 These are Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia. Israel can
participate on a self-financed basis. See http://www.etf.eu.int/tempus.nsf
19
Daniel Stoevesandt
By contrast, the German University in Cairo is a fully fledged university,
where the subjects taught are initially limited to the engineering sciences. Despite its name, it is officially a private Egyptian institution. Courses began in
October 2003, offering places for 1000 students. Today, there are 5000 places.
Studies follow German curricula, and teaching is in English and German. Following a start-up phase, the humanities are to be taught as well. The project is
financed by special funds of the DAAD as well as by German and Egyptian
companies. Ulm University provides the GUC with advice on the subjects
taught, but for quite pragmatic reasons: it is hoped that more direct access to
foreign visiting students will be gained through cooperation.9
A German-Arab specialised institution of higher education in Jordan will begin its work in October 2005, offering places initially for 460 students. The plans
for this institution were finalised only in April of this year. On the German side,
Magdeburg Stendal heads the list of 70 German specialised institutions of higher education involved in de“In many areas,
veloping the German-Jordanian University. At the GJU,
American univertoo, studies will be based on the German model, and
sities have been
courses will be held in English and German. The financpresent for 10
ing of the buildings, the running of the institution, and
to 15 years; the
the infrastructure are entirely in Jordanian hands.10
German initiatives
The German-Syrian Al Wadi University will be run
are very late and
consequently have
on the same principle. It is funded for the most part by
to be directed at
wealthy Syrian Christians, with Magdeburg University
as-yet-unoccupied
providing advice as to the subjects taught; negotiations
niches.”
are underway with further potential German partners.
Here, too, courses are intended to start in autumn 2005.
Other cooperation agreements – still at the planning stage – include the development of a private university in Oman by RWTH Aachen. While no decision
has yet been taken by Oman’s ministry of education, the project is considered to
have good prospects. Hanover University wants to set up two courses of study
at the planned European University of Manama (Bahrain). Here, too, a decision
has not yet been announced.
German universities interested in becoming involved in the Arab academic
scene find themselves confronted with the strong American predominance in
this field. In many areas, American universities have been present for 10 to 15
years; the German initiatives are very late and consequently have to be directed
at as-yet-unoccupied niches.
Cooperation between Schools in Germany and the Arab World
As part of the German Foreign Ministry’s “Dialogue with the Islamic world”,
the German UNESCO Commission launched the project “Euro-Arab neighbourly relations: students build bridges” in December 2003. The project is in9 See Wissen als Exportgut, http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-469/_nr-11/i.html
10 See German-Jordanian University, http://www.daad-magazin.de/02953/index.html
20
tended to bring about a dialogue between the young people of Europe and the
Islamic world, and is geared at promoting partnerships between schools, guided by school newspapers which are produced jointly. For this purpose, students
use the internet – and they can decide whether to publish the newspaper online
or in paper form. At present, there are already 11 partnerships between schools
in Europe and the Arab world, and another 25 schools are trying to arrange
partnerships.
After a start-up phase, some schools have managed to arrange visits to Arab
countries. In some cases, though, existing partnerships have broken down because the teachers responsible for such contact on the Arab side have moved to
a school lacking the necessary technical equipment.11
Summary
The figures reveal that the Arab World, relative to the size of its populations
and its outstanding cultural and political significance for Europe, plays only a
minor part in academic exchanges. For Arab academic staff and young scientists, however, Germany remains an attractive place to study – presumably not
least due to the stricter visa policy of the USA following the September 11 attacks, and the absence – for the time being – of German study fees.
Meanwhile, the Arab world appears to be of only limited interest for German students and academic personnel. One reason for this is probably that
Arabic is a language which requires a great deal of effort to learn. Courses in
English are held at only a handful of private universities. The fact that many
universities and other educational institutions in Arab countries are more poorly
equipped and have a lower academic level than universities in Europe and the
USA is another negative aspect. And although the interest of German students
in Islamic studies increased perceptibly after 11 September 2001 – making
some universities even consider the introduction of admission restrictions for
this subject – the figures collected by DAAD for 2002 to 2004 show a very small
increase of German students in the Arab world.
Only in recent years have German universities begun to commit themselves
to the region by providing scholarly support for either entire universities or individual courses of study. Especially in the Gulf region, German universities face
strong competition from American and Anglo-Saxon universities, in some cases
having to adjust their public-relations strategy accordingly.
The school newspaper project is a good example of how dialogue projects
with young people can be initiated and promoted without committing a lot of
capital. Projects involving school students are of outstanding importance for
personal encounters, the imparting of knowledge, and mutual understanding,
because in this age group, every effort has an especially sustained influence and
impact. J
11 See http://www.students-build-bridges.net
21
Students at the entrance of the American University of Beirut
How International
Cooperation in Education
and Intercultural Dialogue
Can Lead to an Efficient
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
Assia Bensalah Alaoui
Introduction
Throughout the Euro-Mediterranean area, Arabs and Europeans share the
common goal of building a zone of peace, security, stability and shared prosperity where we can live together in harmony in our globalizing world. Education has a central role to play in this, as far as encouraging dialogue, tolerance
of diversity and sustainable development is concerned.
Intercultural dialogue is today more necessary than ever before. In 1993
Samuel Huntington first warned of the dangers inherent in the impending clash
of civilizations, and with September 11, Osama bin Laden provided a dreadful
illustration of those dangers. On a more mundane but widespread level, intercultural dialogue is required to combat the mutual ignorance which surfaces
wherever different cultures come up against each other. It is the only way to
build the bridges of tomorrow for a shared future in our common space!
If one agrees with Paul Valéry that the essential function of man is to create
the future, the central role of education becomes clear. Education shapes man.
Universal education paves the way to the twin goals of development and freedom, or, as Amartya Sen described this process, to the assumption of responsibility and the promotion of diversity. To teach, to train, to form, to transfer and
to transform are simply ways of achieving this ultimate aim.
A prerequisite for creating the future is addressing the past. We must revive
memories in order to heal the wounds of conflicts past and present and clarify
the core identity of each of us. We must understand and accept ourselves, the
better to accept the other and prepare, not for a cold peace, but for genuine reconciliation.
Building the future presents challenges as complex as confronting the present.
For example, we must reduce inequality and exclusion both within nations and
between them. Education must prepare societies to adapt to evolving international relationships, and secure the participation of all in our shared socio-economic and political future.
Building the future means investing in our children, and in creativity: in culture, arts, science and technology, in order to construct a knowledge-based
Arab society and make sure that the knowledge gap does not further widen
24
International Cooperation in Education and Intercultural Dialogue
the prosperity gap. It also means promoting dialogue, educating for peace, and
cultivating openness.
The workforce must be educated to promote socio-economic and political
development, and to reduce the prosperity gap and other imbalances within
the Euro-Mediterranean region. Much more needs to be done to promote new
mindsets amongst the population in North and South alike, to foster mutual
knowledge and restore confidence on both coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.
Arab education systems are under tremendous pressure to secure universal
education whilst maintaining quality at all levels from mass literacy to higher
education and research, and to develop home-grown
strategies based on cultural heritage, but at the same
“We must untime integrating innovation so as to improve the
derstand and
chances of the Arab countries in a globalizing, comaccept ourselves,
petitive world.
the better to acSuch mighty aims require comprehensive strategies
cept the other
underwritten by national policies. As we know, develand prepare,
oping countries are generally responsible for their own
not for a cold
evolution. However, to address properly the magnipeace, but for
tude and complexity of the challenges of education,
genuine reconciliation.”
international cooperation is indispensable, while the
promotion of intercultural dialogue is also a shared
responsibility.
A complete survey of what is being carried out in the field of international
cooperation in education, within the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (EMP),
is beyond the framework of this contribution. Instead, I would like to share
with you my experience with intercultural dialogue, make a few proposals in
this respect, and try to explore the means, tools and methods of increasing the
legitimacy and the impact of international cooperation in education at large,
within a “revised” EMP.
I. Challenges Presented by International Cooperation in Education and
Intercultural Dialogue
1. Global and Mediterranean Contexts and Challenges
Apart from the gloomy global context which is familiar to us all, a number
of factors seem to have turned the Mediterranean into more of a barrier than a
bridge. Increasing cultural distance, pitfalls of cultural ignorance, and mutual
misconceptions between Islam and the West present major challenges, which
education and the media should face. The Iranian revolution; the collapse of
the USSR; the first Gulf war; the Balkan conflicts; the emergence of domestic
factors of instability; the rise of various forms of extremism, of negative mutual
perceptions and even xenophobia; the deepening of the prosperity gap – by the
end of the millennium all these phenomena had already caused the two parts of
the Mediterranean to drift apart, leaving them sometimes with nothing in common but danger!
25
In the aftermath of September 11 and the war in Afghanistan, what with the
global war against terror striking on both rims of the Mediterranean, the radicalization of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the quagmire in Iraq, there is a
great risk that the combination of Islam and terrorism will further deepen the
rift with the West.
The vital link between development and security is more relevant than ever,
particularly since the turning point of September 11. International relations are
now primarily focused on the dangers of “terrorism” and this has drastically
altered the picture.
With security as the top priority, attention and resources are in some cases
diverted from development. Yet, the only valid basis for sustainable security is
to provide the Arab populations with a stake in their own societies through
socio-economic development and political participation!
Using “security” as an excuse, governments have carried out violations of
human rights even in developed countries. Despite the denials, “profiling” and
discrimination against Arabs and Muslims have become daily practices of the
global war against terror.
What examples are these for countries where human rights do not enjoy the
same guarantees and protections and where there are no checks and balances?
It is clear that the global war against terror has been counterproductive, as
has the invasion of Iraq. It has brought Al Qaïda into that country, and produced a fertile ground for conflict, where all kinds of terrorist acts thrive,
where criminal networks cross-fertilize, and where legitimate resistance to the
US occupation enjoys popular support. The presence of American soldiers also
provides “iconic” targets – otherwise unreachable – bolstered by the tremendous
power of the American and international media. The extremists can, at no cost,
considerably expand their recruiting base among young Arabs and other Muslims, who are unemployed, underprivileged and angry.
What credibility, then, for the initiatives devised by the powers-that-be to
promote democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights in the region?
While international cooperation is more necessary than ever, its very legitimacy
is questioned.
International cooperation is further complicated by a crying need for a new
paradigm of development, as the Bretton Woods institutions have finally admitted, following the failure of the model which they had, for decades, been
prescribing for the poor of the world!
2. Challenges Inherent in Culture, Education and International Cooperation
a) The Marginalization of Cultures
Cultures are no longer invisible internal parts of us. They are increasingly
exposed to erosions and transformations and must be protected.
This is indeed a sensitive area where ideologies can manipulate the despair and exclusion which are widespread today. Across the world, behaviour is becoming standardized in terms of consumption patterns, youth cul26
ture and the media. At the same time, there is heavy pressure to retain the
differences between cultures. Amidst fragmentation and violence, there has
been a return to the idea of “the sacred” which is in direct conflict with the
established order.
Allow me to ask a few questions which, though hitherto unvoiced, are uppermost in everyone’s mind:
– What room for culture in an era in which the ideals of nations are expressed
in terms of market share and competitive gains?
– What room for culture when the globalization of risks and the privatization
of violence have turned security into the top priority, while at the same time
making it extremely difficult to achieve?
– What room for cultural diversity in the era of the politically and culturally
correct?
– What room for intercultural dialogue when culture and the sacred are manipulated to challenge the established order?
b) Education – a Sensitive Domain
Education is the biggest problem in the Arab region. It is a heavy burden for
national and family budgets alike, and the huge proportion of youngsters in the
population – 50 percent of Arabs are under 25 years old – has generated mass
illiteracy and a poor quality of education. The molding of future generations
requires time and stability. Confronted with the acceleration of history, the
whole region is in urgent need of reform.
c) The Challenges of International Cooperation
As a powerful tool of foreign policy, used both as a stick and a carrot, international cooperation has an inherent ambiguity. It should, however, provide a
platform for practical work.
I do not intend to indulge in the favorite national sport of some students –
condemning international cooperation as a device of hegemony, domination
and neo-colonialism – but it is true that foreign aid is often perceived as having
harmful latent effects. These include perpetuation of dependency upon unachievable consumption models and discouragement of domestic production
capacity. It is also true that foreign policy is rarely consistent; that foreign aid
is not philanthropic and that “easy” money corrupts. Such inherent biases are
enhanced by the shortcomings of the host countries: inadequate capacities and
infrastructures, corruption and sometimes a lack of clear strategies. The respective roles of the stakeholders must be clearly defined.
On the other hand, despite broad similarities, the diversity of Arab countries,
with great disparities of conditions between and within nations, defies the classic donor approach of “one size fits all”. While flexibility is necessary to adapt
the aid to the recipients’ different, specific and urgent needs, rigidity of the aid
procedures is necessary to accord with accountability and transparency.
27
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has introduced individual national plans in response to this criticism, while the new procedures of MEDA*
should increase efficiency. But it is too early to evaluate the impact of the ENP.
3. Revisiting the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
“Partnership is a broad and nebulous concept used in the spheres of business,
politics and international relations” (Maxwell and Conway, 2002). Beyond the
diversity of definitions it implies a “cooperative relationship, based on the principles of mutuality and equality” (P. Holden, 2005). The ambiguities and contradictions of the EMP process stem from the obvious imbalances and inequality
of the partners. To what extent is there meaningful dialogue between the partners? In fact, it is the donors who set the agenda and define the parameters.
Moreover, in the case of the EU, the close cooperation between the individual
nations gives them massive financial leverage. “Policy dialogue and technical
assistance are effectively power projection by other means” (P. Holden, 2005).
As one NGO puts it, “The countries are in the driving seat but the donors retain
the road map”(European Commission, 2002).
It is untrue that the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and especially its multilateral track – the Barcelona Process – have generated nothing but bitter disappointment.
The achievements are obviously modest, when contrasted with the immense
expectations generated at the initial launch of the EMP in 1995 and the increasing focus on intercultural dialogue and civil society cooperation in the
Euro-Mediterranean area in the aftermath of 9/11 (Michelle Pace, 2005).
Amongst the various dimensions, such as politics, security, commerce, and
finance, culture loses out. Yet there is a crying need for a living culture which
can nurture all the other sectors!
We may deplore that this sphere has been dominated by the problem of migration and especially by illegal migration. It is unnecessary to stress that migration as such is a positive phenomenon, rich in the promise of cross fertilization. At the same time, it is a source of increasing North/South, South/South
and even North/North tension and the subject of proliferating debates and polemics, across the world and particularly in Europe.
Ageing Europe is in need of new blood to maintain its prosperity and pay its
pensions. However, the mounting fears of the European citizens, boosted by
the right wing-political parties, cannot be ignored.
The Mediterranean countries (mainly the North African states and Turkey)
are also becoming transit areas for upstream migrants from Africa or China, in a
context of legislative vacuum and financial crisis.
The tremendous pressure placed on Morocco by sub-Saharan African migrants trying to reach Europe, the violent assaults on the Spanish enclaves of
* The MEDA program (Mésures d’accompagnement financières et techniques) is the principal financial instrument of the European Union for the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The program offers technical and financial support to accompany the reform of economic and social structures amongst the
Mediterranean partners (editors’ note).
28
Sebta and Melilla at the start of October 2005, and the drama those migrants
go through, have finally compelled the European Union to take seriously what
Morocco has long been claiming.1 An integrated approach by all countries involved to address the root causes of migration is at last being considered. This
would require the serious involvement of the EU, and would include substantial help for transit countries like Morocco and for the general development of
the African states. A call for solidarity in natural and
man-made disasters, as enshrined in art. 1–43 of the
“In the era of
EU constitutional treaty, after the 11 March terrorist
human rights, the
attacks in Madrid, should be properly implemented.
very dignity and
The handling of this delicate problem within the
the rights of the
EMP has been inadequate. The Amsterdam Treaty preimmigrants themscribed that migration questions should progress from
selves, subject
the third to the first pillar by 2004. However, this resoas they are to
exploitation by
lution has been complicated by the increase in terrorcriminal networks,
ism, and the rise of far-right parties in Europe. Nationmust be safeal policies still prevail, and there is little harmonization
guarded.”
among the EU member states. One lesson of such a
sensitive issue is a reluctance in Europe, despite all the
rhetoric, to invest in genuine development and conflict prevention, and a regrettable tendency to act only as a firefighter.2 In the era of human rights, the
very dignity and the rights of the immigrants themselves, subject as they are to
exploitation by criminal networks, must be safeguarded.
Moreover, the new trend of “aggressive” selective immigration policies of some
European countries has triggered real concerns in the South about the danger of
losing its best trained and talented human resources. Not only does the South,
ironically, find itself paying for the education and training of the North, but the
magnitude of the brain drain looks likely to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
Better funding is urgently needed, for instance to create more scholarships.
There should be more burden-sharing and joint financing; compensation for
the country of origin for the lost expertise the brain drain generates should be
negotiated between the countries concerned.
It is in the interest of all stakeholders to cooperate in managing this multidimensional issue and its diverse stakes and challenges: economic, political, identity-related and cultural. The Mediterranean is certainly not the number one
priority for a Europe which seems stuck in the enlargement process, facing
doubts over its own future, especially since the French and Dutch refusal of the
project of the constitutional treaty and the budget stalemate in June 2005.
The rise of far-right parties, the fear of terrorism, persistent unemployment,
budget deficits and sluggish economic growth are sources of concerns, as they
are increasing hostility to immigration.
1 During the visit of the EU Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs to the area, an EU survey estimated that
20 000 Africans were in Algeria and 10 000 in Morocco, all hoping to enter Europe (Medi International Radio,
13 October 2005).
2 The EU has finally decided to disburse the € 40m it had promised Morocco to face this problem a few years ago.
29
One of the paramount objectives of the EMP is to promote democracy, development and mutual knowledge among the peoples of the Mediterranean.
But it is striving for that aim by purely intergovernmental methods. Social consultations are absent from “high politics”.
In the era of the retrenchment of states, and of intertwined public and private spheres, it is the relations between civil societies, NGOs, intellectual and
cultural institutions, business firms, private sectors and so forth, which will
make up the very substance of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
Romano Prodi’s initiative to create a “High-Level Advisory Group” to foster
intercultural dialogue, as we will see below, stemmed partly from that concern in
the context of a wider Europe and of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
II. Fostering Intercultural Dialogue
Our attitude to diversity is at the core of how we behave. Is diversity an element of wealth, or is it a threat? That is an extremely complex question, relating to the individual nature and temperament of each of us; to our historical
and family backgrounds; to our environments and experiences; to our education. Certainly, there is a huge difference between those who are well-read and
well-travelled and the rest!
Changing mindsets and behaviour, fighting stereotypes and promoting mutual knowledge and tolerance is a life-long process. Such a process should unfold within comprehensive strategies. The involvement of societies at large,
well beyond the range of education, is required. Here we will mention only the
main issues and focus on specific recommendations.
1. The Need for Intercultural Dialogue
Tremendous changes are occurring across the world. Firstly, there is a need
for dialogue with each other and within nations in an era where boundaries between identities are blurred or where identities are changing:
A dialogue within wider Europe, which gets richer with new cultural heritages, new languages, new religions. But Islam is perceived as a challenge in a
Europe where the immigrating “new Europeans” are in need of better integration and harmony.
A dialogue within a divided and fragmented “South”, struggling with ill development. A South which faces demographic, economic, political, migration
transition and so forth. Well before the long-term benefits of the democratic
peace emerge and before the potential prosperity brought through “liberalization”, the transition period will be a time of painful and costly adjustments. Political change and modernization inevitably bring instability in their wake.
Such a dialogue between the North and the South is of course necessary to
deconstruct the mutually biased images, mainly the Northern perception of the
South as a threat to its own prosperity and security.
Arab concerns and public opinion must be taken into account and addressed. The perceptions and attitudes of the elite classes, of the establishment,
30
do not always coincide with those of large sections of the public. Traditionally,
Europe has acquired an ambivalent image, made up of intrusion and exclusion
at the same time. Europe is perceived as the almighty saviour, capable of boosting development in the South. It represents the “Eldorado” many seek to reach
at the peril of their lives. At the same time, Europe is perceived as closing its
borders to people and goods from the South, while it is economically dominant
and culturally hegemonic. There are no comprehensive surveys on these perceptions.3 However, “in the few cases where it was possible to take the pulse of
Islamic groups, the conclusion is that the EU lacks a distinctive image, and is
viewed together with the US as part of the “hostile West”.4 Europe must develop a more distinct image.
With its colonial past, its geographic proximity and overwhelming imbalances in all fields, Europe has to reassure rather than threaten its Mediterranean neighbours. It has to restore confidence in the Euro-Mediterranean
partnership through an effective rethinking of the whole process. Barcelona
Plus Ten has offered the opportunity.
On the other hand, it is imperative that Southern governments do their
homework, clean their backyards, and carry out the appropriate reforms to
provide a better life and participation for all their citizens. For the very dignity
of the people – and dignity represents a cardinal virtue in the region – governments have to make changes or they themselves will be changed. Cosmetic approaches can no longer work.
Dialogue is necessary to put a human face on globalization. At present, globalization affects us all but benefits only a few. Globalization generates integration,
on the one hand, of the “knows” and the “haves” amongst nations; on the other
hand, it also generates exclusion of the “know-nots” and “have-nots”. We are
aware of the devastating effects on the southern coast of the Mediterranean of the
twin problems of illiteracy and poverty, with sad repercussions for women, who
are the poorest of the poor and the most illiterate of the illiterate. We know also
that in the current society, the knowledge gap will further deepen the prosperity
gap and perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Significant steps have to be taken to curb
this trend as the 2003 UNDP Arab Human Development Report recommends.5
2. What should be done?
a) Building the Culture of Dialogue and Fighting Stereotypes
Promoting a culture of dialogue, so vital for peace, is our common challenge. The culture of dialogue has to be promoted, through a whole spectrum
3 Hanae Ebeid provides a view of the Egyptian press about the partnership, The Partnership in Southern Eyes:
Reflections on the Discourse in the Egyptian Press, EuroMesco Paper 37, EuroMesco Secretariat at the IEEI,
Lisbon October 2004.
4 Alvaro Vasconcelos, Launching the Euro-Mediterranean Security and Defence Dialogue, EuroMesco Brief 7,
EuroMesco Secretariat at the IEEI, Lisbon January 2004.
5 UNDP and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Building a Knowledge Society, UN Publications,
New York 2003. The first version of the report (2002), Creating Opportunities for Future Generations, should
be consulted for a broader view on the Arab states.
31
A mother’s henna-painted hands protect her child, Morocco 1996
of short-term and long-term measures. Learning is at the core of such an holistic approach. Stereotypes and misconceptions must be challenged within wider
contexts, across a variety of sources: the curricula, textbooks, popular media,
the internet and influences of the arts, associations and civil society at large,
which need to be assertive and proactive.
Education to diversity is a must across the Euro-Mediterranean region. The
Arab countries have to carry out wide reforms, particularly in education systems, to promote a culture of openness and tolerance. Extremely diverse, the
Arab world has to pay particular attention to minorities, like the Berbers, and
to encourage such diverse ethnic, religious and minority groups to integrate
better and live in harmony.
Europe, on the other hand, must pay special attention to the new Europeans,
trapped between two cultures and poorly integrated in their host countries. It
should set an example, for its status as a role model is huge. There is a need for
coherence and consistency, notably through allowing for the diversity of its
own citizens and of those living on its territory. According to Azouz Begag, the
French minister and author, diversity should become both more visible and
commonplace (banal) at the same time.6 Quite apart from the special treatment
reserved to stars, such as the football player Zidane, and to medal winners, educational and innovative approaches should make diversity a natural part of
the daily landscape of French society and the media.
Moreover, there is a crucial need to move away from the strategy of confrontation with Islam, which is prevailing despite the rhetoric. How can one simultaneously fight the “jihad” and practice “crusades”? Stereotypes and biased
images are often stubborn. It is important, for instance, to correct the “amnesia” in Europe about the role played by the Arabs in the renaissance, and about
Islam’s contribution to universal civilization!
I am happy to share with the readers my own experience in that area.
b) The High-Level Advisory Group’s Recommendations
The High-Level Advisory Group, which I had the privilege to co-chair, at the
invitation of the former President of the EU Commission, Romano Prodi, formulated a fifty-page reflection and twenty proposals for concrete actions and
measures.7
The dialogue between peoples and cultures needs to be based on firm principles. It has to take shape in concrete projects and actions, and must be carried
out within an institutional framework.
The general principles are well known: mutual respect; freedom of conscience and worship; equality in diversity; solidarity; the prevalence of knowledge over impressions. The practical principles comprise equity; cooperation;
cross-fertilization; co-ownership.
6 Interview with the French minister in Le Monde, 11–12 September 2005.
7 European Commission, Dialogue between Peoples and Cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean Area, European
Communities, Luxembourg 2004.
34
The proposals concern all the stake-holders: states, local bodies, civil societies and NGOs.
Civil societies, which are emerging and blossoming in the Arab countries,
should play an important role in this dialogue carried out between the two
coasts of the Mediterranean, and in initiating the democratization processes
and reforms.
Focused on the human dimension, the identified proposals evolve around
three main domains: education, mobility/exchange and the media.
• Education at large and education to diversity are cornerstones of crosscultural dialogue throughout life.
A real pedagogy of diversity has to be promoted and implemented. Education of the youngest and of women, in particular, who have a central role to
play, but who are suffering in our societies from the twin problems of poverty
and illiteracy. The trickle-down effect of the education of women cannot be
overstated. Education throughout life will help us to
“The tricklemake sense of our past and to better prepare us for our
down effect of
common future!
the education
Textbooks, which have a long history of showing
of
women
cannot
the way, have to be used as instruments of peace. Hisbe overstated.
tory books, in particular, must be revised to be free
Education
from stereotypes, to overcome the legacy of wars and
throughout life
conflicts. The Spaniards and the Portuguese have
will help us to
started this work. As the Institute for International
make sense of
Textbook Research recommends, such books must
our past and to
move from “negative tolerance to inclusiveness”.8 Joint
better prepare
revision, which is essential, is not always easy to put
us for our common future!”
into practice between former enemies in post-conflict
situations.
We must expose student teachers and in-service teachers to a paradigm of
critical multicultural education, so they can transcend the liberal 4 Ds, “dance,
diet, dress, dialect”, be self-critical about their own contradictions, and thus
pave the way for positive hybridization and multiculturalism.
The teaching of languages is a key component of intercultural education, ensuring respect for human rights. In that respect, the three UNESCO principles
should be implemented.9 Firstly, instruction in the mother tongue is essential.
Arabic, for instance, should be reinforced at home and also in Europe, and expanded to pupils who are not of Arab descent, to give them the opportunity to
get to know Arab culture. The languages of the minorities, as part of a nation’s
wealth, have to be taught as well. Languages are not only a medium of communication, they provide opportunities to learn and reflect on other ways of
8 Wolfgang Höpken, “Learning to Live together: Fighting Stereotypes”, in UNESCO, New Ignorances, New
Literacies, Learning to Live Together in a Globalizing World, UNESCO, Paris 2004, p. 142.
9 UNESCO, Education in a Multilingual World, Education Position Paper, UNESCO, Paris 2003.
35
life, other literatures and customs. So bilingual and/or multilingual education,
at all levels, as a means of promoting both social and gender equality, is a key
element of diversity. Reading materials and adequate learning resources must
be supplied.
The Group also recommended the comparative teaching of religions. A
knowledge of religion is important to be a good citizen, even for atheists!
The Centres for Mediterranean Studies should improve and expand knowledge about our common sea. A “Braudel-Ibn Khaldoun network” of university
professors should be created and connected to the Jean Monet program.
Such short-term, medium-term and long-term measures should prepare
everybody for exposure to other cultures and for taking personal responsibility.
This life-long process is complemented by the second cluster of proposals.
• Mobility, socio-cultural exchange and best practice
The second group range of proposals seeks to promote the daily practice of
dialogue. The Mediterranean area is a close-knit region, where looks, flavours,
smells, and the exchange of words all play a central role in daily life.
Socio-cultural exchanges take place on a bilateral level between EU member
states and their southern partners, and between cities, regions, cultural institutions and civil societies.10
The Group proposed a number of steps in that domain, such as encouraging
the creation and development of networks of civic meeting places to foster dialogue between social groups and between generations, voluntary service for
young people on both coasts and across the Mediterranean Sea.
However, the free circulation of people is hampered by restrictive migration
policies which apply across Europe.
This complex phenomenon, involving over 135 million people a year, shows
no sign of stopping and is in fact expanding. This is particularly true of the
Euro-Mediterranean region, where it is strengthened by demo-economic imbalance. Migration does represent a real challenge for both sending and receiving
countries, and should be better managed by all stakeholders.
Arabs, and Muslims in general, are often viewed in Europe through the lens
of migration. Therefore, exchanges are more necessary than ever to promote
mutual knowledge and to fight stereotypes. They must be carried out on a
much larger scale, particularly amongst young people.
• The role of the media
Last but not least, the media have a central responsibility in developing a
pedagogy of diversity. They are vital factors of mutual knowledge and crosscultural dialogue.
10 The Goethe-Institut initiated a few pertinent projects in Morocco: exchanges of writers, artists and journalists.
It has also produced publications to help Germans better to understand Morocco.
36
Proposals in this field revolve around training, elaborating specific programs
and developing new media vehicles. Media students, journalists and teachers
must be trained to face cultural diversity. Their sense of responsibility needs to
be drastically raised in order to counter the devastating stereotypes and misconceptions which are so often conveyed. They should ensure that knowledge
prevails over impressions.
They should widely publicize studies which counteract common stereotypes.
For instance, Muslims are usually judged in Europe through the distorting lens
of immigration patterns and behaviour, terrorism and security concerns.
In order to foster mutual knowledge, specific programs should be developed. The creation in Qatar of Al Jazeera Children’s Channel on 9 September 2005 provides an interesting South/North initiative and joint venture.11
If properly managed, it can also help to foster the urgently needed integration
of the Arab world.
The Group also recommended the creation of an independent media observatory, linked to the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation.
However, there is a crying need for more expertise in the field of culture, just
as in economics and politics. While time is a central component of culture, the
information society imposes the element of acceleration.
We in the Group are not naive. We know that cross-cultural dialogue will
not eliminate conflicts and tensions. It is true that culture and identity often lie
at the heart of the world’s conflicts. They are the domains where wounded
identities express themselves violently. But they are also the only areas where
the solutions to conflict can be found.
Intercultural dialogue is neither a panacea nor an end in itself. Rather, it is the
modus operandi to make cooperation prevail over confrontation and conflict.
We need to make sure that we use our different cultures as bridges that bring
us closer together, not as barriers that drive us apart. Dialogue is the only vehicle to increase the understanding of our respective cultures.
c) The Role of the New EMP institutions: the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for
the Dialogue between Cultures
Promoting the emergence of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership of peoples
and societies alongside that of states is the rationale behind the establishment
of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and of the Anna Lindh
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures.12
The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, established in Naples in
December 2003, “will enable parliamentarians from both sides of the Medi-
11 A joint venture between a Qatar fund and the French group of A. Lagardère. See Le Figaro, 10–11 Septem-
ber 2005.
12 Romano Prodi said, “The foundation is the first concrete action of the neighbourhood policy based on the prin-
ciples of co-responsibility, co-ownership and dialogue amongst equals. It should be the agent of cross-cultural
dialogue, between our civil societies and within them.”
37
terranean to exchange ideas on how a democratic system should function in a
modern state, on how to fight terrorism and organised crime while respecting
human rights and the rule of law, including an independent judiciary. The Assembly will also provide a forum for Parliamentarians from countries like Morocco or Jordan to present their experiences of pursuing democratic reform
within a system fully respectful of Islam,” wrote Chris Patten.13
Initiated by the Valencia Action Plan, and finally confirmed by the EuroMediterranean Ministerial Conference in Dublin on 6 May 2004, the Anna
Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures14 is
based in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria. It will act as a supra-network of national organizations.15
The Foundation is supposed to receive a comprehensive input from the civil
societies in the Mediterranean countries.
Unfortunately, some of the guidelines and proposals formulated by the High
Level Advisory Group have not been followed by Euro-Mediterranean officials. For the sake of permanent innovation and dialogue, we had suggested
that a task force, within the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation, could survey the
best practice in this field, and listen to and gather the suggestions of all the
Euro-Mediterranean area and beyond. I still believe that such a task force
would be valuable to save time and expand the process.
We had also insisted on the autonomy of the foundation in all respects: conceptual, financial, and administrative. Governments are reluctant to lose control over such a body. The bureaucratic EU procedures imposed on its “light”
administrative structure caused considerable delay to its launch. Neither have
they been generous in the allocation of funds, which are extremely modest considering the importance and scope of its mission.16 The efficiency of the Foundation and the very spirit of this innovative initiative may be endangered by the
inadequacies of the wider EMP.
III. A Novel Approach to International Cooperation in Education
Identifying the objectives and domains of cooperation; setting priorities and
defining the respective roles of the numerous stakeholders who are involved in
the education process – these are prerequisites for such a process. We have underlined above how difficult it is to devise genuinely indigenous strategies. Allow me to elaborate on this.
13 Islam and the West, speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, 24 May 2004.
14 It was named after Anna Lindh, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, who was assassinated on Sep-
tember 11, 2003, to pay tribute both to her exceptional personal qualities and to her dedication to this cause.
15 The Foundation is set up on a non-governmental basis, with a light independent administrative structure: an
executive director – Traugott Schoefthaler, a German citizen – holding office for three years, and no more than
eight staff members.
16 The Commission has promised € 5m, and the member states should grant an equivalent amount. However,
almost one year after its creation, the funds had not been disbursed (not even for the official launch on 20
April 2005).
38
1. Implementing Guiding Principles
Promoting democracy, respect for human rights and governance are key objectives of the EMP, entrenched in all the relevant declarations and in article 2
of the association agreements. However, the founding principles of such aims
are far too often used simply to seek legitimacy, and are sometimes violated by
their very promoters. Let us recall the main founding principles involved in cooperation in education.
a) The Principle of Equality and Inclusiveness
Claimed by all, but so badly implemented across the planet, the principle of
equality is the paramount tenet which should pave the way to achievement, development, freedom and the assumption of personal responsibility. There is no
need to insist on education for all as a basic human right. Education for all
means, of course, access of all citizens to schools. However, to be meaningful,
this principle must be implemented in all the countries of the world. Putting it
into practice would not only mean providing the obvious infrastructure, such
as schools and teachers, but also targeting resources at the underprivileged
groups, regions and areas. To be realistic, equality here implies positive discrimination.
Let us focus for a moment on women’s illiteracy in the Arab world. Everybody is convinced of the trickle-down effect of women’s education on their
own status, on development and on the progress of their societies at large. In
spite of that, women’s illiteracy remains a black spot, especially in the rural areas within a region which is itself lagging behind. Little girls in the rural areas,
when they are not sent to the cities as maids to generate income for the family,
carry out various tasks: fetching wood and water, helping in the fields, herding
sheep and/or providing free labor in the household, helping to raise younger
children. Special measures are necessary to enable rural families to enrol their
daughters in school and thus restore the principle of equality.
Specific programs for mass literacy and for the education of women will certainly restore some balance and help empower all.
Equality also means assisting the weaker pupils and students, the handicapped, those living in disadvantaged environments and poor suburbs. Tutoring can help the underprivileged avoid failure and exclusion, on both coasts of
the Mediterranean. The example of one project initiated by a young professor
of Moroccan origin and carried out at the Free University of Brussels (ULB),
and which received the UNESCO award of “the best education action in the
world” – as we will see below – illustrates the multiple benefits of such support
for young people of ethnic origin in Europe.
b) The Principle of Ownership
Despite the models of democracy and the market economy which have been
imposed by globalization and the dominant culture, strategies relating to education must be homegrown and based on cultural heritage. This serves not only
a basic “jus cogens” norm of international law – self determination – but also
39
the need for efficiency. In order to ensure the proper implementation of the reforms and their sustainability over the long term, it is necessary to accommodate feelings of national identity. It is also the only way to foster the culture of
individual responsibility and civic participation, without which no effective
democracy can be achieved. The principle of ownership is the key to improving
the capacity of the population for policy analysis and operational skills.
However, interfering in education curricula, as the wider Middle East initiative had proposed, is counterproductive, defeating the very principle of the expressed aim of democracy, and is not feasible in practice.
Although championed by the EU approach in the EMP and emphasized in
the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), this principle is contradicted by
the prevailing procedures and monitoring of the EU.17
It is advisable to promote the principle of international cooperation in various ways, such as: training the trainers and the teachers; improving the capacity
of the elected bodies; organising exchanges, for instance in the fields of research
and development. In advanced countries, strategic research is increasingly the
remit of the private sector. International cooperation is essential for promoting
indigenous skills and resources. Harnessing produce by way of international
cooperation, as has been attempted in the field of the life sciences, can satisfy
basic needs and make up for the knowledge gap.18
c) The Principle of Efficiency, Governance and Cost Effectiveness
There is strong pressure from all players, from representatives of donor
countries and of recipient countries alike, from those at whom aid is targeted
and from the NGOs, for more efficiency in international cooperation. But there
is a dilemma about how to reconcile economic efficiency and social equity.
Apart from this, the countries involved should be able to show results in order
to ensure optimum use of scarce resources. The focus is on the necessity to
spend aid money in a better way so as to meet the Millennium Development
Goals and the objectives of the EMP. Christian Ruck, the former spokesman of
the Christian Democrats in the Bundestag, would seem to voice a deep concern
of European public opinion in general when he advocates that “efficiency is the
most important criterion” for development aid.19 There are certain measures
which could be taken to promote this aim.
First of all, promoting knowledge as a key factor in personal fulfilment and
in national development will increase the motivation to learn for young people
and thus improve their school results.
Beyond the traditional ways of rewarding excellence and hard work, and the
usual incentives to strive for better results, efficiency could be improved through
17 See section on the EMP.
18 See, for instance, the Crucible II Group, Seeding Solutions Volume 2: Options for National Laws, Governing
Control over Genetic Resources and Biological Innovations, co-published by The International Development
Research Centre (IDRC), International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the Dag Hammarskjöld
Foundation, 2001. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) has partly funded this
project, in which I participated.
19 Cf. D+C, vol. 32, 2005:6, p. 250.
40
regular assessment and quality control, thus introducing the criterion of cost
effectiveness. Regular assessment must be carried out, not only of the pupils
and students, but of the whole learning process, and of individual educational
institutions. International cooperation, and learning from best practice in different countries, are crucial in order to initiate and develop the process.
It is true that education systems across the world are under pressure to address
rapidly changing situations, and to meet the requirements of the labor markets.
Within Europe itself, situations vary, and it is amazing
to see little Finland, which enjoys one of the best educa“It is amazing
tion systems in the world after Singapore, helping the
to see little FinUnited Kingdom to reform and improve its own system!
land, which
The Arab Region Bureau of the UNDP has initiated
enjoys one of the
a project seeking to achieve “quality assessment of highbest education
er education” with the assistance of a British agency.20
systems in the
Such an approach should become the general rule.
world …helping
the United KingModernizing the systems – programs, methods, tools
dom to reform
and organization – should increase productivity. Idenand
improve its
tifying complementary elements amongst the various
own
system!”
channels and education systems avoids duplication and
wastage of scarce resources. Enhancing vocational training, and integrating education and training with the labor market, optimizes economic efficiency.21 In all these areas international cooperation has a role to play.
2. Modernizing Traditional Tools and Introducing New Learning Devices
Reforming the curricula is unanimously recognized as a prerequisite by all
the stakeholders. However, great divergences remain as to the content and the
methods of the reforms. The very substance of education involves religious and
cultural heritage, the national identity, and the image which a nation seeks to
create of itself and to convey to its citizens and to others. Reforming such a sensitive area requires a strong consensus among politicians and the population at
large. However, such a consensus is extremely difficult to reach in the present
context, where reconstructionist views of history are advocated and where there
is controversy around the role and the various interpretations of religion, and
especially Islam, in education and in political life.
There is a crucial need to modernize the traditional tools, and to introduce
and disseminate new knowledge-delivery systems.
a) Revision of Textbooks
Despite new technologies, textbooks are still a major instrument for educating students in the Arab world, and often the only one. Unfortunately, they are
20 A commission was created for this purpose in 2002, and I was privileged to take part in it. It carried out the
evaluation of 20 public and 20 private Arab universities in the two fields of computer science and business administration.
21 Vocational training already absorbs over 50 percent of all the commitment of German aid in education.
41
frequently outdated and expensive. Public libraries are rare, poorly equipped,
and not always adapted to the students’ needs. Donated books are sometimes
inadequate. International cooperation can contribute to building up more
modern, better equipped libraries’ networks, including some aimed at children
and located in rural areas.
Books should normally be revised every three or four years. This is costly
and extremely complex to carry out. Joint textbook revision between former
enemies, for instance, to comply with the new situation, must be part of a more
comprehensive strategy. It requires a favorable political environment as well as
a great deal of commitment and time.
b) New Delivery Systems and New Learning Tools
New technologies have great potential to address the weaknesses of the
Arab education system. International cooperation can have a considerable effect, assuming respect is paid to the specific cultures.
Young people must learn to confront “non-culturally correct” programs and
develop their own capacity for analysis, criticism, and defence. There is a danger that the internet may reinforce stereotypes and the tendency towards hatred
and extreme violence. The youngest and the most vulnerable must therefore be
protected.
3. Methods and Approaches
a) Academic and Student Exchange
Academic and student exchange schemes are extremely fruitful avenues of
cooperation, just as they are for intercultural dialogue.
Some of the EMP programs serve that purpose. Such programs were highly
recommended by the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, held in May
2005 in Luxembourg,22 but they face many obstacles. Mobility is hampered, as
we have seen above, by restrictive immigration policies, visa procedures and so
forth. The European Neighbourhood Policy should secure access to European
research programs and related facilities for the partners. The promise of the
ENP to share with the Mediterranean partners everything except the institutions may become a token slogan contradicted by actual European practice, if
the free circulation of people across the area is not allowed.
I am convinced of the necessity to develop joint North/South research programs through a comprehensive approach to the equation demography/migration – integration/brain drain! Exchanging and adapting knowledge is essential
to help build a knowledge-based Arab society. When foreign aid is properly
managed, it can encourage better delivery and dissemination of the results of
higher research and increased support for basic research. Participating in harnessing the “international public good” for the specific needs of Mediterranean
countries also helps the development of home-grown research.
22 Conclusions of the Conference, Title of § 3. Mobility in Higher Education, § 3. b).
42
b) Building Partnerships, Networking and Connectivity
Notwithstanding the central role that states still play in shaping the dominant
culture, identity and image of a nation, it is local bodies, the private sector, the
media, cultural institutions and various NGOs which are increasingly influential in those fields and in the learning process.
Partnerships, networking and connectivity have become keys to living in the
globalizing world, and to improving impacts and efficiency. They pave the way
for genuine open-minded behaviour and intercultural dialogue at all levels.
Given the multiplicity and changing functions of the various stakeholders
in education and dialogue, the respective roles must be clearly identified and
defined.
Civil society and NGOs are still at the embryonic stage in certain countries,
which are in transition between “repression” and “recuperation”. There is still
suspicion about their real intent, financing and lack of transparency. They can
fulfil an important task in the learning process to promote an open society,
raising consciousness, facilitating and disseminating knowledge, and carrying
out complementary tasks within the schools.
A strong civil society and active NGOs have a central role to play in the promotion of the citizenship and democratic life of a nation. But for all the benefits they bring, unelected bodies cannot be a substitute for political parties.
They reap the rewards, while the political actors (who are accountable) generally get the blame.
c) Decentralized Cooperation
Decentralized cooperation between the two coasts of the Mediterranean is
crucial in this process and can ensure better knowledge of the respective backgrounds and environments. Despite obvious disparities, despite the asymmetries of the agencies, cooperation offers great potential in education. Exchange
of experience and best practice fosters mutual knowledge, understanding and
tolerance. Some regions, particularly in southern Europe, are seriously engaged
in such activities.23 An association like L’Arc Latin is endeavoring to build cultural links across the Mediterranean Sea and to share learning with its Southern Mediterranean counterparts, as is demonstrated in its activity report for
2004.
Decentralized cooperation merits more importance than it is currently given.
And although this promising trend is developing rapidly, local and regional
players are still complaining of the lack of real support from Brussels.
Despite the central role that partnerships play, they are in general very difficult to manage. Donor states often engage in partnerships in order to share
their burdens and maximize their resources. However, their agencies and officials are often reluctant to work in a true spirit of partnership. There is general
manoeuvring to take the leading part, and achieving coordination, the cornerstone of success, is difficult.
23 For instance, Andalusia, Catalonia or Communidad de Madrid in Spain; the PACA region in France, and others.
43
d) Coordination
There is a general lack of coordination, both between different categories of
donors and between the donors and the administrative institutions of the various host countries. Still, coordination remains the key to achieving efficiency
and maximizing resources. Europeans, who are accustomed to organising division of labor, could offer assistance here.
A few examples, where coordination is predominant, will illustrate the necessity and potential benefits of innovation, partnerships and diversity in the
vast and complex domain of education.
Conclusion: a Few Examples
Two initiatives have been taken by Ahmed Medhoune, a Belgian professor
of Moroccan origin at the ULB.
The first one is the publication of a small book, L’Islam, vous connaissez?.
Its clear aim is to produce a better understanding of Islam, a religion which
is currently the subject of widespread polemics, not to say hostility.24 The intended readership consists of teachers, students and the general public. The
book has been doubly sanctioned; on the one hand, it was published by the
Ministry of Secondary and Special Education on behalf of the francophone
community of Belgium. On the other hand, it was extended with the collaboration of the executive representatives of the Muslims of Belgium. The book
is short and simple and sheds light on the essential pillars of Islam. It offers a
basis for discussion and seeks to eliminate misconceptions about the second religion in Belgium. Misconceptions of Islam are persistent and widespread in
European public opinion.
The second initiative, also conducted in Brussels by the same young man, received an award from UNESCO in 2004 for being “the best education initiative in the world”. Ahmed Medhoune envisaged a program of tutorship, carried out by Belgian students for the benefit of younger students from the ethnic
minorities in order to fight school failure. Beyond the obvious benefits for the
targeted pupils and their community, this operation sends various messages.25
It allows young immigrants to show a sense of responsibility. These young people are often perceived by the host countries as creating problems, but they can
also offer solutions. The whole process brings about social links, solidarity
channels and above all better understanding among citizens. This encouraging
example could be adapted and expanded elsewhere. It is worthy of funding so
as to provide incentives and income for students.
A program carried out in Egypt shows the importance of innovation and
partnerships, which could be created by international cooperation in education
for peace. A pedagogic tool was developed in Alexandria to provide a playful
24 Hassan Bouhoute, Ural Manço, Ahmed Medhoune: L’Islam, vous connaissez?, Brussels 2003.
25 At the ULB, over 15 years, about 1000 undergraduates have helped 8000 pupils in secondary schools to achieve
an 80 percent success rate in their exams.
44
introduction to archaeology and Egyptian history. Under the auspices of a
French research institute of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique
(CNRS), several stakeholders are engaged in a partnership to implement this
program: the local authorities of the PACA region (Provence-Alpes-Côte
d’Azur) in France, the ministry of education of Egypt and the city of Alexandria. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina acts as a host and
offers its premises and facilities to the young partici“Cooperation
pants. This innovatory scheme offers the opportunity
amongst all the
to pupils from public and private schools, from Musstakeholders of
lim and Coptic backgrounds, to progress together.
the institution
The program is part of the European project “Youth
must prevail over
the competing
and Sports”, and the organizers are supplied by the re26
strategies
of the
gion PACA. Despite some predictable problems in
various
powers
coordinating so many groups, this has turned out to
and the unilatbe a perfect example of partnership, capitalizing on
eral one of the
specific strengths and expertise and synergies to prosuperpower.”
mote education for peace within the Euro-Mediterranean area.
A proliferation of programs in this field would be counterproductive and
would lead to initiative fatigue. However, I have long been advocating the establishment of a larger institution on the Mediterranean level.
Only an institution on this scale could address such challenges. There must be
full participation by the dominant Mediterranean player – the USA – along with
the European countries. All the other Mediterranean countries must enjoy equal
status, thus becoming responsible players, not merely passive figureheads.
This permanent institution should be located on the Mediterranean shores,
far from Brussels, which already is home to world organizations such as NATO
and the EU institutions. Visibility is not only of symbolic importance, but it also
restores the balance and makes up for the above-mentioned democratic deficit
between the two coasts. Cooperation amongst all the stakeholders of the institution must prevail over the competing strategies of the various powers and the
unilateral one of the superpower.
International cooperation in education is a cornerstone of intercultural dialogue and conflict prevention and should have a central role in such a framework. Only in this way can we collectively overcome terror and work towards
civic development and world peace. J
26 From October 2004 to June 2005, 1700 pupils (50 percent from state schools) have taken advantage of this
program.
45
Avenue de Paris in Beirut, Lebanon
Germany’s Contribution
to Building Knowledge-Based
Societies in the Arab World
How to Match the Aims of a
Civilian Power with the Goals of the
Arab Human Development Reports
Martin Beck
1. Introduction1
Everywhere, thoughts are turning to the problem of education. The muchquoted Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) produced shockwaves in OECD countries such as Germany, but the issue of education is now to
the fore also in the Arab world. The first volume of the Arab Human Development Reports (AHDRs) entitled “Creating Opportunities for Future Generations”, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in
2002, highlighted three major areas where investment was crucial for a basic reorientation towards sustained development in the Arab world: freedom, women’s
rights and knowledge.2 The focus on knowledge was confirmed by the second
volume of the AHDR dedicated to the topic “Building a Knowledge Society”.3
The AHDRs also present a challenge for Germany in its role as a partner to
the Arab societies. In the light of the reports, the promotion of education is prioritized for action by agencies of development cooperation.
For the past decade some Western countries, including Germany, have concentrated their educational development aid heavily on elementary schools and
vocational training. The emphasis laid by the AHDRs on higher education has
cast doubt on this policy. Although the former two sectors are also important
when building a knowledge-based society, the AHDRs nevertheless argued
strongly that academic education is a non-luxury element, deserving full attention in development cooperation. Since the debate on development assistance
has recently focused on higher education in contrast to other fields of education, this article will give it special attention.
The basic arguments proposed here are, firstly, that the aim of building knowledge-based societies in the Arab world matches the official goals of German
foreign policy towards the Arab states. Evidence for this thesis will be given in
1 I want to thank Helga Baumgarten for her valuable comments on the first version of this article.
2 UNDP/Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Human Development Report 2002. Creating
Opportunities for Future Generations, New York 2002.
3 UNDP/Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Human Development Report 2003. Building a
Knowledge Society, New York 2003. In 2005, the third volume of the AHDRs entitled Towards Freedom in
the Arab World was published.
48
Germany’s Contribution to Building Knowledge-Based Societies in the Arab World
chapter two, which examines the Arab and then the German aspect of the discussion. However, secondly, serious problems of implementation must be taken
into consideration, again both on the Arab and the German side. After I deal
with these aspects in chapter three, chapter four will focus on the issue from a
practical perspective: given the circumstances as analyzed in the preceding
chapters, what are the achievements and future prospects for Germany’s contribution to creating knowledge-based societies in the Arab world? Chapter five
provides a conclusion.
2. The Aim of Promoting Knowledge-Based Societies
2.1 The Arab Side
The conclusions of the AHDRs came as no surprise to the academic community or the practitioners of development cooperation. The crucial importance
of human capital has long been a subject of discussion by both communities.
The release of the first Human Development Index by the UNDP in 1990 and
the publication of the World Bank report on Knowledge for Development in
1999 caused development cooperation to focus on issues of education and
knowledge both in theory and practice.4 The lack of Arab development in education and research has been intensively discussed in academic literature,
which highlights how, in the Arab world, economic, social and cultural potential is blocked by the lack of dynamic progress in the
sectors of education and research.5 The AHDRs there“The aim of buildfore hardly break new ground either from the perspecing knowledgetive of academia or specialists in development coopbased societies in
eration. Why, then, are they so remarkable? They are
the Arab world
significant mainly because their authors hail from the
matches the
Arab world. Consequently, the AHDRs’ relentless
official goals of
criticism of educational deficiencies in the Arab world
German foreign
cannot be dismissed by biased Arab stakeholder groups
policy towards the
as attributable to a “Western perspective” and as “missArab states.”
ing empathy” for the cultural and political particularities of the Arab world.
The AHDRs are based on universalist principles while acknowledging the
specific features of the region. The first report of 2002 points out that the successful socio-economic development of Arab countries depends on creating
knowledge-based societies. Yet the present state of the Arab world lags far behind this ambitious aim. The authors prove that, in previous decades, the Arab
world has even witnessed a significant decline vis-à-vis other developing areas.
As emphasized in the report, the only chance to reverse this trend is to leverage
4 UNDP, Human Development Index, New York 1990; World Bank, World Development Report. Knowledge
for Development 1998/99, New York 1999.
5 See Henner Fürtig (ed.), Islamische Welt und Globalisierung. Aneignung, Abgrenzung, Gegenentwürfe, Würzburg
2001, especially the contributions by Sonja Hegasy, Mona Abaza and Ulrich G. Wurzel.
49
Martin Beck
human rights as well as individual freedom rights in the Arab world and to establish governments committed to the principle of accountability. Although the
AHDRs do not refrain from criticizing the policies of Western states, particularly their roles in Iraqi and Palestinian politics, the authors emphasize the personal responsibility of Arab players. They also resist the temptation to subordinate the concept of human and individual rights to the “Middle Eastern
tradition”. This avoids diluting the ideas in a manner that would serve the interests of ruling authoritarian governments.
The ruling political elites in the Arab Middle East, all of whom are authoritarian, are well-versed in how to cushion pressure towards democratic reforms
by presenting liberalization strategies as democratization policies. By doing so,
the elites obscure the basic difference between democratization – a policy aimed
at the fundamental transition of an authoritarian regime to a democracy – and
liberalization, which aims at increasing the efficiency of the authoritarian regime
by implementing limited reforms controlled from above. In order to make this
strategy work, the elites have to dilute the idea of democracy. The authoritarian
regimes can thus retain the ability to terminate liberalization strategies when
their effects threaten to get beyond their control, i.e. to stop liberalization before it might turn into an irrepressible democratization process.6
The design of the AHDRs guards against such a strategy, for instance, by
underlining that women must be allowed to participate in creating knowledgebased societies to the same extent as men. Moreover, the standard for measuring freedom is set rather high by following the findings of Freedom House.
This renowned US-American non-profit organization is committed to the
spread of democratic values, and has been publishing comparative country assessments on the degree of democratization worldwide since 1978.7 Although
the authors of the AHDRs claim that the rankings published by Freedom
House may not be perfect, possibly even biased, they point out that they are
still the most reliable data available. This determination has three important
implications. Firstly, the source of measurement is not subject to manipulation
by Arab representatives. Secondly, the AHDRs acknowledge that to date there
are no “free countries” in the Arab Middle East. Thirdly, freedom is not a
Western but a universal concept. To summarize the vision of the AHDRs, it
may be stated that the Arab world must leave its Sonderweg as a world area not
participating in the “Third Wave of Democratization.”8
Despite their stress on universalism, the AHDRs take account of Middle
Eastern characteristics. However, the authors reject the accusation that their criticism of Middle Eastern domestic policies lends moral support to the enemies of
the Arab world. The authors see this accusation as favoring the interests of the
ruling elites. Those members of the ruling classes, in the name of national auton6 See also the debate on the relationship between Islam and Liberal Democracy in the Journal of Democracy 7.2
in 1996, especially the contributions by Bernard Lewis and Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi.
7 Freedom House, Freedom in the World. Country Ratings, 1972 through 2003, New York 2004, available at
www.freedomhouse.org, 07/10/2005.
8 Samuel P. Huntington, The Third Wave of Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Norman, Okla.
1991.
50
omy and self-determination, resist any change, thus retaining their privileges at
the expense of the vast majority of the population. However, the authors of the
AHDRs do take regional characteristics into consideration when explaining the
socio-economic crisis of the Arab world. The relative failure of Middle Eastern
countries to exploit the opportunities offered by globalization is mainly attributed to the particular economic structures found in Arab rent systems.
A rent is a special sort of income that does not originate from investment or
labor. Rents keep on coming in even without re-investment on the part of the
recipient and are, therefore, unlike profits, fully at the
disposal of the recipient. The main source of the Arab
“To summaworld’s rental income is oil exports. Because of the
rize the vision
huge gap between oil production costs in the Middle
of the AHDRs, it
East and oil prices on the international market, the
may be stated
Middle East generates by far the highest rental income
that the Arab
of any region in the world. At the same time, the oil
world must leave
sector has always been the most productive sector of
its sonderweg as
the economies of the Arab oil-exporting countries. As
a world area not
the central state bureaucracies in these countries face
participating in
the ‘Third Wave
no competition from a developed business sector, they
of Democratihave monopolized the oil income. The political elites
zation.’”
have thus had free rein to shape national development.
Since oil income was at their disposal, they invested in
politics rather than in economic development. In order to stabilize the political
system and preserve their own privileges, the ruling state bureaucracies have
avoided using the oil income in any way that might have supported a challenge
to their own privileged position. The fruits of this distorted development strategy are apparent to all: lack of freedom, corruption, nepotism and an inefficient economy.9
The rent structures found in the Arab world are not confined to oil-exporting countries. Rather, they are endemic throughout the region.10 There are two
channels through which a significant part of the oil income has been funneled
into the socio-economic systems of the poorer non-oil-exporting countries of
the Arab Middle East. Firstly, the ruling elites of the Gulf countries transferred
part of their external rental income in the form of political rents to Arab governments with no or low oil income, especially in the Mashriq. The Gulf states
were hoping thus to shore up conservative elites in countries whose radical upper classes had challenged the traditional monarchies in the 1950s and 1960s.
Secondly, petrodollars were transferred by way of individual earnings to the
poorer non-oil-exporting countries. Since the Gulf monarchies enjoyed high in9 See Hartmut Elsenhans, “OPEC and Oil Crisis. Turning Point in the North-South-Relationship or Exacerba-
tion of Underdevelopment? Observations on the Political and Economic Chances of the Rentier-State”, in
Klaus Jürgen Gantzel/Helmut Mejcher (eds.), Oil, the Middle East, North Africa and the Industrial States,
Paderborn 1984, pp. 279–296.
10 Bahgat Korany, “Political Petrolism and Contemporary Arab Politics, 1967–1983”, in Journal of Asian and
African Studies 21.1–2, 1986, pp. 66–80.
51
Martin Beck
come but suffered a labor shortage, they imported Arab labor from the poor
but labor-rich countries of the Arab world. The migrant workers kept their
family ties and transferred a good proportion of their income to their families
back home. Those twin pillars of petrolism significantly weakened the productive sectors of Arab non-oil-exporting countries, thereby contributing to the
distortion of the socio-economic system.
The emphasis of the AHDRs on rent structures in the Middle East implies
that the Western world shares responsibility for the backwardness of the Arab
world. Especially after the Second World War, Western energy policy significantly contributed to the strengthening of authoritarian regimes in the Arab
oil-exporting countries.11 The West also helped stabilize authoritarian regimes
in non-oil-exporting countries of the region by providing budget support, thereby contributing to the con“Especially
solidation of rentier states in the Middle East.12 Thereafter the Second
fore, although the authors of the AHDRs emphasize
World War,
that the main effort to create knowledge-based sociWestern energy
eties in the Arab world should come from within,
policy significantly
Western players also have a clear obligation to procontributed to
vide the impetus for such developments.
the strengthening
of authoritarian
When advising on policy, the AHDRs give due atregimes in the
tention to nationalist sensitivities. Thus, the reports
Arab oil-exportattach a high value to the Arab language. A good
ing countries.”
command of English as lingua franca in the era of
globalization is important, but the authors emphasize
that it is the native language of the Arab world which shapes its identity and integrates all strata of its society. An essential task is therefore to mold Arabic
into a language suited to the needs of a modern knowledge-based society.
Although the AHDRs have something to say about all the sectors of education, they treat higher education a central theme. Why is that the case? The key
to the Arab world’s participation in a globalized economy is access to, and adequate use of, modern technology. Thus, the transfer of successful technology
is crucial for sustained development in the Middle East. As pointed out in the
AHDRs, the policy pursued in the past by the capital-rich oil-exporting countries was to import turn-key technologies and, at best, to acquire some technological knowledge to maintain the imported facilities. Such a policy simply created an impasse.13 This argument is especially valid since the income structure
in the Middle East does not allow the Arab world to compete with low-labour
cost countries. To avoid repeating past mistakes, the Arab world needs a sophisticated higher education sector charged with providing the human resources necessary for a high-technology economy. Well-educated professionals
11 Martin Beck, “Die friedenspolitische Bedeutung internationaler Verteilungskonflikte um Erdöl für den Vorde-
ren Orient”, in Die Friedens-Warte 78.4, 2003, pp. 317–344.
12 For the concept of rentier states see the contributions in Hazem Beblawi/Giacomo Luciani (eds.), The Rentier
State, London 1987.
13 See Ulrich G. Wurzel, “Technologie und Gesellschaft – Innovationstheorie und Technologiepolitik aus euro-
päischer Perspektive”, in Henner Fürtig (cf. fn 5), 2001, pp. 295–321.
52
from the humanities as well as the sciences are needed for monitoring the
process of technological modernization, and for promoting the associated socio-economic innovations.
2.2 The German Side
Despite the serious problems affecting the building of knowledge-based societies in the Arab world, the promotion of such a program fits perfectly into the
framework of Germany’s foreign policy.14 Germany’s self-image in foreign affairs
is based on the concept of civilian power. The aspirations and convictions of an
ideal civilian power can be traced back to Dieter Senghaas’ maxim that a progressive policy should aim at goals summarized in the “civilizational hexagon”.15 Accordingly, the foreign policy of a civilian power seeks “effective control of private violence through the monopolisation of force; a culture of
non-violent resolution of political disputes; rule of law; development of social
division of labour and institutions; participation in decision-making by those
affected by the decisions; and social justice”.16
It is generally accepted that the promotion of knowledge-based societies in
the Arab world meets the imperatives of the civilian-power concept.17 However,
Germany has also developed a framework of non-governmental organizations
capable of supporting the creation of knowledge-based societies. There are
agencies specializing in particular aspects of such a support. In the fields of primary education and vocational training, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)
are the most important players implementing German development programs.
The Goethe-Institut is the foremost German organization aiming to spread
German culture and language abroad.
Regarding academic teaching and research, numerous German foundations
are active in international relations. Yet it is the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service) that stands out
as the only organization in Germany whose sole purpose is to cultivate Germany’s international academic relations; that is why it is focusing on exchanges
of academic personnel and students.18 To fulfill this purpose, the German government, mainly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, funds the DAAD to pursue
five goals: the DAAD recently spent 57 million euros per year on scholarships
14 See the contributions in Sebastian Harnisch/Hanns W. Maull (eds.), Germany as a Civilian Power? The For-
eign Policy of the Berlin Republic, Manchester 2001; Volker Rittberger (ed.): German Foreign Policy Since Unification. Theories and Case Studies, Manchester 2001.
15 Dieter Senghaas, “Frieden – Ein mehrfaches Komplexprogramm”, in Dieter Senghaas (ed.), Frieden machen,
Frankfurt/Main 1997, p. 573.
16 Hanns W. Maull, “German Foreign Policy, Post-Kosovo. Still a Civilian Power?” in German Politics 9.2, 2000,
pp. 14–15.
17 For a detailed analysis of Germany’s foreign policy towards the Middle East based on a critical application of
the civilian-power concept, see Martin Beck, “German Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East in the 1990s
and Beyond”, in Orient 45.3, 2004, pp. 401–422.
18 The author served as a Visiting Associate Professor for political science at Birzeit University, Palestine, and
Representative of the DAAD in East Jerusalem from January 2001 to February 2004. Since then he has not
been affiliated with the DAAD.
53
Martin Beck
for foreigners, 55 million euros on scholarships for Germans, 66 million euros
per year on the internationalization of German institutions of higher education, 36 million euros per year on promoting the German language abroad and
37 million euros per year on cooperation with institutions of higher education
in developing countries.19
Moreover, the DAAD is the only German higher education association
maintaining a network of offices abroad. Thus, although other associations
such as the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvH, Alexander von Humboldt
Foundation) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research
Foundation) are also active in international academic cooperation, the DAAD
takes a leading position. Thanks to its presence abroad, the DAAD also assists
other German academic agencies active in international academic cooperation.
For instance, DAAD representatives abroad carry out marketing projects for
the AvH or specific programs for universities.
Despite being categorized as non-governmental organizations, the budgets of all the above-mentioned
“One of the
German agencies and foundations of development asmajor advantages
sistance depend on public funds. Nevertheless, their
of the German
management
and decision-making processes are gendesign of highly
erally independent of governmental and political inspecialized and
terference. One of the major advantages of the Gerautonomous
man design of highly specialized and autonomous
agencies is that
agencies is that they retain a high degree of expertise
they retain a
high degree of
in their respective fields. DAAD membership is conexpertise in their
fined to German universities and student associations
respective fields.”
organized in the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK,
German Rectors’ Conference), which is a voluntary
association of state and state-approved universities and other institutions of
higher education in Germany. Even more important is the fact that major decisions, especially on scholarships, are made by committees, with the voting
power restricted to university professors. Since they are financially independent
of the DAAD and serve the organization on an honorary basis, systematic interference by vested interests outside academia is virtually non-existent. Consequently, the sole criterion for the granting of scholarships and other major
awards by the DAAD to graduate students, Ph.D. candidates and professors in
Germany and abroad, is academic excellence.
Since the aims of the authors of the AHDRs and the goals of the DAAD converge, we might seem to be living in the best of all possible worlds. However,
both the Germans and the Arabs experience problems in implementing a program that aims at creating knowledge-based societies in the Arab world. In
chapter three we shall elaborate on this issue.
19 DAAD, About Us. Goals and Roles, available at http://www.daad.de/portrait/en/1.1.html, 10/10/2005.
54
3. Obstacles to the Promotion of Knowledge-Based Societies
in the Arab World
3.1 The Arab Side
As we have seen, authoritarianism is a fundamental obstacle to the creation
of knowledge-based societies in the Arab world. Such developments are in the
interest of Arab societies as a whole, but against that of their rulers. Certain
measures, such as the encouragement of human rights and academic freedom,
are a necessary prerequisite for knowledge-based societies. For the ruling elites,
these measures would mean a loss of power and privilege, and so they will seek
to prevent them at all costs.20
The system of higher education and research at universities in the Arab
world is state-centered. Since university degrees are required for the recruitment of the national elite, Arab states tend to monopolize the funding, supervision, administration and operation of universities. Employment for graduates
is heavily weighted towards the public sector, and this is an added burden on
the state.21 A recent Human Rights Watch report shows that academic freedom
within Egyptian universities has been systematically crippled for decades.22
State interference at Egyptian universities takes place on different levels and is
implemented by a range of repressive measures. There is censorship in both
teaching and research; in addition, we find police control, repression and intimidation of students and politically active professors who take part in
demonstrations, as well as arbitrary trials and the imprisonment of scholars.
State oppression is embedded in a system of laws and regulations that inhibit
academic freedom. In particular, the rectors and – since 1994 – the deans of national universities are appointed by the Egyptian government.23 As a result,
there is widespread self-censorship by students and professors. This is one of
the most harmful by-products of state interference in academic affairs, as it destroys the potential of universities to provide creativity. Although the Egyptian
academic system is not representative of the Middle East as a whole, in most
Arab countries – Lebanon and Palestine being among the most significant exceptions – the general level of academic freedom is very low.
However, it would be inappropriate to analyze the Arab world’s rebuttal of
universal values such as freedom and democracy only in terms of state repression. Other restrictions on academic freedom come from extremist and militant Islamists who frequently block free discussions in the classroom, attempt
to obstruct “anti-Islamic” research, and put pressure on politically active students and professors from the liberal and left wings. Last but not least, some
20 Martin Beck, “Resistance to Globalization and Limited Liberalization in the Middle East”, in Harald Barrios/
Martin Beck/Andreas Boeckh/Klaus Segbers (eds.), Resistance to Globalization. Political Struggle and Cultural
Resilience in the Middle East, Russia, and Latin America, Münster 2002, pp. 14–33.
21 Jacobs M. Landau, “Arab and Turkish Universities”, in Middle Eastern Studies 33.1, 1997, p. 11.
22 Human Rights Watch, “Reading Between the ‘Red Lines’. The Repression of Academic Freedom in Egyptian
Universities” (Human Rights Watch 17.6 (E), June 2005), available at www.hrw.org, 18/10/2005.
23 Eberhard Kienle, A Grand Delusion. Democracy and Economic Reform in Egypt, London 2001, pp. 76–77.
55
The Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco
Martin Beck
intellectuals in Egypt have been subject to serious physical attacks outside the
university.24
Moreover, even some of the (potentially) cosmopolitan segments of Arab society are lukewarm towards the expansion of liberal values, especially if it
seems to be due to Western, particularly US-American initiatives. For instance,
globalization is widely viewed in negative terms by the Arab public, especially
by intellectuals and academics. As Sonja Hegasy found out in an empirical
study evaluating articles by leading Arab scholars both of the humanities and
the sciences, many Arab academics criticize the negative effects of globalization
while ignoring the chances it offers.25 This animosity among Arab scholars is
supported by the more or less express belief that globalization is a Western tool
for manipulating developing areas, rather than an uncontrollable process presenting opportunities as well as dangers.
The Arab reception of the AHDRs highlighted the problems. When the Bush
Administration used the first report to justify its “Middle East Partnership Initiative”, it triggered a distorted debate about the AHDRs in the Middle East.26
As a result of the US-American hijacking of the first AHDR, the report lost
credibility with the Arab readership. This put enormous pressure on the authors of the AHDRs and their supporters who were sometimes perceived as
traitors imposing Western values on the Arab world. Nader Fergany, the lead
author of the reports, reacted furiously to the US-American appropriation of
the first report and declared that the Arab world needed no self-proclaimed
friends who “have repeatedly shown amazing ignorance, which is further combined … with an overdose of arrogance”.27 Perhaps influenced by the public
perception of the AHDRs in the Arab world, Fergany not only criticized the
USA for its Middle Eastern policy, but generally rejected foreign initiatives by
upholding the idea of national self-determination. Of course, this concept is
open to exploitation by the ruling elites of the Arab world who possess far
more power than the Arab supporters of the AHDRs ideas. The mere reference
by the US-Administration to the first volume of the AHDRs was sufficient to
reinforce the Arab tendency to see universal values such as freedom and
democracy as imports from the West.
3.2 The German Side
Although Germany is, in terms of gross domestic product and population,
the biggest member nation of the European Union, its financial investment in
external affairs is rather limited. After the end of the East-West conflict, when
24 Human Rights Watch (cf. fn 22).
25 Sonja Hegasy, “Globalisierung und Technologietransfer im Nahen Osten”, in Henner Fürtig (cf. fn 5), 2001,
pp. 251–271.
26 See Colin L. Powell, “The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative. Building Hope for the Years Ahead”, speech
delivered at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., on December 12, 2002, available at
http://www.state.gov/secretary/former/powell/remarks/2002/15920.htm; see also George W. Bush, “Remarks
by the President at the 20th Anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy”, speech on November
6, 2003, available athttp://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/11/print/20031106-2.html, 13/10/2005.
27 Nader Fergany, “Knowing Our ‘Friends”, in Al-Ahram Weekly, 26/12/2002, available at
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/618/eg4.htm, 13/10/2005.
58
Germany achieved full sovereignty, foreign policy experts hoped that Germany
would boost its activities in that area. However, since the 1990s, because of significant socio-economic and fiscal problems related to the reunification process
and an increasing unemployment rate, German governments have been focusing on internal affairs. Thus, the proportion of the federal budget spent on external affairs shrank significantly from 21.5 percent in 1990 to little more than
12 percent in 2003.28 Public debate about the financial constraints of German
foreign relations focused on the defense sector. However, cultural activities
were also subject to budget cuts.29
The DAAD maintains only fifteen fully-fledged of“Public debate
fices (“Außenstellen”) worldwide, of which just one is
about the finanlocated in the Arab world, in Cairo, Egypt. When glocial constraints of
balization accelerated in the 1970/80s, entailing conGerman foreign
comitant challenges for Germany as a potential global
relations focused
player in the 1990s, Germany had an extremely low
on the defense
institutional presence in the international field of
sector. However,
higher education. Thus, despite the general financial
cultural activities
were also subject
constraints in the 1990s, the DAAD managed to atto budget cuts.”
tract increased financial resources from the federal
government. From 1990 to 2004, the budget allocations from German ministries to the DAAD expanded from 118 million to 202
million euros. Moreover, in the 1990s, the DAAD started to attract significant
funds from the European Union, whose support amounted to 25 million euros
in 2004.30 These funds were still insufficient to let the DAAD expand into a
dense network of international outposts. Thus, the DAAD chose an alternative
low-cost way for Germany’s international expansion in higher education. Accordingly, in the 1990s, a network of so-called Information Centers was established. Those Centers are headed by lecturers in German – or in some exceptional cases by long-term visiting professors – and are normally staffed with a
part-time local secretary. In 2004, the DAAD maintained 46 Information Centers worldwide.31
Despite the establishment of DAAD Information Centers, and given the fact
that the DAAD is the only German institution specializing in the field of higher education abroad, Germany is arguably deficient in international representation. The DAAD has certainly been under-represented in the Arab world: in
28 Gunter Hellmann/Reinhard Wolf, “Neuer Spielplan auf der Weltbühne. Deutschlands Auftritt muss abgesagt
werden”, in Internationale Politik 59.8, 2004, pp. 72–73. Incidentally, the quoted proportion refers to financial resources spent on external affairs as a whole, i.e. not just the foreign ministry’s share of the federal budget
which is much smaller.
29 Hanns W. Maull, “Editorial. Deutschland auf Abwegen?“ in Hanns Maull/Sebastian Harnisch/Constantin
Grund (eds.), Deutschland im Abseits? Rot-grüne Außenpolitik 1998–2003, Baden-Baden 2003, pp. 14–16.
See Auswärtiges Amt, Auswärtige Kultur- und Bildungspolitik, p. 50–52, available at http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/de/infoservice/download/pdf/publikationen/kupolitik.pdf, 26/10/2005.
30 DAAD, About Us. Sources and Utilisation of Funds, available at http://www.daad.de/portrait/en/1.8.html,
10/10/2005.
31 DAAD, Das Auslandsnetzwerk des DAAD, available at http://www.daad.de/de/download/daad_auslandsnetzwerk.pdf, 10/10/2005.
59
Martin Beck
2004 only two out of 46 Information Centers worldwide were located in this
area, namely in Palestine (East Jerusalem) and Sudan (Khartoum). The opening
of a new Information Center in Syria (Damascus) in 2005 did not fundamentally alter the general picture.
Besides the low profile of the DAAD in the Arab world, there is debate over
the allocation of resources. Apart from DAAD outposts and Information Centers, the DAAD sends out lecturers in German to universities abroad. Their
number outweighs by far that of all other German staff members of the DAAD
employed abroad. Given that in 2004 there were 414 lecturers teaching German at universities abroad, the number of long-term visiting professors sent by
the DAAD to teach in their areas of expertise at foreign universities (i.e. 48)
seems extremely low. In the Arab world, there are currently only three DAAD
long-term visiting professors vis-à-vis twelve lecturers in German.32 Thus, on a
global scale, the DAAD’s presence in the Arab world is generally restricted to
teaching German at universities. This approach is perhaps appropriate in areas
such as Eastern Europe where German is still perceived as a language of special
importance for academic contacts, economic and trade relations or cultural activities. However, German does not have this status in the Arab world. At the
same time, there are certainly too few German visiting professors, of both the
humanities and the sciences, who cooperate with local faculties in joint-research
projects and in the academic teaching of Arab students. Another complication
is that the majority of lecturers in German sent abroad by the DAAD do not
pursue a genuinely academic career. Most of them are not faculty members of a
German university or research institute; many do not even hold a Ph.D. With
some notable exceptions, those lecturers cannot carry out the important task of
creating long-lasting academic networks. Moreover, there is often a serious
problem with the status of lecturers in German at Arab universities: due to the
pronounced hierarchy and class consciousness in academia in general and at
Arab universities in particular, university teachers lacking a renowned academic career are considered second-class faculty members. While these problems
might be incidental, as long as the DAAD’s personnel is primarily composed of
lecturers in German, the impact of Germany’s contribution to creating a
knowledge-based society in the Arab world will be limited to the teaching of an
exotic subject. There is no doubt that popularizing German is a major task of
Germany’s external cultural policy. However, it should be acknowledged that
this task is best fulfilled by the Goethe Institut.
The circumstances of Germany’s potential contribution to the creation of
knowledge-based societies in the Arab world, as analyzed in the two preceding
chapters, raise the question of how to improve Germany’s performance in the
field of higher education in that region.
32 The long-term visiting professors of the DAAD currently serving in the Arab world are based in Jordan, Pales-
tine and Syria, the lecturers in Algeria (one), Egypt (four), Jordan (one), Morocco (one), Saudi Arabia (one),
Syria (two) Tunisia (one), and Yemen (one) (personal talk with Heide Albertin who is in charge of the DAAD’s
special program on “German-Arab/Iranian University Dialogue”, October 18, 2005).
60
4. Prospects for Germany’s Contribution to Creating Knowledge-Based
Societies in the Arab World
Among the main activities of the DAAD in the Arab world is the provision of
scholarships at all levels, ranging from students aspiring to their Master’s degrees
up to university professors doing research in Germany. Furthermore, cooperation amongst the faculties of Arab and German universities is being promoted.
All of these activities serve the general purpose of creating knowledge-based societies in the Arab world, which is an aim that perfectly suits the interests of a
civilian power. Moreover, the Federal Republic of Germany was one of the few
Western states that refrained from exerting colonial ambitions in the Arab
world in the last century. As such, in cooperating productively in higher education, it has an advantage from the start over other global players.
Germany also benefits from the intensification of
“In many
academic exchange with the Arab world. Although
cases, the transthe immediate results may not be as obvious as in the
national debate
case of academic cooperation with highly developed
on universal
countries, the long-term positive effects of Arab-Gervalues is difficult
man academic networking should not be underestiand highly abmated. These include the internationalization of Gerstract, especially
man universities and the spreading of universal values
between the West
on a global scale. In many cases, the transnational
and the Arab
world.”
debate on universal values is difficult and highly abstract, especially between the West and the Arab world,
and the concrete results are limited at best. However, in higher education, despite cultural barriers, mutual agreement on the significance of proper decisionmaking processes and procedures, free of disruptive factors such as corruption
and interference by non-issue related interest groups, is reachable.
Despite its financial limitations, the DAAD enjoys one major advantage over
other “competing” agencies from the OECD world. Because of its specialization in the field of higher education and its independence from the interference
of non-scholarly vested interests, academic excellence is the sole criterion for
the allocation of scholarships and other awards by the DAAD. The consistent
application of this basic principle is crucial for the promotion of academic freedom in the Arab world. This asset could be built upon by strengthening the
long-term presence of highly renowned German academics in the Arab world.
Such a re-orientation of DAAD policy would also improve the selection
process for scholarships given to foreigners. A big step would be to replace
diplomatic representatives with long-term visiting professors as heads of the local selection committees. This would strongly enhance the credibility of the assessment by local committees, composed of renowned alumni of the DAAD
and other outstanding scholars, in the eyes of the German academic committees which make the final selection at the DAAD headquarters in Bonn. While
preserving the principle that the final decisions on scholarship are made in Germany, the local and German committees could be systematically and reliably
61
Martin Beck
interlocked through a significant increase in the number of DAAD long-term
visiting professors.
Given the reluctance of established institutions to abandon traditions, it is
unrealistic to expect the DAAD easily to change its bias towards sending lecturers in German abroad. Yet, when new initiatives are promoted, the DAAD
should prioritize the deployment of university personnel representing the academic capabilities of Germany. The humanities and social sciences, with enormous potential to construct knowledge-based societies by promoting critical
thinking, as well as the natural and technical sciences should be encouraged,
since the Arab world is in need of international cooperation to boost technological development.
The fact that higher education is now considered a
core aspect of development cooperation should be
“There is
used to pursue this aim. Irrespective of the recommenno magic wand
dations of the AHDRs, other agencies of development
for accelerating
cooperation have also started to open up to the prothe transition of
motion of academic studies. Thus, in the period from
authoritarian to
1990 to 2004, the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftdemocratic sysliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ, Fedtems. … It is crueral Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Develcial to undermine
authoritarianism
opment) nearly quadrupled its support for DAAD
by supporting
projects.33 In particular, high-standard Master and
the emergence
Ph.D. programs with special relevance for developing
and expansion
countries have been established in Germany to attract
of non-authorigifted students from non-OECD countries. The BMZ
tarian oases.”
should expand its involvement by sending greater
numbers of renowned German professors to developing areas such as the Arab world. Even if it might be difficult to motivate professors from the sciences to serve in the Arab world on a long-term basis, shortterm stays for one semester are also attractive and useful provided that they are
part of a continuous program.
5. Conclusion
The aim of establishing knowledge-based societies in the Arab Middle East
is extremely ambitious. At the same time, there are few, if any, alternatives if
this area is to be given a chance to catch up with dynamic global developments
in politics and economics.
Although the main partner institutions, i.e. universities, are embedded in a
system lacking academic freedom, it is advisable for Germany to promote higher education in the Arab world. There is no magic wand for accelerating the
transition of authoritarian to democratic systems. As well as supporting a fundamental change of the entire political system, it is crucial to undermine au-
33 DAAD (cf. fn 30).
62
thoritarianism by supporting the emergence and expansion of non-authoritarian oases. Because of, firstly, the agglomeration of a society’s critical potential at
universities and, secondly, the high relevance of academic education for sustained development, the advancement of higher education and the promotion
of academic freedom certainly should be among the main areas of German development cooperation with the Arab world.
There are favorable preconditions in place for an enlargement of Germany’s
engagement in higher education in the Arab world: firstly, Germany’s self-imposed demand to act as a civilian power perfectly fits into the project of promoting knowledge-based societies in the Arab world. Secondly, Germany’s reputation as a non-imperialistic Western state constitutes a good initial position
for cooperation in the field of higher education. Another major asset of Germany is provided by institutions such as the DAAD, who can implement the
program. Germany is rarely accused of pursuing its own self-interest, but enjoys
credibility as a promoter of basic values, such as the principle of performance,
which rests upon the idea of equal opportunity. As an organization whose decision-making process on the ground is largely free of political interference, the
DAAD enjoys a high degree of confidence among Arab scholars.
An enlargement of Germany’s involvement in the Arab sector of higher education is a potential showcase for the capabilities of a civilian power which
heavily relies on the soft-power approach. The efficacy of this approach depends
on the readiness to apply soft power in a committed way, by quasi-hard means.
This requires that the German personnel assigned to gaining acceptance for the
idea of academic freedom, equal opportunity and the principle of performance
at Arab universities, must be composed of seasoned professional representatives
of such values in German academia. Thus, the DAAD should focus on sending
to the Arab world long-term visiting professors from German universities and
research institutes, rather than lecturers in German with a relatively weak academic background.
Finally, Germany should decide whether it intends to act as a global player
in the future. If so, the recent trend of transferring funds from the federal budget to internal affairs at the expense of foreign activities must be reversed. Even
though Germany has expanded its international activities in higher education
since the end of the East-West conflict, the number of German scholars working abroad is still far from sufficient. J
63
“Uneducated
people indulge in
censure and finding fault,
because finding fault
is easy, whereas finding
the good and the
inner necessity of
the good is difficult.
The beginning
of education always
begins with finding fault,
whereas education
in perfection always
sees the positive
in everything.”
G.W.F. Hegel (1770–1831)
“Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts”
Cooperation in
Scholarship and Research
Sari Nusseibeh
I’ll begin my comments by specifically trying to place the idea of possible
cooperation between Germany and the Arab world in the field of education
and science in the context of my own experiences at the Al-Quds University.
That might suggest to us some means of potential cooperation which could
come about in the future between Arab universities and German institutions.
I’ve been working for the last ten years as the President of Al-Quds University
in East Jerusalem, but I’ve been in the field of education for far longer. I taught
for many more years at Birzeit University, and one of the things that I discovered over the years regarding education in our part of the world has to do with
the type of student who progressed from the school system into the university
system. On the whole, this is a type that you would all probably recognize as
receptive, undynamic, uncreative, dependent on rote learning and so on, who
goes through the university system and very often ends up as a teacher because
that’s where most of the graduates from the universities go, thereby reinforcing
the cycle in the school system, which propogates a lack of skills, initiative,
questioning, and so on. Sometimes, of course, our graduates will go on to do
their Ph.D.s abroad, and if they – and we – are lucky, and they come back with
a different approach to education, we begin to see some changes in the system.
But on the whole, our major problem, in my view, has been this closed attitude
to the acquisition of knowledge, and specifically the inability to, or lack of interest in, using the mind as a tool to generate questions. Much in the education
system depends, as you know, on trying to produce answers, but very little on
developing the skill to ask questions, which is what I find extremely important
in a university and school education.
Breaking the Cycle
So, when I came to this job at Al-Quds University, one of the first things I
and others decided to do was to try to find ways of breaking the cycle. And one
way of breaking the cycle was to integrate the university into our community,
by making the university address directly the schools in our immediate environment. Our hope was that our model of cooperation between the university
and the schools in the area would be emulated by other universities. Now, a
66
Cooperation in Scholarship and Research
project we started with the help of the European Union and various Israeli
agencies, such as the Hebrew University and the Museum of Science, was what
we called a science initiative, a science education initiative, and what we did was,
among other things, to develop at our university four state-of-the-art laboratories, to which we invited teachers from the surrounding schools. As you know,
people who study the sciences in our schools do not, in general, have sufficient
access to laboratories, and much of the teaching is
done through books and theory. And so, to provide
“Much in
access to actual laboratories where students could
the education
work with their own hands was something new, and
system depends,
the idea was, firstly, to introduce teachers from the
as you know,
neighboring schools to the various experiments and
on trying to
the equipment, and secondly, to get the teachers to
produce answers,
bring the students over from the schools in order to
but very little
on developing
learn themselves to deal with these experiments.
the skill to ask
This was part of a general approach initiative, which
questions.”
involved setting up an interactive science museum at
the university, which will eventually provide access to
people in the neighborhood, both schoolchildren and their parents, and this
has something to do with the environment that we were talking about earlier in
the context of addressing education. In other words, we try and involve the entire family in the experience and joy of learning science through an interactive
museum, and the initiative also entails a lot of work on trying to develop the
curriculum for schools. Now, this is one initiative where we as a university
have tried to break the cycle of the kind of system of education that exists in
our schools, by attempting to create a different attitude to science through
those various programmes.
Cooperative learning and critical thinking
Secondly, the lack of cooperative learning as opposed to individual learning.
To remedy this, we introduced into our core curriculum several courses which
were aimed at making students cooperate. They work in groups, and these
courses are taken by students regardless of what they are studying, with the
grades being awarded to such groups rather than to individuals. The basic idea
is to try and get groups together to make presentations on particular problems.
One specific course we have in this area, for instance, is called “Jerusalem
through the ages”, and as I heard Professor Alaoui talk this morning about the
course on archaeology in Alexandria, I was immediately reminded of this course
in Jerusalem, where students, as they focus on Jerusalem in all of its historical
eras, are made aware of all the different aspects of the life of Jerusalem: demographic, architectural, historical, religious and so on, and at the end of the day,
groups of students are asked to make collective presentations on a specific
area. For example, a group might choose to make a presentation on demography, anthropology, a specific market or what have you. In addition, we offered
67
Sari Nusseibeh
a course on what we call critical thinking, in which we encourage students to
use their minds. We do not use textbooks for this, preferring immediate interaction between student and teacher. In order to get this done, we had to spend
several years ensuring that we as professors knew what the object of the exercise
was going to be: to try and encourage question-generation, problem-solving
and inventiveness.
Now, I mention all of this not to boast, but to suggest some areas in which
Germany can become involved, because if people and institutions in Germany
are considering cooperation with universities in the Arab world, I think it is
more important, first of all, to find out what universities in the Arab world are
doing, and then to try and fit it in.
An Independent and Democratic University
Our own institution is called a public non-governmental university. It’s totally independent. The President is appointed not by politicians, but by the
Board of Trustees. Our running costs are subsidized by the Authority to the
tune of about 20 percent, but most of our income is actually derived from student fees as well as other sources. To ensure our independence, we have been
developing what one might, in other parts of the world, call a university senate.
This will be a group of academics, primarily of professorial rank, who will
hold the final say in the planning of the university policies and strategies. They
will also have the last word on the appointment of presidents and vice-presidents of the university. We started this experiment
about five years ago and are making progress. This
“We had to
group includes all members of the various councils we
spend several
have at the university, such as the academic councils,
years ensuring
and
it’s an endeavor which I think might well be
that we as profeshelped
by individuals and institutions in Germany.
sors knew what
Such
a
model
can also be taken up by other universithe object of
ties, whether in the Palestinian areas or in other parts
the exercise was
going to be: to try
of the Arab world. It’s certainly unique, and I think we
and encourage
will probably complete and approve the statutes and
question-generaagree on them in a few years’ time.
tion, problemIn addition, representatives from the student body,
solving and
as well as from the faculty union, sit on our governing
inventiveness.”
boards – the university council board, the academic
council, and the councils of the various colleges. So, at
all levels, including the level of the university council, which is our highest administrative board, the student union, faculty union and faculty and employees’ union are represented, and they take part, therefore, in the policymaking.
This system is experimental, but it has served us very well at our university, because it has created an atmosphere of democracy in a situation where our particular institution needs to be able to tolerate different points of view. Had we
not had that kind of democratic environment, I would have had far more prob68
Cooperation in Scholarship and Research
lems at my university regarding my views, which may not be very popular in
various parts of the world and the Palestinian community.
Inter-Arab University Dialogue
Let me just go on to say one or two more things about what I’d like to see
our university become involved in. The Arab Human Development Report
refers to the lack of any relationship between Arab universities. It points out
how many more contacts exist between each Arab university and foreign universities, in Europe or in the United States, than between Arab universities
themselves. What I would like to do at my university, is to try and actually initiate an inter-Arab university dialogue through conferences or meetings that focus on issues to do with development, with public policy, with democracy, with
the various values that we hold dear. I realize there are some conferences that
take place in the Arab world about this. I’m reminded of the conference in
Kuwait that was held in the mid-seventies. Major names came to it from different parts of the Arab world, Morocco, Kuwait etc. There the idea of Arab
nationalism was discussed: whether it was outdated, what the new values were
and so on, and I believe personally that there is a need to begin an open dialogue about politics, about the future, about ourselves. And not in the hard sciences. I’m talking about the political area, and I think this is something that
can be again encouraged and assisted by helping hands from outside.
Developing Pedagogical Abilities and Research
I’d also like to say that I’m extremely grateful for the help that we’ve been
having from German institutions. We’ve been able constantly to upgrade our
teaching capacity at the university. I think it would be great if one could extend
the support that is given, specifically to sabbaticals for our professors. They already exist to some extent, but I think they should be upgraded and developed,
so as to allow professors to spend longer periods in Germany. There’s not a lot
of research taking place at Palestinian universities, and clearly sabbaticals are
essential for creating the contacts and opportunity to do that research. I very
much hope that Germany will help in terms of pedagogy and teacher training.
Now, I’m no expert. I graduated with a degree in philosophy many years ago
and I went straight into teaching without studying education. This is the case
for most of my colleagues who teach at universities. And I think we would do
very well if we had help – we try to help ourselves, but assistance would be welcome in developing our pedagogical abilities.
Finally, I want to touch on research. During the ten years or so since I came
to Al-Quds University, we’ve capitalized on the fact that we are closely connected with Israel – geographically, demographically, and in every other way –
by trying to initiate as many research projects as we could with our counterparts in various Israeli institutions. We’ve been very successful in developing
69
Sari Nusseibeh
our own human abilities, as well as our infrastructural capacity, as we did this.
It hasn’t been a very popular policy, it had its ups and downs, and it depended
to some extent on the political fashions of the time, but our university consistently has held, and still holds, to the basic principle of making use of the fact
that we have next door to us scientists and scientific institutions which we as
Palestinians can learn a lot from. And so we’ve encouraged above-the-board
cooperation with Israeli scientists, and over the years we have actually gone
through about 70 or 80 different projects in various areas, in health and the hard
sciences, in environment and water, and in the last few years, we’ve actually
been underwritten by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German
Research Foundation). There are perhaps as many as eight or nine currently
ongoing projects in various areas that have been underwritten by the DFG.
Education Must Be Free
In conclusion, I’d like to say the following: the last time I was in Berlin talking to people from other parts of the Arab world, I felt that, in a way, we were
a little bit freer than my colleagues were at other Arab universities. If that is the
case, then it really is due to the fact that we are under occupation. Because of
this, we have decided to be free in our own actions as much as possible, and that
is why we resist the interference of the Israeli authorities in the running of our
universities. Equally, we resist the interference of Palestinian authorities in the
running of our universities. What I mean is interference in the negative sense,
of course: we do have coordination. Three or four weeks ago a group of people
from the security agencies entered the forensic institute on our university campus. There were four people, some of them armed, and we stood up to them.
By “we”, I mean the students as well as the community. They were surrounded
inside the institute where they entered, and they had to beg to be able to leave
safely. And we immediately raised hell. We took it to the legislative council, to
the council of our cabinet, and we refused to have such intervention on our university campus. Just as we would resist Israeli soldiers, we also will resist Palestinian security soldiers. And I believe that the essential driving force is the same:
the principle that education must be free. That is what we as Palestinian educators are about, regardless of who tries to take this freedom from us. J
70
International
Cooperation as a Pillar of
Scientific Excellence
Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker
It is almost trite to point out that some human activities, among them
sports, science and culture, know no borders. Examples of all three abound.
Sticking with science: good scientists have always sought contact with their
peers, and important scientific news has always spread rapidly around the
globe, even in times when traveling was difficult and when there was no email
or World Wide Web. When Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays in December 1895, the news took only two days to travel to Vienna and only two
weeks to reach New York.
In the Middle Ages, European scholars studied at Arab universities in Spain,
where the knowledge of the Greco-Roman civilization had been rediscovered
and where such historical traditions were highly appreciated.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz unhesitatingly sought out his peers far from
home in Paris, Amsterdam and London, among them Christiaan Huygens,
Johannes Bernoulli and even Isaac Newton. Leibniz wrote extensively about
China, summarized in his famous “Novissima Sinica” or “Chinese News”.
He even corresponded with the enlightened Emperor
Kangxi. Kangxi, who died in 1722, was not only in“Good scientists
terested in science, but was also a good mathematihave always
cian and gifted musician. Their correspondence in the
sought contact
years 1697 and 1701, which focused on topical probwith their peers,
lems of astronomy as well as on Leibniz’s discoveries
and important
about the binary system of numbers, probably represcientific news
sents the most widely known example of a long and
has always spread
rapidly around
fruitful tradition of cooperation in thought and rethe globe, even
search between Germany and China.
in times when
Components which were considered indispensable
traveling was
for research in the days of Leibniz and Emperor
difficult.”
Kangxi, namely international cooperation and the ideal of excellence in research, have gone in and out of
fashion in the long history of science and research. Even during and after the
periods when those ideals fell out of favor, contacts between scientists were still
maintained or renewed.
One example to remember is the relationship between Germany and Israel. In
the early 1950s, after the terrible events of the Holocaust and of World War II,
71
the two leaders Ben Gurion and Adenauer asked a few eminent scientists on
both sides to establish initial contact, in the hope that such a move would
eventually result in a more broadly based relationship between the citizens of
both countries. As some of us remember, this indeed happened, following a
visit to the Weizmann Institute in December 1959 by the Max Planck Society’s
then president Otto Hahn, together with Feodor Lynen and Wolfgang Gentner.
Strong ties, formal and informal, between scientists in
Germany and Israel were established and are being
“Currently,
funded
by both governments, as well as by the Max
relationships
Planck
Society and various agencies, including the
and exchanges
Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German
with the Arab
Research Foundation).
world are extensive and amount
Currently, relationships and exchanges with the
to several million
Arab world are extensive and amount to several million
euros per year
euros per year spent on joint projects between German
spent on joint
and Arab scholars in various countries and instituprojects.”
tions. The DFG’s support covers almost all branches of
science, with an emphasis on archaeology, the social
sciences – for example the social history of Amman between 1921 and 1946 –
on environmental questions and on water quality. It extends from countries
like Morocco, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon towards more distant Muslim states
in Asia. I will mention only two of those activities which are especially relevant
to our conference.
We enjoy particularly close connections with the scientific community in the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, culminating in 2002 in the signing of an agreement on scientific cooperation with the Higher Council for Science and Technology of Jordan. In this agreement we pledge to support the following activities:
• joint projects by scientists of both countries;
• consultative visits in preparation for such projects and
• the mobility of young scientists, including the
• establishment of Research Training Groups.
All this is well under way and could serve as a model for cooperative projects with other countries. We therefore strongly support the establishment of
the German-Jordanian University. It started in 2005 with the goal of offering
courses for 500 students: 11 Bachelor degree courses and an MBA program. It
is structured along the lines of a German university of applied sciences, and
will rapidly influence the standards of science in this country.
My second example relates to trilateral projects amongst German, Israeli
and Palestinian scientists, mainly in the fields of environmental, medical and
agricultural research. The idea for these projects was born and formulated in
1993 during a state visit to Germany by the Israeli minister of science. It was
proposed to extend an existing program funding projects in Israel to allow
participation by Palestinian scientists in Palestine. Eligibility for support had
to be based on scientific excellence only, with no other nonscientific conditions
attached to it. Since 1995, 32 such projects were approved and funded within
72
International Cooperation as a Pillar of Scientific Excellence
this program, at a total cost of 24 million euros, 8.5 million euros of which
were given to partners in Palestine. The majority of the projects involved the
departments of life and natural sciences, agriculture, medicine and veterinary
medicine, and environmental science. Currently, 23 projects are under review.
The Hebrew University and the Al-Quds University are strong partners in these
endeavors, with the latter currently participating in seven projects. As an example, a project approved only last month was entitled “Single Molecule Based
Ultra High Density Memory”. The total cost of 1.27 million euros over three
years is divided thus:
• 200 000 euros go to the German partner, Dr. Cuniberti in Regensburg,
• 500 000 euros to Dr. Danny Porath at Hebrew University Jerusalem and
Prof. Oded Shoseyow at Hebrew University Rehovot
• 575 000 euros to Dr. Mukhles Sowwan from the Material Science Engineering Department at Al-Quds University in Abu Dies. Half of this
amount will be used for an atomic scanning probe microscopy system
at Al-Quds.
Although the overall political climate is extremely difficult, and although it
poses a challenge for scientists to travel to the participating countries, contacts
have remained uninterrupted and the projects themselves continue, to the benefit of everybody involved. Two years ago, I personally visited both the campuses of Hebrew University and of Al-Quds, and was impressed by how professionally everything was functioning below the radar of higher politics. For
me, those projects set an example for the power of science and scientists and
their ability to cut through seemingly impenetrable barriers. We are prepared
to continue such efforts whatever the cost, and are happy to enjoy the support
of the scientific communities in the countries involved.
There are several other reasons for fostering cooperation as well as competition in science through increasing internationalization.
One reason for scientists to join forces is the increasing awareness of the interdisciplinary nature of science. Most of the important social questions of today are not contained within the borders of traditional academic disciplines,
but originate within complex systems and cross into different fields. These are
multi-component systems in which the sum of the whole is greater than that of
the constituent parts. Thus, such systems can become “emergent” – that is,
they can acquire new properties which could not have been predicted from the
properties of their components. Examples are the human genome, the human
brain, the expanding universe or the dynamic system of earth itself with its climate, volcanoes and earthquakes. A funding organization like the DFG accommodates these developments, among other things, by opening up all its facilities to the participation of foreigners.
A good example of internationalization is the DFG’s research training
groups, established as early as 1990. They combine research and training by
permitting a group of professors and their graduate students to work together
under a common scientific theme. At the same time, a special tutorial or teaching
program permits the students to broaden their education beyond their immediate
73
Reading room in the library of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University clinic in Frankfurt/Main
field of work. We initially practised this concept on a national basis, but by now
it has been extended to 4500 graduate students in 270 research training groups
covering all scientific disciplines. The project is popular with faculty and students alike. Due to intensive tutoring, students in this program are on average
three years younger than the other 90 percent in Germany who do not participate in such programs. The interest of foreign and postdoctoral students in the
program is extremely high, reaching 30 percent and more. More recently, we
have institutionalized international participation by supporting the foundation
of international research training groups, including participants from different
countries. At first these schools focused on participants from neighboring countries, but they have long since reached out overseas, to the US and to China. The
project has the added advantage that it does not encourage the brain-drain,
since the graduate students remain enrolled in their respective universities even
if they spend many months in another country. At present, 41 of such training
groups are on board, with another 70 in the pipeline. The competition is keen.
Observations made previously through funding endeavors like those of the
Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD,
German Academic Exchange Service) or the Alexander
“Most of
von Humboldt-Stiftung (Alexander von Humboldt
the important
Foundation) indicate that most of the students – in adsocial questions
dition
to obtaining an excellent education – will beof today are not
come
good
ambassadors for their country in the host
contained within
nations,
and
will bring back positive tales when they
the borders of
return.
traditional academic disciplines,
Internationalization will not only foster cooperabut originate
tion, but will also broaden the base for competition,
within complex
which will benefit science. Look at what’s happening
systems and
in Europe. Over the last four years, the European
cross into diffeCommission has developed the concept of a European
rent fields.”
Research Area. This concept drew general attention to
the existence of a common market for economic as
well as intellectual resources. It made people aware of the enormous advantage
of such resources and, in turn, of their responsibility to develop this continent
into a knowledge-based society. The March 2000 Lisbon declaration of the
heads of state is the first visible outcome of the identification process. It also
made the scientific community in Europe aware that the scientific underpinnings of such a process require the support of basic, i.e. non-targeted, research.
Thus the Commission and the national governments have been persuaded of
the necessity to establish a new funding agency, provisionally called the European Research Council (ERC). It is intended to be run by scientists for scientists, its decisions being based exclusively on scientific excellence. This will be
guaranteed through peer reviews. A Scientific Council has already been identified by the Commission which will now have to determine the operational
rules for the ERC. It will be the responsibility of the Commission and of the national governments to provide the necessary funding to the Seventh Framework
Program, as well as to permit it to create a legal framework consistent with its
76
International Cooperation as a Pillar of Scientific Excellence
needs and goals. If done properly, it will unite the best heads in Europe, permitting them to join forces whenever and wherever necessary, and thus become
a competitive and responsible voice of science in a global situation which requires global solutions.
Science and scientists operate on the same global scale as financial markets
and tourists. They have paved the way towards globalization through their discoveries, inventions and innovations. International cooperation and competition,
as I have tried to show, are a necessary prerequisite for this to happen and are not
mutually exclusive, but rather represent the two faces of the same coin. When
flipped, both of its faces lead to success, i.e. towards scientific excellence.
Ladies and gentlemen, while preparing for this conference I studied the 2004
United Nations Development Program report on Arab Human Development.
In general, it was critical of the lack of freedom and of good governance in
Arab countries and thus was pessimistic about the chances for social reform.
Our own efforts in identifying scientific partners and institutions do not lead to
such gloomy conclusions. The fact that suitable partners can be found proves to
me that science and culture have already overcome some of the more deplorable
Middle Eastern deficiencies, as they have always done in the past. They need
and deserve our continued support. J
77
“I would not have
given scholarship
its due, if, whenever
a temptation presented itself, I used
scholarship for
my own ends. If
scholars preserve
scholarship, scholarship will protect
them. If they glorify
scholarship, it will
become august.
But they have
abused scholarship
and in so doing
they have debased
themselves. They
have smeared its
face with greed until it frowned.”
Judge Al-Djorjani
(290–366 AH, 903–977 AD):
The Dues of Science
Unity in Diversity:
Who is Doing What in
German Educational and
Cultural Politics Abroad?
Johannes Ebert
Providing information about all aspects of German life is one of the main
tasks of the 13 branches and 12 dialogue points of the Goethe-Institut in the
Arab world. Among the most frequent queries from the Arab public are those
on education, such as:
• Where can I learn German?
• How can I study in Germany?
• What vocational training programs do you offer?
• Do you offer training courses for filmmakers, youth organization
leaders or librarians?
But whereas in, say, the British system, you can find all programs which relate to these questions within one organization – the British Council – the German system is much more decentralized. Below are some of the main organizations working in this field.
• The Goethe-Institut encourages cultural exchange between Germany and
the Arab countries, provides information on Germany’s culture, society
and politics, and promotes the study of the German language abroad.
• The Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service) is responsible for everything involving universities, including scholarships for students and researchers on either side,
or advertising study courses in Germany.
• The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) is
the biggest development organization in Germany, and offers, among
many other things, a wide range of educational and vocational programs.
• The Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA, Central Office for
German Schools Abroad).
• The political foundations (such as the Friedrich-Ebert or Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung) offer programs in the fields of political education and
the creation of political awareness.
In addition, there are many other universities, organizations, and smaller,
private foundations that promote cultural and educational cooperation in the
Middle East.
80
Unity in Diversity: Who is Doing What in German Educational and Cultural Politics Abroad?
1. New Times – New Challenges
Despite the fact that all of these organizations operate in slightly different
fields, the main challenges regarding their work in the Arab world are similar. In
the aftermath of September 11, it has become very clear how close this region
really is to Europe, and that we must find a way of living together peacefully.
Apart from the purely operational level of program management, the
Goethe-Institut, on a more general level, is confronted with questions such as
the following:
• How can we bridge the value gaps between Eastern and Western societies to improve mutual understanding in spite of existing differences?1
• How can we help to improve educational systems which were severely
criticized in the Arab Human Development Report as being insufficiently prepared for the building of a modern knowledge society?
• How can we help to make information in Arab countries more accessible?
The growing orientation towards Islamic values in Arab societies can be considered a reaction to globalization. When it comes to education, however, there
is another – maybe even converse – side effect caused by globalization: the increasing conformance of education systems worldwide with an international
standard primarily defined by the Anglo-American system. In this process, the
questions which interest German as well as Arab education managers include:
• To what extent do we surrender our own concepts and traditions of
learning and education to this standard?
• What will be the results of such measures?
• Do we have a choice in the matter?
• Or more practically: what kind of exams should our students sit?
• How many languages should they learn, and which ones?
• What is the best way to provide access to information, and what role
does translation from foreign languages as a source of information play?
In this framework, Arab-based branches of the Goethe-Institut will, of
course, always support an open approach in line with the findings of the Arab
Human Development Report: “The truth is that Arab culture has no choice
but to engage again in a new global experiment … Openness, interaction, assimilation, absorption, revision, criticism and examination cannot but stimulate creative knowledge production in Arab societies.”2 The main question for
an organization like ours is how to contribute to this process of opening up in
a way that suits both sides. Should we export our own education models, because we are convinced that they offer something that the Arab world wants or
needs? Do we help to improve the existing local education systems by offering
1 Regarding this question, see Johannes Ebert, “The Goethe-Institut in Islamic Countries: Preventing Conflict
Through Cultural and Educational Exchange”, in German Foreign Policy in Dialogue: Foreign Cultural Policy
after 11 September – a Shift in Priorities and Resources? www.deutsche-aussenpolitik.de, Trier 2003. pp. 5–10.
2 “United Nations Development Programme. Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development”, in Arab Human Development Report 2003. Building a Knowledge Society. Executive Summary, p. 8.
81
Johannes Ebert
the fruits of our own experience? Or – as seems most likely to me – will it be a
mixture of both? There is another very important question, one which is perhaps exclusively significant for the Goethe-Institut: How can cultural exchange
between Germany and the Arab world appeal, among others, to the young generation and foster creativity and independent thinking?
2. Culture, Education and Information in the Service of a Knowledge
Society: Basic Principles and Areas of Work of the Goethe-Institut
in the Middle East
The framework for the work of the Goethe-Institut in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region is set out in two internal papers, developed in
2002 and 2003:
(1) “The Goethe-Institut’s positions concerning its activities in the Muslim
world”3 emerged from a working group of experts and Goethe-Institut
directors from different Islamic countries all over the world.
(2) The “strategy for the region Middle East and North Africa” 4 is the
result of several directors’ meetings in the Arab states and Israel.
The basic principles of these papers relate to the wider aims of Germany’s
cultural policy abroad: “It supports and serves our general foreign policy goals
and aspirations – safeguarding peace, preventing conflict, securing respect for
human rights and promoting partnership and cooperation.”5
Some of the general aims and features of the Goethe-Institut’s work in the
Middle East are: to encourage mutual acceptance by fostering the understanding of basic European values; to support, in particular, innovative structures and
networks; and to encourage the exchange of views on contemporary tendencies
in art, literature, science and society.
However, there are also some other practical aims of the Goethe-Institut’s
participation in the building of an Arab knowledge society:
• to offer German language teaching to young people, as well as adults, and
to secure the quality of German language teaching in schools and other educational institutions by developing teacher training programs, creating new
teaching materials, supporting innovative teaching concepts and providing advice in the field of curricula-development.
The Goethe-Institut, in cooperation with ministries as well as private and
public educational institutions, aims to implement new, communicative teaching
methods in primary and secondary schools, as well as in institutions of higher
learning. This task is made more difficult partly by structural problems such as
overcrowded classrooms or underpaid teachers, and partly because teaching
methods which put a strong focus on the independence and development of the
3 Positionen des Goethe-Instituts zur Arbeit in islamischen Ländern, Fassung 17.3.2004.
4 Regionalstrategie Nordafrika/Nahost – Vom Vorstand verabschiedete Fassung vom 8.9.2004.
5 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cultural Relations Policy – Concept 2000, p. 1.
82
students’ communication skills are not always welcomed in traditional teaching environments that follow a more authoritarian pattern.
• to transfer know-how and experience in the fields of cultural heritage,
teaching, information management, translation, publishing, journalism, art
and environment by means of workshops, seminars and information trips to
Germany. A wide range of seminars is offered for the whole region: for example,
industrial design for students in Cairo, videotaping for young men and women
in Jenin and Beirut, and workshops for Arab publishers during the Frankfurt
Book Fair.
The main objectives of these initiatives, aimed at
“How can cultustudents and especially young professionals, are to
ral exchange befoster exchange with German experts, to provide adtween Germany
ditional and innovative learning opportunities for
and the Arab
young people, and to offer know-how which is availworld appeal,
able to all who are interested – beyond local education
among others,
structures, but also in close cooperation with them.
to the young
generation and
Each year, about 160 scholarships in Germany are
foster creativity
provided to German teachers and multipliers in the
and
independent
fields of education and culture by the Goethe-Instituts
thinking?”
in the Middle East and North Africa. They range from
three to eight weeks in length, and include language
programs and pedagogical and educational courses, as well as information
seminars on Germany. In addition to this, the Goethe-Institut’s central visitors’
service every year invites a considerable number of Arab journalists, artists and
experts to Germany to receive first-hand information in their specific field of
interest.
• to support the translation of important literary and scientific works, as
well as books for children and young people, from German into Arabic.
The status of translation as a source of knowledge and cultural exchange in the
Arab world has been described as deplorable.6 New programs are cooperating
with Arab publishers to encourage the translation of German literature, social
science and children’s books. A new initiative on the translation of technical
standard works is underway.
• to create information networks including not only Arab capitals, but also
other important centres of education. The Goethe-Institut is a network in itself
which cooperates with, and builds up local and regional ties for, teachers, librarians, publishers etc. to produce and spread knowledge and information.
A network of a special kind was set up in the last three years: in conjunction
with local organizations, small information and communication centers called
6 “The aggregate total of translated books from the Al-Mamoon era to the present day amounts to 10 000,
equivalent to what Spain translates in a single year”, in Arab Human Development Report 2003, p. 67. Also
included in this report is an overview of the situation as a whole. According to the statistics of the Goethe Institut, about 700 books are translated annually from German into Arabic.
83
Johannes Ebert
“Dialogue Points German” (“Dialogpunkte Deutsch”) have been founded in
nine Arab cities from Marrakesh to Baghdad.
• to foster the exchange of young people, not only by developing our own
programs, but also by making information on existing programs available.
There are some good examples of the exchange of young professionals such
as writers, journalists and teachers, but new concepts are still being developed.
The exchange of young people at an earlier stage of their personal development
is unfortunately taking place on a smaller scale, partly because of lack of finances, and partly because of lack of interest on the German side. Internet
chats and a German-Arab youth Internet site try to bring young people together
through different channels. But there is still much more to be done in this field,
a very important one for the building of our common future.
In all this, the Middle Eastern branches of the Goethe-Institut follow a national and regional approach, with the head office in Cairo coordinating the regional activities.
Regarding the aforementioned examples, the basic techniques for the GoetheInstituts in the Arab world can be characterized as
(a) operating in networks,
(b) working together with state and private innovative local structures,
and
(c) sharing the financial and organizational burden for programs which
both the German and Arab side regard as essential for the building of
a knowledge society. Thus, the mutual interest in a common project is
guaranteed.
A successful cooperation requires openness and a capacity for intercultural
understanding, especially when things are running less smoothly than expected. A permanent institutional presence is also, of course, useful.
3. From Dubai to Cairo: Some Impressions on Higher Education
in the Arab World
“The MENA region is not well prepared for the knowledge economy. The
region suffers from a large public sector, over-regulation, bureaucracy, and
control of information. However, there are important variations within the region. Jordan and the UAE are somewhat at the forefront …”7
Visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time in 2003, I was impressed by its state-of-the-art universities and colleges, most of which follow
the American model. The overwhelming majority of education suppliers offering their services at the Dubai Education Fair were British boarding schools
and American colleges. Other European institutions and organizations, however,
7 Sandy el-Berr and Noha El-Mikawy, Regional Perspectives on Education Reform in the Arab Countries, ZEF
Bildungsstudie, December 2004, p. 20.
84
represented only rare bright spots in a monochrome picture. This impression
has been confirmed by many visits to public and private universities in the UAE,
where one is mostly greeted by American, British or Australian consultants.
The situation has changed a little now that the DAAD, the German organization responsible for academic exchange, in cooperation with German universities and institutions like the Goethe-Institut, has a permanent stand on the fair.
The DAAD and the Goethe-Institut, together with the
GTZ, will open a new office in Abu Dhabi in the fall
“Visiting the
of 2005, so that the major German associations workUnited Arab
ing in education and culture abroad will be under one
Emirates for
roof. This could encourage new cooperation: governthe first time in
ments in the Gulf states have shown the political will
2003, I was
to diversify their education systems and to take a look
impressed by its
to Germany in this respect as well. This was evident,
state-of-the-art
for example, in the fact that most government instituuniversities and
tions in the UAE who send students to Germany were
colleges, most
of which follow
less interested in the English-speaking programs of
the American
German universities than in the students properly
model.”
learning German and immersing themselves in German society, in order later to enrich the UAE with different views and approaches.
The history of academic exchange between Egypt and Germany is a long
one, with thousands of Arab scholars studying in German universities, either
via programs of their own governments or via German programs run by the
DAAD, the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (Alexander von Humboldt
Foundation) and others. By the end of the nineties we saw a new development:
the availability of German higher education abroad. In addition to two new
important German-Arab projects in Jordan and Bahrain,8 the most striking example is the German University in Cairo (GUC), which was inaugurated by
President Mubarak and Chancellor Schröder in October 2003.
The opening of the GUC has to be seen in the broader context of the development of Egyptian high school education. In the nineties, the Egyptian government allowed private universities to be founded. There are now eight private
universities, with three more opening in the autumn of 2005. In addition, nine
new projects have received the go-ahead of the Egyptian ministry of higher education.9 Some of these universities are cooperating with other countries, the oldest being the American University in Cairo (AUC), founded in 1919. The French
University and the German University opened their gates some semesters ago.
This year, a Canadian and a British University will be opened. All of these are
funded primarily by Arab investors. Cooperation with foreign institutions of
higher learning is regarded as a guarantee of high-quality education.
8 The German-Jordanian University in Amman and the Euro University in Bahrain cooperate closely with Ger-
man universities.
9 For a short survey on this development, see Frederik Richter, Bildung als Exportgut, in www.qantara.de, 23
June 2005; and Dina Rashed, “To Learn or not to Learn”, in Al-Ahram Weekly, 8–14 September 2005, p. 22.
85
Scholar studying ancient scripts in the library of Timbuktu, Mali
Johannes Ebert
Surprisingly for many, the teaching language of the German University in
Cairo is English. This, of course, has to be seen in the context of globalisation
and the status of the English language, which is more widely spoken than German. However, it has led some commentators to ask: what exactly is German
about the German University?
• The GUC cooperates closely with the universities in Stuttgart and Ulm and
is supported by the DAAD, the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
(BMBF, Federal Ministry of Education and Research), and other German organizations. High-ranking representatives of these institutions sit on the university’s board of trustees.
• In Egypt, the GUC works with the Chamber of Commerce, the German
Embassy, and several German enterprises. A cooperation agreement with the
Goethe-Institut was concluded this year to support German language teaching
and cultural exchange.
• The subjects of study are mostly in the fields of engineering and technology,
typical strongholds of German higher education. The curricula were developed
in close cooperation with the German partner universities.
• The GUC aims for a close connection between teaching and research,
which is in keeping with the German system of higher education.
• A considerable proportion of the academic staff is German.
• Every student has to learn basic German to be able to receive scholarships
or to take part in exchange programs. The language program is offered though
a German center, which is also charged with acquainting students with German
culture and society.
After only two years, the GUC can be regarded as a big success as far as the
numbers of students is concerned: nine hundred students in the first year, with
the total for the year 2005 projected to be about 3000. Following this successful start, the next challenge lies in further consolidation and putting a strong
emphasis on quality control.10
4. Final Remarks: Values of Education
From current debates on education in the Middle East, one might get the impression that there is a stronger focus on higher education as soon as foreign
partners are involved. But when we look at the Arab World in more detail, we
should not forget that education starts much earlier: in families, kindergartens,
primary schools; and it is later continued in secondary schools. We should also
remember that education is not only about knowledge and structures, but also
about values.
10 For more details, see German University in Cairo, “Was ist die GUC?”, in www.guc.uni-stuttgart.de
88
The Arab Human Development Report points out: “Studies indicate that
the most widespread style of child-rearing in Arab families is authoritarian and
overprotective. This reduces children’s independence, self-confidence and social efficiency, and fosters passive attitudes and hesitant decision-making. Most
of all, it affects a child’s way of thinking by suppressing questioning, exploration and initiative.”11
The difficulty in stressing exploration and initiative
“We should
against such an authoritarian background is illustrated
also
remember
by the following example. To foster modern methods in
that
education
language-teaching in secondary schools, the Egyptian
is
not only
ministry for education recently introduced an Arababout knowlGerman textbook, developed in cooperation with the
edge and strucGoethe-Institut and encouraging student activity and
tures, but also
independence. Our experience of this process suggests
about values.”
that application of the textbook is not easy and requires a lot of training, particularly when it is used by
underpaid and conservative teachers in a traditional societal environment. Perhaps the introduction of the aforementioned values is not universally desired.
But the success of educational exports like the German University or the three
German schools in Egypt, each more than a century old, shows that the elite, at
least, wants contemporary education. But is it enough to satisfy the demands of
the elite? Is a broad-based state education system not important too? Do we
not have to strengthen educational thinking through networks and multipliers
in order to contribute more in this field? Independence, self-confidence and social efficiency are the values that have been mentioned as crucial for education
and personal development. Two other preconditions are, in my opinion, important as well: scepticism and creativity. Asked by Egyptian students about
the reasons for his scientific success, the German physics Nobel Prize winner
Klaus von Klitzing said that it was due to “the fact that I always questioned the
opinions of authority figures and always looked for my own way to solve problems”.12 Apart from that, creativity also brings with it a degree of instability
which is sometimes frowned upon in the rigid moral and political systems of
many Arab societies. But creativity is the key to self-expression and is thus a
basic feature for openness and self-confidence in dealing with others.
In our experience in the Middle East, culture in its broadest sense is one of
the keys to changing the values of education, because it (a) leaves ample
room for creativity, (b) is international and easily accessible, (c) is accorded a
certain freedom in Arab societies and (d) is of major interest especially for
young people. J
11 Arab Human Development Report, p. 2.
12 Klaus von Klitzing, „Wie lang ist ein Meter?“, lecture at the Goethe-Institut in Cairo, June 2005.
89
Education and Scholarship:
Putting Plans for Cooperation
into Practice
Mongi Bousnina
May I start by expressing my thanks to both the Herbert-QuandtStiftung of ALTANA AG and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) for the opportunity to attend this important symposium. I am
glad of the chance to contribute to the lively discussion about the prospects of
Arab-German cooperation in the field of education. It comes at a time when we
look forward to increased dialogue between cultures and increased partnership
between nations to enhance the chances of peace and avoid the danger of wars.
I am pleased to address you on behalf of the Arab
League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organiza“As for the
tion (ALECSO), an expert organisation in the field of
quality of edueducation.
cation, most
ALECSO, in short, produces and plans projects, curArab countries
ricula,
modernized guides and courses for the use of all
face problems
Arab
member
states when defining their educational
that require draspolicies and developing their educational systems.
tic and urgent
solutions.”
The conferences which ALECSO convenes every
two years at ministerial level, for both the Arab ministers for education and the Arab ministers for higher education and scientific research, are a central mechanism to accrediting the development recommendations presented by ALECSO.
ALECSO regularly monitors the educational situation in the Arab World,
observes its changes and diagnoses its problems. This continual monitoring
provides a general view of the state of education in the Arab world, along with
its problems and aspirations. Thus we can examine the prospects for future cooperation between Germany and the Arab World for meeting designated needs
and priorities.
I. Arab Education: Realities and Problems, Challenges and Priorities
Illiteracy remains a major problem for Arab education. Although literacy
has now reached the level of 68 percent for men and 44 percent for women, the
absolute number of illiterates is increasing, especially amongst women and in
rural areas. The estimate for the year 2005 is 70 million.
90
Education and Scholarship: Putting Plans for Cooperation into Practice
The percentage of school-age children registered in educational institutions
is decreasing. This comes after the educational boom which took place in the
Arab countries during the 1970s and 1980s. There has been an increase in school
dropouts, especially in rural areas and amongst girls. This contributes to the
growth of illiteracy rates. Eight million school age children, including five million girls, are still outside school.
This regression might be partially due to the high cost of educating the large
numbers of young people in the Arab world. Studies indicate that now, and for
the foreseeable future, it will be a problem for Arab countries to provide sufficient funds to maintain educational expenditure at its present level.
As for the quality of education, most Arab countries face problems that require drastic and urgent solutions. The most serious are:
• At the pre-school stage, although twice as many children are enrolled in
kindergartens, there were still fewer than 2.5 million in the year 1995. Between 1980 and 1995, the percentage of enrolled children in the relevant age
group decreased from 8.4 to 0.4. This is due to the quick demographic growth
in Arab countries.
• The limited spread of secondary education, which covers only a small percentage of the relevant age group, (in 1997 18.7 percent compared with 47 percent in Europe.
• The limited spread of higher education, which covers only 15 percent of
18–23 year olds.
• The limited spread of technical and vocational teaching in general, and its
remoteness from areas of production. This kind of education has an enrolment
rate below 15 percent of the average within both the secondary and higher education sectors.
• There are more students enrolled in literary departments than in scientific
and technical departments.
• Statistics show that the average expenditure on education in the Arab
states is relatively high: more than 5.5 percent of the gross national product.
However, Arab education systems suffer from poor planning and unwise allocation of resources and therefore never get the full benefit of those generous
funding levels.
• Because the educational system is unresponsive to the needs of the labor
market, there is high unemployment amongst diploma holders.
• The educational system requires further development and innovation in
terms of the content of school curricula, teaching methods and assessment
standards.
• Scientific research is poorly funded. In 1999, only 0.35 percent of gross national product was allocated to scientific research, which is one of the lowest
proportions in the world – possibly the lowest.
91
Mongi Bousnina
Apart from such structural problems on the internal front, the Arab education system faces the external challenges presented by world events. They are:
1. the communication and information technology revolution
2. the concomitant changes to educational content and techniques
3. globalization and its after-effects
4. empowering the educated classes to adapt to these changes.
Arab educational systems face the further challenge of constructing the new
Arab Man. A future Arab society will have to incorporate developments in
democracy, political participation, plurality, human rights, human values, coexistence and effective dialogue with other cultures.
ALECSO, in cooperation with its member states, has been working to confront those problems through recommending appropriate strategies and suggesting methods, guides, and educational curricula.
At Arab education ministerial conferences, ALECSO is placing on the agenda topics such as quality, rehabilitation and creativity to bring the education
system up to international standards. For example, for the last two sessions of
the Conference of Arab Ministers for Education (Algeria 2002 and Beirut
2004), ALECSO chose the topics “The Educational Systems and Information
Technologies” and “Evaluation Strategies to Standardize the Quality of Education”, while the next Conference (Cairo 2006) will be devoted to “Early
Childhood”.
The last two sessions of the Conference of Arab Ministers for Higher Education (Cairo 2001 and Damascus 2003) discussed the topics “Future Hurdles
on the Road to Good Quality Higher Education and Scientific Research” and
“Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Society of Knowledge”, while
“Distinction and Creativity in Higher Education” is top of the agenda for the
next session (Sana’a 2005).
To achieve these goals, ALECSO has laid out a future plan of action to identify the priorities of education in the Arab world for the period 2005–2010,
based mainly on:
• confronting the illiteracy challenge and establishing an institutional system
for continuous education, with special priority given to the challenge of female
illiteracy and illiteracy in rural areas
• enhancing the right of Arab citizens to education at all levels and stages:
pre-school education, elementary schooling, basic education, secondary education, special-needs education
• enhancing the quality of pre-higher education by developing curricula, introducing new concepts, utilizing modern information and communication
technologies, developing vocational and technical education, promoting critical and creative education and adopting educational evaluation
• raising the standard of higher education and enhancing its role in developing Arab society by improving its quality, strengthening its institutional links,
and promoting scientific research.
92
II. Prospects for German-Arab Cooperation in the Field of Education:
Contexts, Aspects and Mechanisms
Prospects for cooperation in this field are good, thanks to the favorable
political relations which have prevailed over a long period between Germany
and the various Arab states.
The relationship has been strengthened in several areas, especially in the economic area. There are several reasons for this:
• the growing German tourist influx into many Arab states
• the increasing trend for Germans to invest in Arab countries
• deep historical links between the German and the Arab cultures, the most
recent sign of which was the participation of the Arab world as the guest of
honor in the 2004 Frankfurt Book Fair, and the prospect of ALECSO convening an Arab-German cultural dialogue in the coming months in Berlin.
This Arab-German consensus is echoed in the educational field. Here, Germany is a magnet for members of the Arab educational communities: professors, students and decision makers.
This is due to the German educational system’s reputation for high quality,
high performance, and a spirit of creativity and innovation. Such attributes are
regarded as a pattern to be followed in the Arab World. There are also established routes for Arab students to matriculate at German universities and study
there more inexpensively than in other European and American states. Those
encouraging steps open up the prospect of work and residency in Germany.
The overwhelming influence of the German model on large numbers of
Arab young people, allied with the German will to forge links with the Arab
world, meant that Arab-German cooperation in the field of education made
quick and steady progress, with the relevant German organizations playing an
active role.
These organizations were the Goethe-Institut, the Deutscher Akademischer
Austausch Dienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service), the GTZ, the
Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), affiliated to the Auswärtiges Amt, and
the Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung GmbH (InWEnt, Capacity
Building International, Germany), as well as in a large number of other organizations related to German civil society.
The resulting cooperation brought about an active exchange movement in
the educational field between Germany and the Arab states.
Other fruitful results include the newly established German University in
Cairo (GUC), the German-Jordanian University for Applied Sciences, and the
project to establish a third university in the Syrian city of Homs.
As we look into the possibilities of continuing and developing this path of
cooperation, we ought to consider not only the Arab-German context, but the
European context as a whole.
Resolution number 1313, issued by the European Parliament, related to the
cultural cooperation between Europe and the countries of the southern Medi93
Mongi Bousnina
terranean. It called for the states of the Council of Europe to make cooperation
between Europe and those countries a priority, which is an indication of the
European desire to open educational avenues into the Arab world.
Further proposals in the resolution were the following:
• a review of school books in both Europe and the North-African states to
eliminate mutual prejudices and stereotypes
• the teaching of Arabic to be developed in Europe, and the teaching of European languages to be improved in the North African states
• the establishment of departments of Arabic language and culture at the European universities, and of departments of European languages and cultures at
the Arab universities
• the establishment of mechanisms for student and professorial exchange,
and for the international recognition of qualifications through the expansion of
the ERASMUS program affiliated to the Council of Europe.
The statement issued by the summit conference of
the
European states and governments and the mem“The European
bers of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, 16–17 May
dimension should
2005) continued in this direction. Item 6, in its third
be a point of
part, related to the dialogue between, on the one
reference when
laying guidelines
hand, Europe, and, on the other hand, the southern
for Arab-German
coast countries of the Mediterranean, the Middle East
cooperation in
and Central Asia. This dialogue covered the topics of
terms of educultural overlapping and the revision of the history
cation.”
curricula.
The European dimension should be a point of reference when laying guidelines for Arab-German cooperation in terms of education, since Germany is a member of the European Union. Moreover, ALECSO
recently launched a road map towards cooperation with the Council of Europe
which contains several objectives, namely:
–
–
–
–
eliminating the illiteracy of rural girls;
reviewing the history curricula on both sides;
teaching the Arab language to the children of Arab immigrants abroad;
emphasizing education based on citizenship, dialogue and acceptance of
other cultures;
– improving the image of women in educational curricula.
To this European aspect of Arab-German cooperation in the field of education, we ought to add the international, globalizing aspect which encourages
the development of Arab-German relations. Some forecasts indicate that in fifteen years, two million students in the world will be studying abroad.
This would provide an extensive market with Germany and the Arab states
participating in both supply and demand, which in itself would necessitate
planning and cooperation between the two parties.
94
There are several areas which are priorities for the Arab states and where, in
view of Germany’s distinction, they could learn from German experience.
Those areas are:
1. Technical and Vocational Training
As an industrially developed country, Germany has plenty of high-quality
expertise in technical and vocational training. Through bilateral exchanges, the
Arab states would be able to acquire a number of scholarships in this field, as
well as assistance from German experts specializing in policy planning related
to the development and promotion of both technical and vocational training.
2. Pre-school Education
The exceptional care provided in German kindergartens at the pre-school
stage can serve as an example for the Arab world. A series of exchange visits
would provide the Arab states with the publications, the audio-visual and electronic materials, and the applied technical education for this stage. Further
benefits will come from the programs of teacher orientation and training.
3. Teaching the Elderly
Bilateral agreements signed by the Arab states and Germany could involve
field visits, conferences and symposiums as well as the exchange of good practice as regards teaching the elderly. The Arab states could thus learn from Germany’s system of continuous education when developing their own.
4. Education Technologies
Arab states could benefit from German experience in the use of education
technologies to promote the qualitative aspects of the educational process.
Schools could be brought online, educational programs could be designed, and
regular quality assessments could be carried out.
This could be achieved through organizing field visits for Arab educational
delegations specializing in education technologies, to learn from the German
experience in the use of education technologies in the development of the Arab
educational system.
5. Developing Educational Systems and Promoting their
Qualitative Aspects
Comparative studies show that the German educational system excels in
terms of the teaching curricula for all stages, especially those related to the
teaching of the sciences and mathematics.
To benefit, we must cooperate with German experts to modernize the Arab curricula for those subjects, as well as the content of the school books, the methods
of teaching, the communication media and the systems of assessment and exams.
6. Higher Education and Scientific Research
Higher education offers a wide scope for cooperation between the Arab
states and Germany. Positive steps include the twinning of Arab and German
95
Mongi Bousnina
universities, the exchange of teachers and professors for limited periods of
time, increasing the numbers of scholarships especially in the sciences, medicine and engineering to ensure specialized expertise for Arab universities, and
drawing up agreements related to promoting and enhancing scientific research.
7. Teaching Languages
There could be effective cooperation in terms of teaching the Arab language
for the Germans, and the German language for the Arabs, through opening departments of German at Arab universities and of Arabic at German universities. An exchange program of summer schools and scholarships would also assist in the acquirement of language skills.
8. Teaching Arabic to Arab Immigrants in Germany
ALECSO is working to promote its projects related to teaching Arabic to
Arab immigrants in the European Union including Germany. This stems from
agreements signed between ALECSO and the Council of Europe.
The Arab states, especially those with a large community in Germany, are
also making efforts in this field.
Such projects could be incorporated in the general framework of the
SOCRATES-LEONARDO Program with all its constituents (Comenius, Erasmus, Grudtvig, Lingua, Minerva and Erasmus-Mundus), provided that the
program is opened up to the North African states under specific conditions.
We suggest that this meeting be followed by a series of sectoral symposiums
with a limited number of participants to study the prospects of Arab-German
educational cooperation on an individual basis. ALECSO could coordinate the
multilateral cooperation on the Arab side, with the specialized agencies doing
the same on the German side.
Arab-German follow-up committees could be set up in order to prepare the
plans for continuous cooperation between our two education systems, and to
define the needs of each of the Arab countries.
I am sure that Arab-German cooperation in the field of education will help us
modernize our Arab education systems and create a more skilled labor force,
thus bringing our societies into the global network.
Further, it will serve as an example to the members of other cultures and religions who also value toleration and renounce the isolation and limited horizons which ultimately lead to violence and extremism. J
96
Palestinian woman with her children in Ramallah, West Bank
A Key Feature in
Overcoming Deficits of
Development: Improving
Basic Education in Yemen
Dagmar Awad-Gladewitz
The problems identified in the 2004 AHDR1 relate to fundamental issues
with regard to the democratic development of the Republic of Yemen as well.
An essential condition for overcoming the major deficits of development is
guaranteed equal education opportunities for all boys and girls.
Starting Position
Within the MENA2 region, the Republic of Yemen with its roughly 20 million inhabitants is among the most populous and poorest states. It ranks nineteenth in the group of less developed countries (LDCs). The socio-economic
situation, characterised by slow economic but high population growth of 3.02
percent, a high incidence of poverty (40.1 percent), and latent conflicts between the tribes and the government, has exerted a considerable influence on
the education sector.3 Although the state is spending 20 percent of its national
budget on education, with the aim of achieving “education for all” by 2015,
the results in the nine-year elementary school phase are not satisfactory in
terms of enrolment of pupils, the academic levels attained, and what is actually learnt. Of the more than six million children of school age, fewer than four
million in the 6–14 age group attend school. The gross enrolment rate for both
sexes has certainly risen slightly in recent years, from 62.3 percent in 2000 to
66.2 percent in 2003/04. However, there remains a serious gap in enrolment
between boys and girls (about 36 percent), and, at present, only 51 percent of
all boys and 33 percent of all girls complete elementary school.4 The rate of illiteracy stands at over 50 percent, and is particularly high among women in
rural areas.
The institutions responsible for the sector in political, administrative and
substantive terms are not yet in a position to implement unassisted the reforms needed for a better elementary school education in connection with de-
1 ADHR: Arab Human Development Report.
2 MENA: Middle East North Africa.
3 See Poverty Reduction Strategy, Progress Report for 2003&2004, May 2005.
4 See First Annual Joint Review of Implementation of the National Basic Education Development Strategy, May
2–4, 2005, Progress Evaluation Level in the Implementation of BEDS, and Notes on the Implementation of BEDS.
98
A Key Feature in Overcoming Deficits of Development: Improving Basic Education in Yemen
centralisation. The government’s goals of “education for all” by 2015 and
“overcoming the discrepancy between the sexes” are in serious jeopardy. For
this reason, the promotion of basic education is one of the central tasks of reducing poverty.
Change in the Overall Conditions of the Sector
Since the second half of 2002, the development of the sector has been quite
dynamic. The poverty reduction strategy (PRS, 2002) of Yemen’s government
identified basic education as one of the priorities for the country’s economic
and social development in order to reduce poverty. In October 2002, the national Basic Education Development Strategy (BEDS)
was devised, and in April 2003 it was passed by the
“The Republic of
cabinet. The result is that, for the first time, Yemen
Yemen with its
has a strategy, lasting until 2015 and worked out inderoughly 20 million
pendently in a highly participatory process, for reinhabitants is
forming and developing basic education in order to
among the most
populous and
achieve “education for all” as well as the Millennium
poorest states. It
Development Goals (MDGs). The presentation of the
ranks nineteenth
two documents, PRSP and BEDS, was the prerequisite
in the group of
for the Republic of Yemen to be included in March
less developed
2003 in the Education for All Fast Track Initiative
countries.”
(EFA-FTI). This ensured that it received an additional
10 million US dollars (a so-called catalytic fund, CF)
for 2004/2005, with a second contribution pledged for 2005/06. For capacity
reasons, however, the MoE was not in a position to produce truly realistic, consistent planning covering the entire sector with the relevant indicators on the
basis of the BEDS. This was one of the main points of criticism during the first
joint annual review in April/May 2005, and is to be resolved by the end of the
year. The following four priorities have been set for the sector’s development in
order to realise the goal of “education for all”:
• Improved access to a full six years of elementary school
• Reduction of the inequality between men and women, as well as
between urban and rural areas
• Improved educational standards
• Improved internal efficiency (i.e. higher capacity, institutional
reform, management at both central and local levels)
Such goals represent huge challenges and can only be attained through the coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Education and other state institutions, such
as the Ministries for Planning and International Cooperation, for Finance and
the civil service. Apart from the provision and efficient utilisation of financial
resources (from the state and private donors), the key points here are the implementation of the reform of the civil service, further systematic decentralisation,
the inclusion of civil society, equal opportunities and stronger involvement of
girls and women, and also a coordinated and, consequently, more harmonious
99
procedure with regard to donors. The partnership declaration, which took on
a more concrete form in January 2004 and May 2005 and was signed by the
Yemeni government along with a total of eight bilateral and multilateral donors,
including Germany, provides the basis for harmonisation and alignment.
The Role of German Foreign Aid in the Sector – the Programme to
Improve Basic Education
Yemen is one of eight countries in which German foreign aid is focused on
basic education. Since mid-1995, Germany has been involved in this sector,
initially through technical cooperation, and since 1998 through financial cooperation. At first, activities were restricted to a narrowly defined area – i.e.
improving environmental and health education in elementary schools. Between
1998 and 2003, this financial cooperation facilitated the creation of new or refurbished school premises for roughly 120 000 children with funds of around
11 million euros.
In 2001/2002, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit
(GTZ), which cooperates with LDCs, was supported by the Ministry of Education, when it made an important contribution towards planning the development of basic education up to 2015 within the context of the national Basic
Education Development Strategy. It created major stimuli for all of the country’s sectors.
Based on the priorities of this strategy, cooperation in the form of the Basic
Education Improvement Program (BEIP) project was jointly planned in March
2002 with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (DED, German Development Service), and implemented from
July 2002 onwards. The project will run for nine years, and currently operates
in four of the country’s 21 provinces. The overall costs are put at 28.495 million euros. Investment under financial cooperation programmes stands at
about 18 million euros (Ibb/Abyan: € 6.135m, Hajja/Marib: € 12m), mainly
for the construction and refurbishment of around 1600 classrooms; the costs
of the second phase for the foreign aid components (which will last from October 2005 until September 2008) amount to four million euros. The DED has
two specialists working on the programme.
The objective of the programme is identical to that of the national strategy
for basic education: the improvement of both access to basic schooling and the
quality of that schooling. It is helping to ensure that, by 2015, all children of
school age (6–15 years old) will successfully complete the nine years of basic
education. The planning for the second phase (2005–2008) reflects even more
closely the requirements of the Yemeni Ministry of Education for implementing
the strategy. Most importantly, its overall application was coordinated with the
largest multi-donor project, the Basic Education Development Project, which
is funded by the World Bank, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
In its second phase, too, the programme has four components: 1) developing
capacity in education administration 2) gaining qualifications for school personnel 3) communal involvement, with special promotion of education for
100
girls, and 4) infrastructure measures. While the first two components receive
support from the GTZ, the third is implemented in cooperation with the DED.
The fourth component is financed by the KfW. The program’s interfaces can be
found primarily in the areas of community involvement and girls’ education.
From the methodological standpoint, these components are linked both horizontally and vertically, thereby generating synergies. The successful multi-level
approach is being maintained. Technical cooperation
specialists provide advice not only on the central
“Yemen is one
strategic level at the MoE – i.e. to the technical staff
of eight couninvolved in education planning and the Education
tries in which
Management and Information System, as well as monGerman foreign
itoring the respective departments for training, girls’
aid is focused on
education and community involvement – but also to
basic education.
the education administration units in four provinces.
Since mid-1995,
Germany has
Strategies for all the components are worked out
been
involved in
jointly with our partners for the entire country, while
this
sector.”
they are tested with the support of the GTZ in four
provinces at selected school complexes or in specific
districts.
German foreign aid provides support for the Yemeni Ministry of Education,
therefore, as far as realising the national basic education strategy in close cooperation with all the donors is concerned. It upholds the priorities of socioeconomic development in combating the country’s poverty in general, and promotes sectoral development in particular, with regard to equality, to the quality
and efficiency of the education system, and to realising access to basic education and successfully completing it. Technical cooperation is significant because
it helps to develop strategies and test promotional measures which have a
broader impact in the three aforementioned areas and are applied throughout
the country with the aid of other donors, primarily the multi-donor project.
The German contribution forms part of the EFA-FTI process, which is developing an approach for the entire sector.
German foreign aid is a highly regarded and reliable tool for cooperation
in the basic education sector. The GTZ has taken over the role of donors’
spokesman for a year as of July 2005. A financial aid commitment of roughly
17 million euros to the multi-donor project is being considered. Apart from the
current project, Germany will thus become the largest bilateral donor in the
basic education sector.
Main Results of Long-Term Cooperation
When I joined the project for health and environmental education in elementary schools as a GTZ adviser to the Ibb provincial school authorities, I
had an encounter in the first few weeks which was to shape my future work.
During the first discussion in a rural elementary school about the local problems and the role of a foreign organisation in improving the situation in education, the chairman of the fathers’ committee quoted a Yemeni saying: “If I am
101
hungry, don’t give me a thousand fishes; instead, show me how to catch a fish.”
His words illustrated what was expected from us: to enable people to find ways
to solve their problems for themselves. This means providing support for development which draws upon local potential and and actively incorporates
those involved with their experience, abilities, skills, knowledge and way of
thinking. It also involves respect for cultural and religious values and traditions, as well as the readiness to learn from one another. Ultimately, it requires
understanding and cooperation in the daily advice offered to one’s partner –
whether in schools and communities, education authorities or the ministry.
Participation, a multi-level concept and a bottom-up approach are the fundamental principles of our technical aid. One example of how strictly they
are applied can be found in the development of the national basic education
strategy.
The document was not written by foreign consultants, as is frequently the
case, but rather by the technical team of Yemeni experts commissioned to do so
by the ministry. The role of the German advisers was to provide specialist input
at key points and to help steer the process. The analysis of the situation in basic education, the formulation of the strategic goals and the main requirements
for achieving “education for all” by 2015, as well as the establishment of priorities, all took place in a process of participation actively involving over 500
people: teachers and headmasters; staff and directors from the regional education authorities; departmental heads and decision-makers from the Ministry of
Education and other relevant ministries; academic
personnel from universities and research institutions;
“The chairman
and parents and NGOs representing civil society from
of the fathers’
ten governorships in the country. The choice of the
committee quoted
governorships
was based on a catalogue of criteria in
a Yemeni saying:
order to cover the broad spectrum of special socio‘If I am hungry,
economic and geographical features which exist in
don’t give me
a thousand
Yemen, especially with regard to the schooling of boys
fishes; instead,
and girls. In order to take into account the expectashow me how
tions of the top officials of the Ministry of Education,
to catch a fish.’”
as well as those of the staff of the regional education
authorities, school teachers and civil society in general, the requirements of basic education in Yemen were discussed in detail at a
series of workshops. As a result, the following eight priorities for the development of basic education were identified: teacher training, school administration, curriculum and guidance, school construction and girls’ education, community involvement, and decentralisation and finance. Subsequently, those
priorities were dealt with by 20 regional working groups in the various governorships, and eight at the national level, thereby providing the raw material for
the strategy in which the main requirements with regard to access, equality,
quality and efficiency of basic education are described as a process of development and reform. This task was handled by the technical team. The strategy
paper was presented for discussion to a broad forum of members of the public
at the 1st National Basic Education Conference in Sana’a in October 2002.
102
Ministers of education from several other Arab countries also attended the
conference, as did ambassadors from the region and from donor countries, in
addition to representatives of international organisations and the local donor
community. In June 2003, the basic education strategy was officially approved
by the Yemeni government.
This document was the first to offer a genuinely authentic strategy. It reflects
the opinion of those who were involved in formulating it and are responsible
for implementing it – i.e. the state and society in equal measure. This comes
across in the current implementation process. The national basic education
strategy was also one of the preconditions for including the Republic of Yemen
in the Education for All Fast-Track Initiative. This is the reference framework
for all donors in the basic education sector, and also for further, more detailed
planning processes in the context of programme-oriented foreign aid and the
harmonisation of contributions from donors.
Future Challenges
Education in general, and basic education in particular, are essential for an
economic and social development in which the entire population can participate
on an equal and democratic basis. The AHDR clearly outlines the weaknesses,
especially in the quality of learning at all levels of education, and in the exclusion of a sizeable section of the population from educational opportunities. In
the Arab world, Germany’s technical assistance is focused on vocational training. Only in Yemen is it targeted at basic education. Nonetheless, in addition to
developing existing possibilities, new forms of cooperation could be explored,
such as those in the previously neglected post-primary area of education, which
forms a key link between basic education and vocational training. Another
area of activity could be to further cooperation between Arab countries, in order to encourage the exchange of experiences, as well as to work together to
find solutions to broader issues, such as improving the quality of education.
Last but not least, international initiatives – such as United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), which forms part of “Education for All” – should
be supported and encouraged by providing pertinent advice. J
103
The Mubarak-Kohl
Initiative – a German-Egyptian
Success Story
in the Training Area
Peter-Michael Schmidt
When it became evident at the end of the 1980s that Egypt’s economic development depended upon the availability of trained specialists for its firms,
and that the emergence of new industrial estates in the Cairo urban complex
was threatened unless qualified staff were found on the spot, an intensive exchange began between the experts at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), who were commissioned by the Bundesministerium
für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ, Federal Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development) and representatives of various
Egyptian ministries to counter the impending catastrophe with regard to qualifications and economic development. The Mubarak-Kohl Initiative, named after its two initiators, was the outcome of this, and was implemented from 1996
onwards.
The Mubarak-Kohl Approach to Training
Under this system, students leaving Egypt’s intermediate schools (having
completed nine years) receive training, and firms are very closely linked with
training centres and vocational schools. The firms are responsible for the practical training and predominantly carry it out themselves, while the schools take
over the theoretical aspects and the necessary general education subjects. This
cooperative approach, whose core elements derive from long years of experience of the dual system in Germany, has produced practically-oriented training
geared to the individual company and reflecting its current needs; a very high
percentage of trainees have subsequently been hired by the firm which trained
them. For three years, the young people receive instruction two days a week in
theoretical subjects at the schools of the Ministry of Education, which were especially restructured by the project as “Mubarak-Kohl schools”, and four days
a week their training takes place either at firms or – particularly at the start – at
associated training centres.
104
The Mubarak-Kohl Initiative – A German-Egyptian Success Story in the Training Area
Previous Training in Egypt
Under extremely bad conditions, with poorly qualified staff, and relying
upon outdated equipment, or none at all, Egypt’s existing state system of vocational training, which lasts three years, produces young people who are far
from meeting companies’ demands. Every year, roughly 750 000 alumni of
such schools seek a job in the Egyptian labour market, but only a few are able
to find one. A major reason for this is that they are not suited to the firms’ requirements, with the result that companies – or at least large and medium-sized
companies – have, in many cases, elected to retrain university graduates and
employ them as specialists. It is not surprising that the attitude of these graduates, who are too theoretically oriented, is not in line with the companies’
thinking, and they lack motivation to gain the necessary practical experience in
a country where university graduates are proud not to be involved in the practical side of things.
Structures of the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative
In the nine years since its introduction, the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative has
trained 16 000 young people, and recently there has been a dramatic increase.
Training is offered in 29 professions which have all been newly developed in
the commercial, technical and service areas. 42 vocational schools are involved in the initiative, which is
“In the nine
represented in 24 locations in Egypt – in the Nile Delta,
years since its
but also in the poor Upper Egypt region, in large as
introduction, the
well as small towns. 1600 firms offering places to
Mubarak-Kohl
Initiative has
trainees are affiliated with the initiative; they regularly
trained
16 000
train and give employment to young people. As the
young
people,
and
national chambers of commerce in Egypt do not perrecently
there
has
form any training function similar to that of their
been
a
dramatic
equivalents in Germany, the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative
increase.”
has built up so-called human resource development
service centres (HRD-SCs), which assist the training
activities of the firms. This includes, for instance, helping them to select suitable trainees, setting up framework schemes for in-house training, determining
whether new job profiles need to be introduced, advising companies in all issues related to training, and holding practical examinations. As investors’ or
businessmen’s associations, the HRD-SCs have been created in the course of
the project. They now organise nationwide training for the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative, and have even received additional commissions to perform consulting
services in the training sector from the World Bank, other bilateral donors,
large companies and state institutions even outside Egypt, in Syria, Jordan and
Yemen. Meanwhile, they are financed entirely by a system of fees and extra
revenues from consulting commissions. Firms pay the equivalent of between
two and three euros a month per trainee to the respective HRD-SC. The Cairo
HRD-SC – responsible for 220 firms and almost 1000 trainees – is affiliated
105
with the Forum for Training and Education (FORTE), founded by the GermanArab Chamber of Commerce, a body with which it cooperates closely.
The Advisory Role of the GTZ
The GTZ, which implements the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative with its Egyptian
partners, first developed and tested the cooperative approach to training in
several locations within the Greater Cairo area, and then created the necessary
structures to enable firms and state institutions to cooperate with one another.
The Egyptians had no previous experience in this field, so directors, production managers and investors had to be convinced that, if they wanted to ensure
that their workforce would have qualifications that met production needs,
were practical and suited to their companies, the latter would have to contribute
towards training. They were accustomed to the state providing them with
labour. However, those members of staff were so unmotivated, unsuited to
working life, and used only to their chalk and slates, that they themselves were
obliged to assume some responsibility for training if they wanted their company
to be competitive. Obvious problems existed as regards service, product quality,
and the maintenance and repair of production facilities.
Cooperation between Business and State
It became clear quite quickly that training geared to specific company needs
could be successfully carried out in Egypt without copying Germany’s dual system. The crucial factor was that business and the state each had to assume
some of the responsibility. Creating the necessary structures for this, in a systemic approach, and above all on a national scale, has been the main focus of
the work of the GTZ team for the past two years or so. The regional and local
structures of implementation which have been tested
in pilot studies are now being used to establish the
“Egypt has
scheme throughout the entire country. Within the
awoken to
Ministry of Education, a new directorate-general is
the fact that
being set up which will handle reform plans for vocathere can be no
tional training, and thus move beyond the framework
alternative to
of the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative. Together with the
business assumbusiness organisations, a national training institution
ing some of the
is being created, which will both maintain contact
responsibility
with the state authorities and serve as the mouthpiece
for training.”
for the regional and local business organisations and
associations.
At the same time, the ongoing efforts to reform Egypt’s entire education system have to be continued. In quantitative terms, and compared with the state
and informal sectors, Egypt’s private sector is not developed to an extent which
would allow it to assimilate the large number of young people passing through
the national system of training under the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative. Certainly,
for some time to come, exclusively state-run training will have to exist along106
The Mubarak-Kohl Initiative – A German-Egyptian Success Story in the Training Area
side that provided by the Mubarak-Kohl Programme. Despite a very positive
development of the latter, the state training scheme is urgently in need of reform.
The GTZ is also making a contribution with regard to training in this area,
supporting various other projects of its Egyptian partners and the DeutschArabische Industrie- und Handelskammer (DAIHK, German-Arab Chamber of
Industry and Commerce).
The Mubarak-Kohl Initiative as a Successful Model
The Mubarak-Kohl Initiative has become the benchmark for German foreign aid in Egypt and far beyond. Many countries in the region seek advice and
have begun to develop their own approaches to cooperation between business
and state in the training domain. Even in Egypt itself, where no fewer than 23
ministries have their own training organisations with hundreds of centres and
schools, all of which work in a fragmented manner, the four ministries that are
most important for training measures have joined the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative.
They have started to overhaul their training with the aid of the GTZ and to introduce, as far as possible, cooperative forms of training. At the same time, a
more efficient use of training facilities, equivalent qualifications for teachers
and training personnel, and modern training programmes geared to actual
needs are being sought.
The financial requirements of such a comprehensive restructuring process
are much greater than Egypt’s national budget can cope with, which means
that in future, help will still be needed from donor countries. But here, too, the
Mubarak-Kohl Initiative has paved the way. Whereas until quite recently, the
training projects of other donors still followed different approaches, there is
now complete unanimity that only those approaches which advocate cooperation between business and the state have a promising future. Soon, several other projects based on similar ideas to the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative are to begin.
The Future and the Need for Reform in the Training Area
German support for the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative will probably end in a few
years’ time. Thereafter, our Egyptian partners in the various ministries, businesses, associations, organisations, centres, NGOs, and chambers of commerce
involved will all have to stand on their own feet. There is every sign that this
experiment, too, will prove successful, for structures have been created that are
already stable and sustainable. Egypt has awoken to the fact that there can be
no alternative to business assuming some of the responsibility for training. J
107
“If one sees art,
like philosophy,
as something which
evolves for ever and
never exists, if one
sees it therefore
as merely dynamic
and not as atomistic
as they call it now,
one may be equitable
and just to every
product without being
restricted by it.”
Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805)
Letter to Christian Gottfried Körner
from January 21, 1802
Perspectives and
Outlook: Wrapping up
Workshop Discussions
Noha El-Mikawy
This event has been incredibly rich with ideas, examples of on-going
developmental efforts, and hopes for the future.
Allow me to highlight some of our contributions, adding my interpretation
of them in a very personal capacity, with no professional affiliation to the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP). My perspective on this event is
that of an Egyptian woman who has, for two decades, been working and living
in the East and West; an Egyptian who knows the challenges and still believes
in the potential of development cooperation.
Firstly, allow me some general remarks on our discussions so far. Those discussions, like the Arab Human Development Reports, show how critical we
Arabs are of our own state of affairs. That is a good place to start. The event
has also shown commitment to the central role of education in the building of
character and the safeguarding of hope in a better future.
Our first session yesterday morning demonstrated not only the importance
of education, but also its interconnectedness with political openness, transparency and accountability, with economic vibrancy and cultural vigor. Jorgen
Nielsen reminded us that these virtues, which we consider so crucial for educational reform in the Arab world, may indeed be lacking – at least partially – in
the West as well. He said that to be realistic, I suppose. While it is true that education reform is not a panacea for all ills, such realism should not be a reason
to keep us from demanding political openness, transparency, accountability,
economic vibrancy and cultural vigor through educational reform. The partial
weakness of education systems in the West is hindering the global competitiveness of some Western countries – at least in some fields – and we desperately
need to catch up. Also, we cannot ignore the importance of education for all
societal systems, be they economic or political.
Problems and Risks
Our discussion proceeded to highlight some problems inside the education
sector. Those most frequently cited were: (1) obsolete textbooks (a crucial
problem in countries where the textbook remains one of the very few books an
individual ever reads, according to Ibrahim El-Moallem); (2) antiquated teaching methods; (3) inadequate libraries, (4) lack of financial resources in some
110
Perspectives and Outlook: Wrapping Up Workshop Discussions
countries; (5) inefficient allocation of resources inside the education sector in
some countries (which means that we occasionally spend more of the allocated
expenditure on administrative staff than on teachers, books, and other elements of the education process). Reforming that situation requires a political
decision that will create losers; only responsible leaders will be prepared to
bite the bullet.
One issue I would like to draw attention to is the
“My perspeclow return on education because of the structural imtive on this
balances in our Arab economies. A weak industrial
event is that of
base, feeble information- and knowledge-based secan Egyptian
tors, low-skilled service and trade sectors, reliance
woman who has,
for two decades,
on either oil or remittances to generate growth, and a
been working
lack of vision on how to use free trade or generate
and
living in the
knowledge-based jobs – all those factors contribute to
East
and West.”
the low return on education. This affects educated and
uneducated groups alike. When an uneducated person
is poor, we know what we have to deal with. When an educated person is poor
in the Amartya Sen sense of being without choice*, then we are in trouble.
With respect to higher education, the most frequently cited problems were
poor-quality books, ill-prepared staff and very poorly endowed libraries. Furthermore, lack of transparency in higher education policy-making, recruitment
and promotion were mentioned. The lack of up-to-date databases and practical
communities in which researchers may share information and disseminate
knowledge was pointed out. Also, the weakness of the industrial base and its
poor expenditure on research and development was raised as a drawback in
terms of applied research.
Our discussion also highlighted some of the risks that we face as development officers. The most frequent among them are: a reluctance to accept assistance in education because of its intimate link with identity and sovereignty;
the inability of institutions to respond to the conditions of international cooperation, and in some cases the restrictiveness of such conditions; and the impossibility of making education inclusive while the capacity to deal with diversity remains weak.
Tools of Development
Any approach to reform must be comprehensive, inclusive, and based on
public-private bilateral and regional partnerships.
At the input level, there were some vociferous calls for the improvement of
textbooks and training among teachers. As I said before, this may require a
policy choice to reallocate resources away from administration, which might
* According to the Indian economist Amartya Kumar Sen (born 1933), who in 1998 was awarded the Nobel
prize for his achievements in the field of welfare economics, the elimination of all forms of discrimination,
which restrict the opportunities of the individual to act and live freely, is the fundamental requirement of any
development (editors’ note).
111
Noha El-Mikawy
be opposed by a huge constituency of bureaucrats. These are tradeoffs that policy makers have to deal with.
The second tool is investment in people. The human capacity dimension was
mentioned, and it is obvious from the example of Heba and Ayman that it is
truly worth the effort.
The third tool is institutional. An investment in human resources alone can
lead to frustration and migration if it is not coupled with a serious effort to
raise the capacities of institutions to reform themselves and become more
transparent, accountable, results-oriented and forward-looking. Again, one
good example of that is the Quality Assurance Project of the UNDP, which
equips Arab universities with the tools to evaluate their business administration and computer science programs, and to find means of improvement by
sharing results and policies. This project will be able to expand geographically
and in terms of subjects thanks to German support.
A fourth tool is networks: Sari Nusseibeh suggested an Inter-Arab University network. The UNDP’s Quality Assurance Project is one example of that.
Shereen Ghoneim suggested networks of informationand
knowledge-sharing, and the Global Development
“We must
Gateway
network which she manages serves as an ileducate our
lustration.
societies to parWe must educate our societies to participate in the
ticipate in the
development debate, to take governments to task on
development
debate, to take
development goals, and to monitor progress. That regovernments to
quires media campaigns as well as politicians who are
task on developaware of the development debate and are capable of
ment goals and
overseeing it. We also need developmental schools and
monitor progress.”
universities. Let me cite here Calestous Juma, professor of the practice of international development at
Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and lead co-author of Innovation: Applying Knowledge in Development. The Report of the Task Force
on Science, Technology and Innovation of the Millennium Project, commissioned by UN secretary general Kofi Annan:
“The main role of the first generation of African universities was to create
civil servants. Unfortunately, this classical model has become the template
within which new universities are created, even though social and economic
needs have changed radically. The continent needs a new generation of universities that can serve as engines of both community development and social renewal. The task ahead is not simply one of raising more funds. It will require
deliberate efforts by governments, academia, business and civil society to reinvent higher education and put it to the service of the African people. The same
can be said of the Arab region.”
Schools and universities should not only engage in community development
projects, but should instruct students about the Millennium Development
Goals, their indicators and targets, how to monitor them and how to hold pol112
Perspectives and Outlook: Wrapping Up Workshop Discussions
icymakers and society responsible for meeting them. Furthermore, developmental education means that we need to teach not only the history of economic thought, but also the mechanics of development aid and the nature of project
cycles, results-oriented performance evaluations, aid coordination and aid
management schemes. This is how we can show commitment to, and lay the
foundations for, serious and well-informed “national ownership”.
Finally, if we are to create examples to learn from, then I would like to recap
and highlight the Belgian project noted by Professor Assia Bensalah Alaoui, the
summer school project mentioned by Heba and Ayman, the various initiatives
of Al-Quds University, the German-Jordanian technical university initiative,
and the new phase of the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative in Egypt. J
113
Concluding Statement
Hans-Heiner Rudolph
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to wrap up this important
conference and to say a few words in summary of our two-day discussion.
Firstly, as you know, it is sometimes not easy to sum up the topics and results of international conferences, which involve a lot of papers, statements and
questions. However, often the most critical task is to make the results relevant
to our daily lives.
I feel strongly that this conference is different because of the intellectual,
strategic and practical quality of discussion, which has connected theory and
practice. All of you can be proud of having taken the whole dimension of dialogue seriously, the dialogue between and within cultures. You know, dialogue
is a modern buzzword, and there are compelling reasons for that.
I think we had a very interesting composition of
participants: scientists from one of the most crucial re“Both in Europe
gions of the world with respect to political, social and
as well as in the
economic development, the so-called Arab World; and
so-called Arab
from Germany, as well as from some other European
World, we are concountries who are confronted, as never before, with
vinced that there
the
challenge of shaping and reshaping their relationare bridges beship
with their neighbours on the southern side of the
tween our commuMediterranean; representatives of foundations like the
nities, and we
should strengthen
Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung and the Konrad-Adenauerand, wherever
Stiftung (Konrad Adenauer Foundation); of cultural,
necessary, rebuild
academic and development organizations like the
those bridges.”
Goethe-Institut, the Deutsche Akademische Austausch
Dienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service),
the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)
and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ): they
can all look back on a long and successful tradition of cooperation between
Europe and the Middle East. The discussions of the last two days have demonstrated great commitment to this cooperation, and at least one question has
been clearly answered: although there are gaps, both in Europe as well as in the
so-called Arab World, we are convinced that there are bridges between our
communities, and we should strengthen and, wherever necessary, rebuild those
bridges. Bridges mean dialogue, and dialogue is the precondition for coopera114
tion and peace. However, there is much talk about dialogue, as there are numerous conferences dealing with the issues we’ve been discussing here – so the
crucial question is how to translate dialogue into practice.
Secondly, I think one of the most challenging questions is: what are our mutual expectations? I refer to the various remarks in our discussion concerning
the Arab Human Development Reports and the necessity of finding appropriate
ways to communicate the findings and recommendations of these reports: by
strengthening the role of a free press and mass media, for instance. This cannot
be done in one direction only. The question by our Iraqi colleague was well put:
what is it that the European countries expect from the so-called Arab World?
We need strong, competent and flexible Arab organizations, which are committed to taking part in the international discussion at all levels. We need your
expertise and your feeling for social culture.
Thirdly, allow me to highlight some of the points that were made during our
conference.
The Arab Human Development Report is an excellent document with regard to analysis, discussion and action in the Arab World. We, as Europeans,
should acknowledge that this report is a very important step in making the case
for improving the quality of education, guaranteeing freedom and pursuing
democracy in the Arab World. But we should be careful not to hijack the reports for our own purposes.
We have heard of quite a few promising forms of cooperation that have been
achieved so far. For instance:
– the Summer School that was organized by the GTZ in Cairo, which, as well
as gathering some 30 excellent students for intensive one-month practiceoriented training, managed to collect 16 offers of internships in development
cooperation organizations and projects, which is an impressive contribution
to human resource development;
– the example of the Al-Quds University and the cooperation with the DFG,
showing how important it is to guarantee the independence of higher education institutions from political interference;
– the example provided by the DAAD of establishing alumni networks in the
region;
– the integration of vocational education and training experts from Iraq into
the Mubarak-Kohl Initiative in Egypt, thus extending bilateral to multilateral
approaches;
– the higher education quality assurance project run by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to which the German Bundesministerium
für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ, Federal Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development) will contribute via the GTZ.
Some other cooperation projects are in the pipeline, but the German side
very much depends upon requests from our partner countries to accommodate
projects in this and other fields. This point was recently stressed at a conference
115
Hans-Heiner Rudolph
in Berlin, which dealt with the possible contributions of higher education to
achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and was organized by
the GTZ, the DAAD and the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK, German
Rectors’ Conference). Without such requests, it will be difficult to find support
for increasing our commitment in higher education cooperation.
One idea we would like to suggest is the support of a new university in Iraq.
Modelled on the Central European University in Budapest, the new university in
Iraq could be a joint effort to create a centre of excellence.
We also say this in order to make clear that the people of Iraq can count on
German support. In addition, we would like to stress that there is a huge area
of opportunity for non-governmental organizations and foundations in the
Arab World.
Fourthly, I think it is not necessary to repeat all the arguments that have
been brought up in international discussions over the past few years about why
higher education, which has not been a priority in development policies and
cooperation since the early 1990s, should be put back high on the agenda.
Nevertheless, this conference has highlighted three major reasons why universities should be an integral and salient part of long-term social development.
• It is in higher education that the future experts and decisions-makers of a
country are prepared for their work in politics, economics, and society. Therefore, universities are important centres of capacity-building that need to be
strengthened in order to achieve the quality necessary for successful competition in a globalised world. We cannot separate focusing on people from institutional building. Our task within the GTZ is to strengthen sustainable and flexible institutional structures with people, for the benefit of people. To achieve that
goal, we need lean and flexible teaching institutions: a requirement which was
underlined by this conference.
• Independent and autonomous universities are crucial strategic partners in
shaping and controlling policies as a kind of “watchdog”. They generate innovation, are important consulting agencies for government policies and decisions,
and provide human resources for key positions in society. We need independent
universities that are committed to sustainable development.
• Universities and scientists are key players with regard to the establishment
and utilization of knowledge networks. Living in the era of globalisation, this
means regional and supra-regional as well as multidisciplinary networks as a
strategic element for cooperation, going far beyond academia. The beneficiary
of research and science should, of course, be the whole society, including – particularly if we look at the MDGs – the poor. This is, indeed, the major mission
of, and challenge for, the graduates of higher education: to become advocates
for the underprivileged, to provide appropriate services to the entire society,
and to function as elites in the positive sense of the word.
A further highly important point concerns the role of research and science as
a kind of seismograph for social trends and movements. We need science, re116
search and therefore universities in order to act, rather than merely reacting,
within governments and politics. Visualising different scenarios could help us
to plan, analyse and especially anticipate developments. This would enable decision-makers in governmental and non-governmental institutions to balance
short-, medium- and long-term strategies.
Fifthly, this gives me the springboard into another sensitive area concerning
the buzzwords of today: credibility, ownership and inclusion. The way a society
deals with its young generation tells us much about the condition and the state
of the society itself. The role of education as a holistic system has a lot to do with
the question of how to offer reliable opportunities to our young generation.
We must ensure the younger generation has a future.
It is not only in the Arab countries that there are huge
“Credibility
numbers of young people with few prospects. The inin politics and
dividual feeling of not playing an adequate role within
concrete work
society may easily jeopardize the society as a whole.
at all levels are
Against this background, credibility in politics and
required, be they
concrete work at all levels are required, be they in forin formal and
mal and governmental structures or in civil society.
governmental
structures
or in
Credibility and the capacity to listen are perhaps the
civil
society.”
most important solutions to many of the problems that
we have discussed here over the last two days.
Sixthly and lastly, I would like to focus on the idea of partnership and creating new alliances: alliances between the younger and older generation, between
state, civil society and private sector, between universities, schools and everyday life.
Such alliances necessitate the strengthening of synergies between the different organizations, particularly in Germany. This conference has been a good
start towards an analysis of the various approaches, the key phrase here being
comparative advantage.
We all live in times of tight resources, on the one hand, and a lot of challenges in education, science and politics, on the other. This requires a sense of
priority, and above all making sure that there are tangible benefits and impacts.
Let us try to multiply and generate spin-offs, and let us try to build on what we
have done here in the last two days with analyses, practice and vision. Let us be
imaginative and creative.
Ladies and gentlemen, our special thanks go to the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung.
Quite a few ideas and recommendations presented here have come from the exchange with Count Kalnein. Speaking of good partnership, this has really been
an excellent experience and encourages us to continue working together,with
the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung and all stakeholders represented at the conference. Thank you. J
117
German-Arab Cooperation
in Education and Science and
the Intercultural Dialogue –
an Arab Perspective
Ala Al-Hamarneh
The first problem I faced when I began writing this contribution was a
methodological one: from which context should I tackle German-Arab cooperation in education and science? Is it a part of the ongoing intercultural dialogue,
or a part of the process of knowledge exchange and German assistance to the
Arab countries? It is obvious that cooperation involves those two elements.
Nevertheless, the basic question has to be answered: what can we expect from
such cooperation?
The Goals
Cooperation in education and science can play an important role in the
process of exchanging knowledge and in the improvement of education in Arab
countries, especially as regards campaigns against illiteracy and technical training. However, such cooperation should not be seen as a cure-all for the national problems in the aforementioned fields. Rather, it is a complementary effort
with a symbolic effect that should be more forcefully implemented and developed. Nonetheless, cooperation may generate positive reactions and activities in
a particular area and on a particular topic. To what extent the Mubarak-Kohl
Initiative influenced the training programs in Egypt, and to what extent GermanYemeni cooperation is pushing for better national elementary schooling – those
are issues for professional evaluation; but a local/focal effect is clearly noticeable in both cases.
Cooperation is not only initiated at the governmental level. The private sector is also seizing the opportunity of establishing German-Arab colleges: the
German University in Cairo, the German-Jordanian University of Applied
Sciences, and the Egyptian-German Hotel School in El Gouna are good examples. This is a new venture for Germany, while some Arab countries (Egypt,
Lebanon and recently UAE) have long-established traditions vis-à-vis American and French universities. The boom of private colleges in the Arab world
may encourage quantity and profit, while the trademark of quality associated
with the American universities in Beirut and Cairo may suffer. High fees might
severely restrict the accessibility of the German universities, especially in view
118
German-Arab Cooperation in Education and Science and the Intercultural Dialogue
of the fact that no system of scholarships is currently either available or even
in the pipeline.
Another aspect that seems to merit attention is intercultural dialogue through
cooperation. Of course, cooperation in education and science can be seen as an
integral part of the three main levels of intercultural dialogue: political/governmental, economic and social. Recalling the discussions on school curricula
which took place in some Arab countries in the last couple of years, we will be
able clearly to identify the political aspect of the subject. Unfortunately, intercultural dialogue in educational and scientific cooperation is very limited, if not
totally absent. Cooperation mainly means a one-way flow of assistance from
Germany into the Arab countries. Exchange programs for pupils do not exist.
The rare exceptions, such as the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
(DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service) program of scholarships in
higher education, are short-term projects. Visiting
programs for Arab professors, which are petering out,
“Cooperation
are generally of a research nature and exclude direct
is not only
teacher-student contact. It should be obvious that it is
initiated at govimpossible, at least after 9/11, to separate the various
ernmental level.
fields of cooperation from the desperately needed inThe private sector
tercultural dialogue.
is also seizing
the opportunity
Cooperation of all types has to take place in the
of establishing
kind of incipient areas of cultural exchange that serve
German-Arab
a central aim: de-alienating the “other”. The migrant
colleges.”
connection that could have developed into a cultural
bridge between Europe/Germany and the Arab world
has failed to do so. In fact, Arab migrants in Europe are almost universally either totally “assimilated” or culturally “segregated”. Shortcomings in integration policies, and in the structuring of multicultural societies in European
countries, are reflected in non-positive images and polarized views in modern
Arab societies.
The Scale of Cooperation
A major hindrance to cooperation in the fields of education and science is
the undefined scale of that endeavor: with whom? And why? The criticism by
observers of the existing cooperation can be summarized in two words: elitist
and corrupt. It is elitist because cooperation is institutionally limited to the upper echelons of governmental structures, “western-oriented” NGOs and exclusive educational institutions. If we consider that the absolute majority of the
NGOs in the Arab world are GONGOs (Government Organized Non-Governmental Organizations), and that the exclusive educational institutions are either governmental or “western”, then we are talking about a small circle of
players with great restrictions of access to outsiders. It seems that planners are
looking for the easiest way out: selecting cooperation partners with whom they
already share languages, aims and visions. Yet this is the crux of the problem.
The cooperation partners, and the cooperation itself, become remote in the
119
Ala Al-Hamarneh
eyes of the people. The exclusivity of the players partly accounts for the accusations of corruption.
Firstly, it is vital to link cooperation in education and science with the less
advantaged groups and institutions of society. Secondly, cooperation must be
long-term and sustainable. Thirdly, at least on the educational level, it must
contain an element of exchange. Practically speaking, this means going to second- and third-tier universities outside the major cities and arranging cooperation agendas with students in master’s degree programs and with young lecturers. In addition, it means establishing and funding exchange and sundry other
programs for pupils of state schools in disadvantaged areas. Cooperation with
the elite institutions has to continue, but it is not, and cannot be, sufficient to
set up cultural and social contacts only with such establishments.
The Topics
Where should we begin, and where should we proceed to? The agendas of
the cooperation partners are certainly replete with important topics. Nevertheless, a sophisticated approach is needed to match the topics with the goals.
Simply identifying the correct goals and finding the right cooperation partners
to achieve them does not automatically steer the process in the desired direction. The topics are the missing links in the chain. Thus the steps listed below
become self-evident:
“Where should
we begin, and
where should
we proceed to?
The agendas of
the cooperation
partners are
certainly replete
with important
topics.”
• First and foremost, the intercultural dialogue has
to identify and address the differences between cultures. Prejudices and stereotypes have to be outlined
and questioned, not deliberately ignored and overlooked. Direct and indirect ignorance has no place in
the dialogue.
• Secondly, intercultural dialogue has to review the
issues identified by both partners as essential and significant. The agendas may occasionally overlap, but
there is a danger that the more powerful partner – especially the one that provides funding – dictates the agenda both directly and
indirectly. Cooperation must reflect the needs and concerns of both partners.
• Thirdly, intercultural dialogue has to take place in a tolerant environment in which all ideas are respected, even if not all of them are accepted or
admired. Dialogue should not be used as an instrument for imposing the will
of one partner on another, nor should the goal be a transfer of values. It is,
rather, an instrument for de-alienating the “other” and exploring the “other’s” culture.
• Fourthly, the organizers of cooperation in education and science have to be
aware that the topics that are selected for cooperation will demonstrate the
120
German-Arab Cooperation in Education and Science and the Intercultural Dialogue
credibility and seriousness of the whole process. Transparency, openness and
utmost individual participation of the partners in the selection of topics are the
most effective means against patronizing behavior and censorship.
From the perspective of an Arab who has been living, studying and working
in Germany since 1995, and in Europe since 1980, fluent in four European
languages and with a working knowledge of another two, I would like to
point out the major misunderstandings that exist in German-Arab dialogue
and cooperation:
• Firstly, the dominance of the “either/or” approach of “Orient versus Occident” in the public and academic discussions in Germany. This polarity is present in five other major European countries (France, Italy, Russia, Spain and
the United Kingdom) as one of the two major patterns in dealing with the Arab
world (the other being the ideological pattern: liberals versus conservatives, left
versus right etc.).
• Secondly, the existence of the Arab world as a coherent entity is still hotly
debated by both the German media and officialdom. In academia, the terms
“Nahost” (Middle East), “Vorderer Orient” (Near East) and “Orient” dominate, while the term “Arabische Welt” (Arab world) is rather an exotic one.
This makes it more difficult to understand the logic of events, beyond politics,
that take place in the Arab world.
• Thirdly, I am given the impression that no distinction is made between
“secularism” as an ideology, and “secularization” as a process of nation-building and institutional transformation. The same could be said in the context of
so-called “universal values”. It seems to me that the aforementioned polarized
view prevents a deeper look at Arab societies. Democratization, women’s rights
etc. are seen even by mainstream academia and politicians as processes and values that must be integrated into Arab culture.
Yet Germany has obvious advantages that may encourage an in-depth dialogue with the Arab world:
• It does not figure in the collective memory of the Arabs as a colonial power
or an historical antagonist. German-Arab historical relationships do not suffer
from negative experiences that could invoke unpleasant memories. Therefore,
the dialogue can be open, direct and transparent.
• The German way of life and the label “Made in Germany” are greatly admired in Arab societies, especially in the densely populated countries of Egypt,
Syria, Iraq, Algeria and Morocco. This puts the Germans in a favourable position when cooperation and dialogue are on the agenda.
• Last but not least, the clear stand of Germany against the invasion of Iraq
won friends for the country and its people in the Arab world. This goodwill is
conducive to dialogue and cooperation.
121
Ala Al-Hamarneh
Postscript
A successful agenda of cooperation has to be built on a clear and comprehensible foundation. The Germans and Germany want to be understood by the
Arabs and the Arab countries. The first step is to acknowledge that there is no
typical “German” and no typical “Arab”, but that the words German and
Arab cover a multitude of characters and should not be stereotyped. On both
sides, there are majorities and minorities, and various interest groups, subcultures and authorities. The polarized outlook of “us and them” is an historical
trap. Cooperation in education and science may assist in closing the gap. Unfortunately, there remains the possibility that the attempt will not get off the
ground at all. J
122
Promenade of Beirut, Lebanon
“We must not
shy away from
appreciating the
truth and adopting
it regardless of its
source, even if it
came from people
who are far away
from us and different from us.
There is no greater
reason to seek the
truth than truth
itself. One should
not belittle the
truth or belittle
the person who
said it or conveyed it.”
Abu Jussuf Jakub ben Isaak Al-Kindi
(175–260 AH, 800–873 AD):
Appreciating the truth regardless
of the source
260–175
Building the Bridge:
the Role of Books and Reading
in Intercultural Dialogue
Lüders: Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the pleasure of hosting this evening’s
debate and I’m happy to say hello to three very distinguished guests here on the
floor. First of all, I would like to welcome Ibrahim El Moallem, chairman of the
Arab Publishers’ Union in Cairo, and one of the most successful Arabic publishers. To my right, I say hello to Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea, chairman of
Weidenfeld and Nicolson publishing house in London, and last but not least,
Michael Klett, chief executive officer of Ernst Klett publishing company in
Stuttgart. My name is Michael Lüders, and to start with, I would like to invite
Ibrahim El Moallem to please give us some ideas about publishing and bookmaking in the Arab world.
126
Building the Bridge: The Role of Books and Reading in Intercultural Dialogue
The publishers’ debate at GTZ-Haus in Berlin. On the panel (from left): Michael Klett, Ibrahim El Moallem, Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea
and Michael Lüders (chair).
El Moallem: Ladies and gentlemen, less than a year has passed since Arab
culture and Islamic civilization were chosen as the guest of honor of the Frankfurt Book Fair. Today, we are together with this selected audience who are interested in culture, inter-religious debate, books and reading. And we can only
marvel at the host of events which have taken place in our region during this
period of under a year. Political murders and unsolved fatalities on the one
hand, and on the other hand, demands for democratic reforms, radical changes
everywhere in the region, a government in Iraq which strives to introduce a
new constitution, constitutional reforms in Egypt as well – the region seems to
be awash with events and emotions, which, we hope, will mark only the beginning of the journey towards more democracy, freedom, justice and progress.
You may be able to imagine the difficulties and challenges which are encountered by any serious publisher or intellectual who, under such circumstances,
gets involved with culture, ideas and politics.
127
Today we are discussing the state of publishing in the Arab world. There,
publishing is more or less in its infancy, although the book, from a historical
perspective, is of great importance to us. In our culture and religion we have
deep respect for the book, and we call Jews, Christians and Muslims “people of
the book”. The first commandment in the Koran is “read!” Nevertheless, we
have to admit that we don’t read enough. You could say that three quarters of
the glass are still empty. But when you consider that, in Europe, the first publications appeared in the middle of the fifteenth century, whereas in Egypt,
Lebanon and Syria, the first books did not come out until the middle of the
nineteenth century, and in numerous other Arab countries, no sooner than fifty
or even twenty years ago, then it would probably be fairer and more correct to
say that we’re now filling the first quarter of the glass. Currently, there are
about 1000 active publishers in the Arab world. Most of them are private entrepreneurs, but in some countries, the biggest publisher is still the public sector, i.e. the government. And because the process in most Arab countries began
only fifty or even twenty years ago, around 95 percent of all publications consist of textbooks. In those countries, the textbook is usually the only book
which most people read. This shows the enormous importance which is currently attached to the textbook in the Arab world.
The Arab Human Development Report of the UN is extremely significant
and – for the most part – useful, although it is not gaining enough attention.
However, the section concerning publishing and translation is inaccurate. Let’s
take an example: according to this report, 10 000 books have been translated
into Arabic since the Al-Mamoun era.*
This figure is indicative of the report’s inaccuracy.
For how can we establish how many books were
“The first
translated in the Al-Mamoun era when we take into
commandment
account that, in those days, there were no public liin the Koran
braries and thus no facilities to register or lend out
is ‘read!’
books? The fact is that those titles which have been
Nevertheless,
translated in the last two centuries in the Arab world –
we have to admit
i.e. registered books – amount to more than 43 000.
that we don’t
read enough.”
Such a number is no cause for celebration and should
by
no means satisfy us, but it deviates substantially
Ibrahim El Moallem
from the one quoted in the UN report. The current situation may be described thus: around 1000 publishers
in the Arab world are releasing about 31 000 titles per year, which testifies to
the upsurge. Egypt has published approximately 200 000 to 230 000 books in
the last 150 years; at the present time, Egypt is producing 12 000 annually. In
the same period, 350 000 titles overall have appeared in the Arab world; at the
moment, 31 000 are being published annually. We can draw important conclusions from the fact that 25 percent of those are textbooks, and 45 percent are
* See United Nations Development Programme and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Human Development Report 2003, p. 67. – Al-Mamoun era: the reign of Caliph Al-Mamoun (813–833 AD) is
considered the “Golden Age” of science and learning in Arabia (editors’ note).
128
scientific publications. That means that books for school and university as a
whole comprise 70 percent. 24 percent consist of non-fiction and fiction, with
the remaining six percent being children’s books. But if we examine the prices
of books and the number of copies sold, the situation changes. According to
turnover, textbooks comprise 60 percent, academic titles 20 percent, non-fiction and fiction 15 percent, and children’s books five percent. The latter can
boast the biggest growth. In the last twenty years, three times as many children’s books have appeared as in the previous 150 years! This increase relates
not only to quantity, but also to variety. Children’s books in the Arab world
cover many areas. For instance, there are encyclopedias of a general kind or on specific fields of knowl“After indepenedge, in addition to storytelling, often translated, and
dence, at first,
there were nabooks about the future, computer books – any kind of
turally strong
printed works. The number of translations is rising;
endeavors to emthey are produced in cooperation with the largest pubphasize national
lishing houses in global terms, but especially from Euidentity, history
rope. Moreover, the number of books written and
and the results of
published in the Arab world has increased, and their
self-rule etc.”
quality is improving. That is why more than ten Arab
Ibrahim El Moallem
books have won important international prizes such
as the prize of the Polish Book Fair.
That is a central point, but there are other aspects as well. Some countries of
the Arab world have been independent for less than fifty years. Before independence, books in those states were either not of national origin, or not exclusively printed by national presses. After independence, at first, there were naturally strong endeavors to emphasize national identity, history and the results
of self-rule etc.
At the same time however, we had – and still have – a problem, which is a lack
of experience in the production of children’s books and textbooks, i.e. those
printed works which were produced 40 to 50 years ago, immediately after independence. The required maturity was missing, the democratic convictions
were not yet solid enough, and there was an inclination to bolster one’s own
confidence and to stress one’s own merits, sometimes in order to disparage the
“adversary” at home and abroad. The greatest difficulty concerns textbooks, as
there is a boom in the Arab world and everybody is now demanding improved
educational methods, progressive methods, and better schoolbooks. The publishers are doing their best. We are trying to encourage open competition, as exists everywhere else in the world, in order to produce the best possible book and
to reach the international standard. We are also agreed that scientific publications and mathematics textbooks, where there is no difference of opinion,
should be at the forefront. Our mathematics and other academic books ought to
be the best of their kind globally. They should be translated and devised in such
a way that they can be used anywhere in the Arab world. People are increasingly interested in public libraries, which means that more and more are being
created. Again, however, there is a lack of the experience, training and finance
necessary to acquire new books for those public libraries.
129
As far as translations are concerned, there are two problems. First of all,
when Arab works are translated into other languages, they serve the purpose of
confirming the prevailing opinion rather than imparting knowledge. On the occasion of the Frankfurt Book Fair, where 13 000 titles from the Arab world
were exhibited, a representative of German television asked me, with amazement, why, despite such a large and varied production, only certain kinds of
love stories, which, as a rule, had no political, historical or social content, were
being translated into German. I answered that this was exactly the question
which we asked ourselves. For the truth is that international publishers choose
a certain type of tale which confirms preconceived opinions about Harun arRashid, or the position of women in Arabia, etc. Meanwhile, there are even
some writers in the Arab world who have trained themselves to follow exactly
the preference of the West, so that they reinforce existing prejudices. If we look
at translations into Arabic, the problems seem to be even more substantial.
There are considerable economic hurdles. The translation rights are expensive,
and consequently the number of books which are rendered into Arabic is minimal. In our countries, books are also selected from a biased point of view and
with an eye to confirming preconceptions about ourselves and the West. There
is a lot left to be desired as far as variety and quality
are concerned. An improvement is enormously impor“In our countries,
tant
to developing joint projects with the view of enbooks are also
hancing
selection and translation, and making them
selected from a
possible
in
the first place.
biased point of
That can also be applied to academic publications,
view and with an
eye to confirming
as universities in the Arab world are not of the highest
preconceptions
quality. According to recent statistics, the best 500
about ourselves
universities on a global scale do not include a single
and the West.”
Arab institution! The economic circumstances of university professors make it necessary for them to write
Ibrahim El Moallem
textbooks, which are then often the only source of information. As a result, certain Arab universities are more or less excluded from
the academic discourse of the rest of the world. All these aspects have to be discussed, but we can cooperate in all areas. We can help each other to improve
the situation, to obtain more translations, and to upgrade the libraries. The
same is true of the training of publishers, university professors and librarians.
Well, I have used up my ten minutes. Many thanks.
Lüders: Thank you very much, Ibrahim El Moallem. We are talking about
“building the bridge”, about the role of books and reading in intercultural dialogue, and I think it’s very clear from your introductory remarks that when we
deal with this issue, we are also talking about politics. It is not possible to separate the two, as we found during our discussions this morning and this afternoon. The Arab world is a highly criticized area, and of course, when we talk
about the field of education, there are many criticisms to be made, such as the
lack of interest by certain governments in investing enough in the educational
process, etc. In terms of publishing in the Arab world, one major problem is
130
The publishers’ debate at GTZ-Haus in Berlin.
certainly the fact that there are so many illiterate people in Arab countries – I
think the illiteracy rate in Egypt is sixty percent – and this of course reduces the
potential market of buyers. Nevertheless, when we talk about intercultural dialogue, there is also the question of how we interact with each other, and of
course we can develop lots of theories. But here we have three gentlemen who
are very active in the field of publishing – therefore it
will be a good idea not to hypothesize too much, but
“One major
problem is cerrather to look at the possibilities of how to improve the
tainly the fact
intercultural approach in the publishing business, and
that
there are so
also how to address Arab writers, and how to enhance
many
illiterate
their activities in the Arab world. Lord Weidenfeld,
people
in Arab
what do you think?
countries.”
Michael Lüders
Lord Weidenfeld: Well, thank you. Count Kalnein
was kind enough to give me some credit for the concept of the Trialogue of Cultures. I’m something of a black swan, being neither
German nor Arab, but I do believe very seriously in the cultural dialogue between Muslim culture and the cultures of Christianity and Judaism. I have been
in publishing for 60 years now, and my interest in Israel, and in peace between
Israel and her neighbors, predates the establishment of this state because of my
relationship with Chaim Weizmann, who was above all a scientist and a man
of peace. Well, I think the conclusion I came to, and this brings me right into
this particularly important debate, is that we should not aim at ambitious
schemes that we cannot possibly sustain and which, if tried, would only end in
131
tears. We should not mix culture and politics too much. Equally, I think we
face a great challenge, as publishers and as people of good faith and good will,
in finding avenues for bringing this threatening rift between the Muslim world
and the non-Muslim world to the point when it turns into compassionate understanding of one for the other. And so, as a book publisher who strayed into
the foray, I’d like to suggest two concrete ideas, which I discussed today at
lunch with my Egyptian friend Mr. Moallem and my old friend Michael Klett.
One of the most successful ventures in international cultural publishing is the
French series Les Pléiades, where the whole corpus, the cultural corpus of
French literature for fiction, and also philosophical thought, is contained and
enshrined in a growing number of wonderfully produced, wonderfully edited,
culturally extremely high-level books by great French writers and thinkers.
And the Pléiades have been translated into several languages, particularly into
Romance languages, Italian, Spanish and so on, and have become the treasure
trove for French culture. There is an American Library based on that concept
published in the United States, and that also has the reputation of producing
some of the best writing and thoughts of American authors. My suggestion
would be that a combination of foundations, but also leading publishers in different countries, headed by an Arab publishing initiative – I talked to our Cairo
friends – would produce a growing, evolving list of the finest works written by
Arab writers and thinkers, from the beginning of Arab cultural civilization to
the present. I think, if they’re properly introduced and translated, they could
become a very important cultural tool. I mean, I have in my life produced – I
wouldn’t like to say hundreds of series, but certainly
many dozens of series of different kinds – popular,
“Whereas
ambitious, international, national series – and I know
the first idea
about literary prizes. They’re part of our job. So, my
focuses on the
suggestion would be that the group get together, work
past as well as
out a scheme, what are the first ten, twenty, twentythe present,
five
important works, a careful balance that Islam and
and a whole
Islamic
cultures can offer to the world, right up-toarch of cultural
date. I won’t go into great detail now, because it takes
contributions
a committee of selected editors to say, “Let us focus
from the Islamic
world,…”
on a percentage of creative literature, a percentage of
thought, philosophy, history: an Islamic Library not
just for members of the Islamic faith, but for all cultured people who attach great value and love to having important books on
their shelves, who are proud to have a library.” That could then be commercially exploited by a group of publishers, one leading publisher in Britain, one
in America, one in France, one in Germany, who would say to the organizers,
“I will participate commercially, I will guarantee to buy 10 000 of each, or
5000 or 8000, etc.” It’s a very straightforward commercial thing once it exists.
And in some cases we might need subsidy, but it’s much easier to find a solution
if you deconstruct the problem into its component parts. And each component
part does not require millions and billions of expenditure. It’s a perfectly possible idea if you have the right enthusiasm, the right sense of quality, and the
132
right selectors. That’s one suggestion, and I would like to hear your views
about it.
The other one, which is related but quite separate: whereas the first idea focuses on the past as well as the present, and a whole arch of cultural contributions from the Islamic world, the second one should be completely up-to-date,
focused on youth, creative and literary. In other words, it should be a prize for
the best novel in Arabic, every year, every other year,
based on some of the very successful British, French,
“…the second
American, German prizes, like the Man Booker Prize
one should be
in the UK, which, if it’s well marketed with the help of
completely
a television panel – like Apostrophes in France, or the
up-to-date,
famous German literary conversation and British confocused
versation programs – could easily be done by Arab
on youth,
television. So, in other words, this suggestion would
creative and
be very modern, very up-to-date in allowing talent in
literary.”
the Arab world, in the Arab language, to find a marLord Weidenfeld
ket internationally. Speaking without any political
bias, as book publishers, we’re looking all the time for
brilliant new young writers. We don’t get much from the Arab world because,
as our friend just explained, there are certain hindrances, but it would be something really important because you would introduce young women and men to
writing, and suddenly they would have an international market. I am very confident that the talent is there. I get little snippets from time to time from seeing
books by men and women from the Arab world. There is thought, there’s passion, there’s despair: all of that which makes good literature. So these are the
two suggestions I’d like to throw into the pot, and I would be very interested to
hear your reaction.
Lüders: Mr. Klett, what is your reaction?
Klett: Well, I was enthusiastic about the suggestion when I first heard it,
because both are models that have worked on several occasions. There is a Polish library, for instance, in Germany. There is a Czech library under way now
in Germany. The same kind of bridge-building, only within a European context,
and I think these things really work. First, it means cooperation. That is very
important. On the Arab side, on the European or on the German side, we sit
together and work out something that sort of gives way to the future, and to
aspects of the future that are promising. I think the question is: Who should
cooperate? I mean, foundations are normally ready to help in these situations.
The Polish library has been heavily subsidized by the Robert Bosch Stiftung,
and as for the Czech library, I think it’s a similar thing. But they can’t do it forever. So it should, perhaps, begin with foundations, and then we should find
ways to establish a solid base in cooperating. This is a matter for further discussion. As for the award, for the prize for young writers, that is also very
promising. There is a small but very lively general publishing scene in some
Arab countries, so there are writers, interesting writers, and they could easily
133
The publishers’ debate at GTZ-Haus in Berlin. On the panel (from left): Michael Klett, Ibrahim El Moallem,
Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea and Michael Lüders (chair).
be stimulated by such an award. For both projects, I think it is very important
to have excellent press coverage. This would really be a tale to be told, both in
European countries and in the Arab world. Provided it has a successful start,
but I have no doubt that it would. I know that there are details to be worked
out and many problems to be solved, but I think we should consider this.
There is a third thing that I might suggest, because
we
had a little talk about it. We should also consider a
“We should
project
in the children’s area, because as you said, the
also consider a
children’s
book market is obviously growing at the
project in the
moment. There are interesting and high-quality books
children’s area,
coming out, so we should moot the idea of some kind
because … the
children’s book
of award or other incentive in this field. For instance,
market is obin France there is the Prix Goncourt, a very famous
viously growing
prize. Now there is a Prix Goncourt Jeunesse, a Prix
at the moment.”
Goncourt for the youngsters, in fact for children’s
Michael Klett
books. And of course nobody knows this among
adults, but in the children’s world and children’s papers, in little magazines that are bought by families and read by children, this
award is well-known, it has a fantastic, stimulating effect on the quality of children’s books and on the market for publishers, and there is growing press coverage in this field. So there is also a way of advancing this.
Lord Weidenfeld: I think the stages of how to do it and how to finance it
could be quite clear. The first stage is to find, say, a foundation, a person, it
134
doesn’t matter, to put up some seed money for a very limited purpose. The purpose would simply be – and this applies to all three ideas – to produce a
scheme, which means to get a list of editors, or selecting editors, to produce,
for instance, the idea of the first ten, twelve, twenty great classics, and then inspire either another foundation or the same foundation, or an individual or
group of individuals, to pay for the rest of it. I mean, there are international
companies that might be interested in it, there are individuals and there are
foundations. I agree with you, the classical foundations, like Ford and Viacom and Bosch, are not the
“I mean,
people for it. But you might find that an international
the financing
company or high-minded individual or group of indiis not unlimited.
viduals would do it. But you still need the help of othYou just want
er publishers, co-financing it as you go along, you see.
seed money to get
the thing going.
Suppose you have the prize-giving in one important
Then it goes
place in Cairo, and each publisher, each particular
by itself.”
group buys a table. I mean, the financing is not unlimited. You just want seed money to get the thing going.
Lord Weidenfeld
Then it goes by itself.
Lüders: Mr. Klett, I have one question regarding the German market. Regardless of all the enthusiasm that we share in this room about enhancing Arab
literature and other printing matters from the Arab world, do you really think
that the German audience, and the European audience in general, is interested
in reading Arab literature? We have had some smaller publishing houses very
committed to producing Arab translations, but when you look at the figures,
the amount of books they have sold, it is not really successful. I’m not sure
whether Klett publishing would want to take on these books, for good reasons.
What can one do in order to bridge the gap?
Klett: As far as I know – I have only been in publishing for 40 years – there
have been two efforts to start Arab libraries. One was in the seventies, and I
remember the interest in Arab literature wasn’t very high. These were classics,
really excellent Arab classics. But the interest in contemporary books was not
very high at that time. I tried to publish a few and they were all flops. There
was no interest whatsoever in Arab matters. There was another effort in the
late eighties by Beck Verlag in Munich. They brought the project up to five or
six titles and they stopped it because there was no interest to be found. It is difficult. But I think – and that is a brilliant idea by Lord Weidenfeld, in my view –
we need this sort of international effort. Every major European country with its
respective publishers will produce a series of, say, ten, fifteen, twenty titles within a certain time, and then we have international platforms like the Frankfurt
Book Fair, the London Book Fair. The book fairs are great marketplaces for debates and discussions and all kinds of things, to announce that now there is a
great cooperative effort between the Arab world and Europe. And this could get
an excellent press coverage which is important, because those small series of
Arab classics in the seventies and the eighties were by small publishers – well,
135
Beck Verlag is a large publisher, but they started at that time with a very modest literary line. Nobody cared for that. But if we make a real effort with a real
impact, I think there is an excellent chance of success. And we still have, of
course, the one Number One great classic, which is very near in my view to the
Bible, and that is the 1001 Arabian Nights. This features very prominently in
European culture.
Lüders: Mr. El Moallem, when we think about enhancing Arab literature in
Europe, is it not necessary for the Arabs to first think of how to enhance the
production of literature in the Arab world? I mean, for the time being, it’s very
difficult for a Tunisian publisher, for instance, to have his books sold in Egypt,
and vice versa. This has to do with copyright, state interference, censorship,
etc. Also, perhaps there is not such a strong interest in
Egypt as regards Tunisian literature, I don’t know. Do
“When we
you think there is any possibility of enhancing interthink about
Arab bookmaking in order to render Arabic literature
enhancing
more
popular in Europe or abroad?
Arab literature
in Europe, is it
not necessary
for the Arabs to
first think of how
to enhance the
production of
literature in the
Arab world?”
El Moallem: Now, this is a very difficult question
to answer, but I think that Arabic literature today is
flourishing. We have very talented and bright novelists
in the Arab countries. Of course, ahead of all of them
is Mr. Naguib Mahfouz. We have many novelists in
the Arab countries, but when you want to translate
into other languages, you have to choose the best of
them. Naguib Mahfouz’s books are very successful –
Michael Lüders
in Germany, in the States, in the UK. They have been
translated into about 32 languages. There’s also Amin Maalouf, and a lot of
other very successful writers and novelists. The most important thing is how to
choose and how to do your job as publisher, and this is not carried out properly. In the Arab countries, we have a problem: We don’t read enough. But at, for
example, the Cairo Book Fair, the Beirut Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi Book Fair,
even the Casablanca Book Fair, there isn’t any censorship. You can find all
books from all the Arab countries at the same time, and they are successful at
the Cairo Book Fair. The Arab book fairs differ a lot from the Frankfurt Book
Fair or the London Book Fair, because they are for the public, for the readers.
We sell books, our fairs are not for the professionals. The Cairo Book Fair has
a huge number of daily visitors, between 150 000 and 200 000. I think this is
the largest number of visitors at any book fair in the world. I was at the Peking
Book Fair last week, and it is not like the Cairo Book Fair. We suffer from censorship, but not in all Arab countries. But the situation is improving, slowly.
Now we have the internet, we have books on the internet, we have satellites,
we have all that, and we are struggling to end all kinds of censorship. In some
Arab countries now you can say that publishing is 95 percent free, and some
others are coming along.
136
Lüders: Lord Weidenfeld, when you look at the publishing business –
you’ve mentioned, for instance, the role of children’s books in terms of translation – and of course when you look at the conflicts in the region, like the Israeli-Arab conflict, do you believe it would make sense for Arabs and Israelis,
for Palestinians and Israelis, to come together and consider using common textbooks in schools to further mutual understanding?
Lord Weidenfeld: If you aim too high you get
“If you aim
nowhere. The time has not yet come to have common
too
high
you get
history books for any European countries, let alone
nowhere.
The
for Israelis and Arabs. It’s absolutely impossible, and
time has not yet
it will be another generation before it might be possicome to have
ble. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying there’ll
common history
never be peace. But you know, you can’t really get a
books for any
German-Polish, German-French, or Franco-English
European counhistory together – impossible! But the important thing
tries, let alone
is, and this is where the internet comes in, the intellifor Israelis and
gent mind reads the French, reads the German, reads
Arabs.”
the English, the Arabic, the Israeli histories, and arLord Weidenfeld
rives at his own conclusions. But you cannot impose a
conclusion. You cannot do it, least of all in these crucial times. And I’ve seen some of the finest ambitions fail and lead to a stark
pessimism because people overreached themselves. Having said that, there are
other ways of doing such things. For instance, why is Harry Potter, who is completely English middle class, now the best-selling franchise in China? Why was
a cartoon character called Joe Carioca* so famous, and everybody thought
about Brazil? Because they caught the imagination at a given time. You can’t
dictate it. But why shouldn’t there be a character, a little Arab child, a sweet
Arab child, and his adventures, that capture the imagination? So you can’t plan
these joint things. You’ve got to let them happen by themselves. But there are
certain steps you can take. The reason why I’m more optimistic about this Islamic library becoming a reality today than before is because, certainly in Europe and in America, for whatever motives, perhaps the wrong ones, governments are trying to find a way of explaining Islam to the public, saying there’s
a side of Islam which we don’t know sufficiently, we only talk about terrorism,
we only talk about Intifada, we only talk about the Israeli occupation, let’s talk
about the great, the wonderful aspects of Islam. You see, that is the way to do
it. And Mr. Blair has now set up a committee of 100 people. Davos has set up
another committee of 100 people called the C-100, the “Council of 100 Leaders”, which will include 20 leaders each from the fields of politics, religion,
business, media and opinion. The French also have a committee. It’s starting to
* José “Joe” Carioca first appeared 1943 in the Walt Disney movie Saludos Amigos. He was created as a part of
an American campaign to gain goodwill in Latin America. In 1945 José Carioca formed the trio “The Three
Caballeros” together with his good friends Panchito and Donald Duck. José Carioca has become very popular
in Brazil (editors’ note).
137
happen. Therefore, there may be more interest and more money, and, as we
have the money, some of us who will do it – and I’m not offering myself: on the
contrary, I’ll be sort of John the Baptist with this idea, but no more than that –
and that person or persons should approach the interested parties and get the
thing going. And I say this with a sense of realism, not in an airy-fairy way, I
think there’s a very good chance we’ll get the financial matters sorted out much
more easily than you think.
Lüders: Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to open the discussion to the
floor, so if you would like to make a comment or you have a question, please
feel free to grab a microphone from one of these two young people. Please raise
a hand and then we can go to you. Yes, please.
Question from the audience: Thank you. The main threat to books is
censorship, and you don’t expect all ideas to come through because books are
weapons of mass education. And that’s why it’s a threat. The question, especially to Dr. Ibrahim El Moallem, is: What have you done in terms of the new
technology of CDs? Are we going to still publish real books, or is there a general shift in the choice of products of the libraries? How are we going to deal
with the phenomenon of the computer? Thank you.
El Moallem: In fact, up to now, the paper book is
the book. E-books are not really popular or successful
around the world. But in Egypt, for example, we have
an initiative between the Egyptian Publishers Association and the Ministry of Communication. We are going to put about 1000 Egyptian and Arabic titles on
the net, and the Ministry of Communication will provide the funds to pay the copyright for the writers and
publishers. It will involve children’s books and classical Arabic books, getting new readers through the net
and through the new generation who use computers,
and for that they will pay a very small fee, so this is
Ibrahim El Moallem
the beginning. We are all talking about the e-book,
which is not a reality at present. And we are working
with Microsoft to develop a translator for the Arab language. We haven’t
achieved the final solutions yet, but we are trying.
“We are going to
put about 1000
Egyptian and
Arabic titles on
the net and the
Ministry of
Communication
will provide the
funds to pay the
copyright for the
writers and for
the publishers.”
Lüders: May I add a question, only to satisfy my own curiosity? Is there
anything in the Arab world going on regarding what you call “audio books”?
You know – somebody reads a text and people listen to it by earphone or by radio, something like that?
El Moallem: Yes. In some Arab countries, we used to have what was
known as a Kassahoun, a person who sat in cafés and read stories to people.
Usually this gentleman would physically play out the plot, and would stop at
138
Comment from the audience: Dr. Noha El Mikawy
the exciting points, so that his listeners would come the next day to know if
Antar had died in the desert or not. But that is disappearing anyway. We have
television and we have a “star academy” and a lot of other distinguished programs. But I think there have been some tryouts for “audio books” after the
German fashion. In fact, there was a tryout in the sixties with a plastic disc,
though I think it was not successful in the Arab countries, because we still have storytellers. And recently,
“I think we never
there has been a new experiment on Egyptian televidid and we never
sion: Every day we have about eight minutes of bedwill do that just
time stories for children – a famous young artist reads
to make money
a book and shows it to the children before they go to
out of the books.
It’s a cultural
bed, and encourages them to read the book later.
effort and, I think,
a work for posComment from the audience: First of all, I just
terity, not for
want to inform you that it’s right that the Robert Bosch
today’s
business.”
Stiftung is producing fifty books with the Polish library
Comment from the audience
and thirty-three books with the Czech library. We will
also publish twenty books in the Turkish library, in
conjunction with the Unions-Verlag in Zürich. But two points – first, what Mr.
Klett said is absolutely right. I think we never did and never will do that just to
make money out of the books. It’s a cultural effort and, I think, a work for posterity, not for today’s business. And the second point: it’s very difficult if you start
something like that – in all we gave more than one million euros to the Deutsche
Verlags-Anstalt for the Czech library and to the Suhrkamp Verlag for the Polish
139
library. But then it was very hard to motivate those publishing houses to market
the project, because it was already financed. So, if you do this Islamic library or
Arabic library, see that you make a better effort right from the start.
Question from the audience: I have two comments and one short question. Concerning the e-books: As far as I know – I’m a student of Islamic studies – it’s not possible to get Arabic books, not even Naguib Mahfouz, on CDs
in Germany. Concerning the translation of books – where are the translators? I
know from the university that there are no great incentives for good translators
to become specialists in this field, because you don’t earn enough money. If we
want to translate a book today, and we learn that there are no brilliant translators who can do the job, we have a delay of five years or so. There are great
translations into English, but the German translations don’t convey the feeling
that you get when you read the English translation or the Arabic original. So I
would like to ask you: do you see this problem too? Do you have problems getting translators?
Klett: May I answer this question? In general, it is always difficult to find
good translators, in any country. Germany is a little bit better off, because there
is a tradition, a culture of translating that goes back to the nineteenth century
and the time of Goethe who, for instance, said that the German language should
be the literary language of the world and every book in the world should be
translated into German. And everyone in the world who would like to read any
item of world literature should learn German in order to read it – you know, this
kind of thing. Those are very romantic ideas, but there
is, in fact, a culture of translating, although we as pub“The question
lishers still have difficulties. But we haven’t the same
of payment is
difficulties as, for instance, Americans have when they
always very
translate from German into English or from Portuguese
delicate because
into
American English. As for Arabic, I’m not so familthere is no way,
iar
with
the situation, but I know that there are still
with the excepArabic departments at German universities, so there is
tion of bestsellers,
that a translator
still training in the Arab language. And normally, a
really gets the
translator sort of shows up. The question of payment is
proper money
always very delicate because there is no way, with the
for his work.”
exception of bestsellers, that a translator really gets
Michael Klett
the money, the proper money for his work. That is a
fact. So there are institutions that help, that add to the
fee the publisher pays the translator; there are all kind of schemes to help a little.
But this is a fundamental problem. And when it comes to complicated matters,
to complicated languages, complicated cultures, there is not only the text that
has to be translated, there are also the cultural details behind the text that have
to be conveyed, which means a lot of work. Then, there must be some help
from an official body, from a country or a foundation or something like that.
The publishing house wouldn’t be able to pay that. But, as I said, in Germany
we have always found ways to translate, and I hope that will continue.
140
Comment from the audience: I actually had the opportunity to translate
many books from German into Arabic, so I’m aware of the problems which
occur during translation. Concerning the question of translating German or
English or French into Arabic, I think you don’t need a translator, you need a
very good Arabic writer. Arabic translators should be very good at Arabic, and
this is what we lack in many Arab countries. It is easier for us to translate from
Arabic into foreign languages than from English or
German or French into Arabic. Because whenever you
“In my opinread it as an Arabic translator, you can’t feel that you
ion, reading
are reading an Arabic text. That’s why there is a big
is as important
gap between the Arabic readers and the translated
as education,
as medicine,
books. This is one problem. The other one is actually
even
as food.
the question of poverty, of awareness, and the capabilBecause
we
ity to translate and to read these published books. For
have
to
learn
example, I have translated more often for Saudi pubfrom the cradle
lishers than for Syrian publishers. Why? Because the
to the grave.”
Saudis were paying a lot of money. But in Syria I was
very poorly paid. One should know that this is an absolutely crucial question.
So we have other priorities in the Arab countries nowadays, such as security,
food, health, education. That’s why people think reading might be a secondary concern. And this is absolutely wrong! In my opinion, reading is as important as education, as medicine, even as food. Because we have to learn
from the cradle to the grave. But we are not following this rule. I think that, in
future cooperation with German institutions, we should learn more about
management, translation, publishing and marketing because, at the moment,
the highest print run of books, for example, is 3000 copies, which is very low.
We have to learn how to find readers – and how to read. When I see people in
Germany going to work in the morning they take a book, open it and read it on
the way. This is something we have to learn. We have to learn how to read in
each and every situation of life. And that’s one thing we have learned in Germany. Thank you.
Lüders: Thank you very much. Just a minor thing – several times in this
first phase of the debate, book fairs have been mentioned. Well, some eleven
months ago, I think, there was a rather important book fair in Frankfurt, dealing with the Arab world and its culture. Ibrahim El Moallem, how would you
assess the role and the impact of that book fair, especially on the Egyptian book
market and the translation market?
El Moallem: It was a very big challenge for us, and we have to mention
Dr. Mongi Bousnina, because he was coordinator of our participation here,
and in fact, during the Frankfurt Book Fair. This was the first event in the recent history of Arab culture at which we had a unified approach to cultural
work. So it was very useful, not only in Egypt, but for all of us, because we were
representing culture from twenty-two different, independent countries. And we
141
Conversations during the evening event of the 10 th Trialogue Conference
had to fit this into four days. So it was a very important event, and I think a
successful one. I believe that the number of translations from Arabic into German, and not only Egyptian books, increased even four months before the fair
started. During that book fair many of us for the first
time got the opportunity to learn how to market our
“We are now
books. And we have started some deals to sell copydeveloping the
right not only to German publishers, but to Korea, to
Cairo Book Fair,
China, to Indonesia, to Malaysia, to America. In fact,
we are changing
it is much more difficult to sell to the Europeans than
the way we used
to manage it, and
the rest of the world. We are now developing the
we are starting
Cairo Book Fair, we are changing the way we used to
to cooperate with
manage it, and we are starting to cooperate with the
the Frankfurt
Frankfurt Book Fair. In January 2006, for the first
Book Fair.”
time, we shall have a guest – and it will be Germany.
Ibrahim El Moallem
Lüders: So cooperation seems to work. I mean, in
Germany the Frankfurt Book Fair has another country as a guest every year,
but in this case, a real cooperation develops, so that you in Cairo can develop
your book fair according to the Germans’ experience. Yes, please.
Comment from the audience: I want to speak about the gap between the
Jewish, Christian and Muslim worlds. When I was in Japan and China, I immediately felt that we, together with Europe, make up one and the same civilization. The Arab civilization, the Muslim civilization, is a subdivision of the com142
mon civilization. In ancient times the Greek and the Roman influences on our
civilization were great, and before that, there was an Egyptian influence. And
later on, when Islam came along, its impact was there at Bristol University, and
elsewhere in Europe, where the best Arab professors were teaching. That’s
what we’d like to see in your books and publications – a fair treatment of our
civilization. They only describe the Western civilization as such, which is not
fair, because we have a great share in the current situation. And it’s a mistake,
because the result is a big gap between us. You should not exclude us from this
civilization, which should be called Jewish-Christian-Islamic. Thank you.
Comment from the audience: We generally look at publishers as books
merchants, simply because a publishing house is a business that should be economically viable. It’s not a charity. Generally speaking, the problem is that
publishers follow the big names, the famous writers. You know that, too.
Those writers are sellable. Unfortunately, you cannot be famous unless you are
published and translated. Also, we lack young writers.
Young talents. They should be given due attention,
“In Britain, for
due consideration. A bigger share of your money for
example, you
young authors, please. Thank you very much.
can very easily
get hold of any
Klett: Just two quick comments, one on each side
Islamic text
of the Mediterranean. I think in terms of commercial
but you cannot
judgment, one is perhaps being too pessimistic about
obtain examples
of the widethe Arab side. If there is an Arab population of three
ranging
secular
hundred million, and if, pessimistically, only ten perdebate
that is
cent read books, there is still a market of thirty milgoing
on
in the
lion. The problem to me seems not to be the size of the
Arab
World
at
market, but the question of distribution and marketing
the moment.”
across the non-existent Arab common market. Now
Michael Klett
this is not just a commercial or a publishing question,
it’s a market question across the Arab World. On this
side, I would like to go back to Lord Weidenfeld’s proposal. Of course you can
make cases, and they are all justified, about publishing series and about translations. There is an enormous interest in Western Europe and North America in
Islamic topics – University Press, at the moment, are starting a series of fifty
translations, fifty classical Arabic-Islamic texts for publication. But you also
have a situation where the general public is interested in what is going on in the
Islamic World. There is a market. In addition, there’s growing academic interest, and we need texts for students. It cannot be right that students who are
interested in the Arabic-Islamic World have to learn Arabic before they can
study it. There is a market for texts translated into the main European languages for university students. And – this may sound patronizing, I know, but
in my view it’s a major problem – as long as the distribution of Islamic texts for
the Muslim communities in Europe is left in the hands of the ideological religious movements, there will be a whole range of topics, in particular the ArabIslamic debate, which is withheld from our young Muslims. In Britain, for ex143
ample, you can very easily get hold of any Islamic text, but you cannot obtain
examples of the wide-ranging secular debate that is going on in the Arab World
at the moment. The only way they can be made available to our young nonArabic-reading Muslims – and that includes young French Arabs, because most
of them no longer read Arabic – is through a route like this. Thank you.
Comment from the audience: I’d like to make a comment on politicization. We cannot avoid the fact that we are dealing with a world where the phenomenon of globalization makes people either vote for it or against it. You cannot live in this world and be indifferent to globalization. Particularly as Arabs,
we cannot be indifferent to it. And that’s were the politicization comes in. I
agree with you completely, Lord Weidenfeld, that there is an interest in Islam
and that we should capitalize on it. However, if you do that, you are getting
yourself into a very heated, soul-searching debate among Muslims themselves,
about who they are, with whom they deal, with whom they don’t deal, by what
means, about what books to read and which verses of the Koran to quote. I
don’t know how you can get out of this mess and select a number of books without politicizing the en“We have to
deavor. That’s why I would caution you not to be too
look at popular
opportunistic, although I think from a business point
culture and not
of view you are absolutely right. But let’s not delude
just written culourselves
about the fact that there are millions of peoture. The idea of
ple
out
there
who cannot be indifferent to your enaudio books can
deavor if you touch the Muslim heart. Let me take you
get you into the
heart of each and
back and ask: why not be opportunistic and capitalize
every person in
on the fact that most of the people who committed the
the mountains
September 11th attacks supposedly are Arabs as well
of Lebanon, the
as Muslims? That means we need to know more about
middle Atlas and
these Arabs! There are so many people out there who
the vast cotton
need to know more about Arabs, just as they need to
and wheat fields
know more about Islam. So I can reverse the argument
of Egypt.”
and say: this is the moment to know more about
Arabs. Get away from this Islam thing! Why do I
think it’s important to focus on the Arab dimension
of your excellent ideas and not the Islamic dimension? Because those Arabs
inhabit the backyard of Europe, and they are in deep trouble. There is a lot to
do about this little lake called the Mediterranean, and I think your endeavor
would be a lot less politicized if you took it in the Arab direction rather than
the Muslim direction.
I’d like to add one more thing, if you allow me. We have to look at popular
culture and not just written culture. The idea of audio books can get you into
the heart of each and every person in the mountains of Lebanon, the middle Atlas and the vast cotton and wheat fields of Egypt. I think we should take advantage of the power of radio, which used to be an extremely influential medium back in the fifties and sixties, long before Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. Let’s
have popular guys work through the power of the spoken word, and do the
144
same thing with commuters from Hannover to Berlin, Lille to Paris, Manchester to London. They’re sitting there with their headsets on. Let them hear Arabic works in their own language. They don’t necessarily have to read them.
Comment from the audience: Just two remarks
“On both sides,
concerning audio books: We just produced an edition
knowledge about
of Michael Ende’s Momo in Arabic at our Goethe Ineach other’s
stitut in Damascus. It appeared a month ago and we
literature ends
will see how it works so we can share this experience.
in the seventies.
The second thing is that, on both sides, knowledge
In the Arab world
about each other’s literature ends in the seventies. In
only Günther
Grass
is known,
the Arab world only Günter Grass is known, in the
in
the
West it’s
West it’s only Naguib Mahfouz, and after that there’s
only
Naguib
a big black hole which I think is very difficult for
Mahfouz.”
publishers to fill, because you cannot earn a lot of
money with these very new voices from the Arab
world. We started a project on the internet last year
called “Midad”: we are introducing seventy young Arabic authors along with
biographies and short text samples, and interestingly, the number of people
who use this site is growing and growing. It’s still on a very low level but the
German audience is using this introduction of young Arabic writers a lot so
there is an interest in the subject. I think it will be difficult to make this profitable in publishing terms – but it is very important not to forget those young
Arabic writers. Thank you.
Lüders: All good things come to an end. Thank you very much, ladies and
gentlemen, thank you for your participation and your patience. I think it was a
very lively discussion tonight. I’m grateful especially for Lord Weidenfeld’s remarks, since the organizers of this conference are not interested in developing
new theories, but rather in very concrete approaches to improving GermanArab relations in the field of education, and I think the proposals that you have
made, Lord Weidenfeld, will give us enough food for thought. Maybe one day
we will indeed have a “Mahfouz Prize”, which could be helpful in terms of enhancing Arabic literature. J
145
“Life and
the experience
of life are the
ever-fresh sources
of understanding
the historical and
social world;
emanating from life,
understanding
penetrates
ever greater
depths.”
Wilhem Dilthey (1833–1911)
“Der Aufbau der geschichtlichen Welt
in den Geisteswissenschaften”
References
How International Cooperation in Education and Intercultural Dialogue
Can Lead to an Efficient Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
p. 24 et seq.
Assia Benssalah Alaoui
There are a considerable number of works on these subjects. The following are only the titles
which have been quoted.
ALECSO, Le dialogue entre la culture arabe et les autres cultures, Tunis 1999.
ALECSO, Action Plan 2005–2010, Tunis, March 2005.
Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/euromed/euromed_foundation/index.htm
Bensalah Alaoui, Assia, “Dialogue between Peoples and Cultures for a Revisited Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership”, in Bo Huldt et al., A Wider Middle East, Strategic Yearbook 2005, ed. Swedish National
Defence College, Stockholm 2005, p. 83–98.
Bousnina, Mongi, Fenêtres sur l’avenir: réflexions sur le dialogue des civilisations, la diversité culturelle et les
défis de l’éducation au XXIème siècle, ed. ALECSO, Tunis 2005.
Ebeid, Hanae, The Partnership in Southern Eyes: Reflections on the Discourse in the Egyptian Press,
(EuroMescoPaper 37), ed. EuroMesco Secretariat at the IEEI, Lisbon, October 2004.
European Commission, Dialogue between Peoples and Cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean Area, Report by
the High-Level Advisory Group Established at the Initiative of the President of the European Commission, ed.
European Commission Group of Policy Advisors, Office for Publications of the European Communities,
Luxembourg 2004. Available at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/euromed/publication/euromed_report68_en.pdf
European Commission: European Neighbourhood Policy: Orientation Document, Brussels, 12.5.2004, COM
(2004) 373 final.
European Commission: Intercultural Dialogue, Directorate General for Education and Culture, Jean Monet
Project, Brussels, 20-21 March 2002, Brussels 2003.
European Commission: Tenth Anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, A Work Programme to
Meet the Challenges of the Next Five Years, Brussels, 12.4.2005, COM (2005) 139 final.
European Union, Conclusions of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
Luxembourg, 30–31 May 2005.
Holden, Patrick, “Partnership Lost? The EU’s Mediterranean Aid Programmes”, in Mediterranean Politics,
vol.10, no. 1, March 2005, pp. 19–37.
Institut du Monde Arabe, Du Dialogue culturel euro-arabe: Exigences et perspectives, Conférence pour le dialogue des cultures, Paris, 15–16 Juillet 2002, ed. ALECSO, Tunis 2003.
L’Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri) (ed.), “Le partenariat Euro-Méditerranéen, dix ans après”,
in Politique étrangère no. 3/2005, Autumn 2005, pp. 523–558.
Pace, Michelle, “The Impact of European Union Involvement in Civil Society Structures in the Southern
Mediterranean”, in Mediterranean Politics, vol. 10, no. 2, July 2005, pp. 239–244.
148
References
Pace, Michelle/Schumacher, T., “Culture and Community in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: A Roundtable on the Third Basket”, Alexandria, 5–7 October 2003, in Mediterranean Politics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 122–126.
Toledo, José-Manuel (ed.), Mediterraneo: Puentes para una nueva vecindad, Fundacion Tres Culturas del
Mediterraneo, Sevilla 2005.
UNDP and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Human Development Report: Building a
Knowledge Society, UN Publications, New York, USA, 2003. The first edition of the Report (2002), Creating
Opportunities for Future Generations, should be consulted for a broader view on the Arab States.
UNESCO, New Ignorances, New Literacies – Learning to Live in a Globalizing World, Universal Forum for
Cultures, Barcelona 2004, 6–8 September 2004, Paris 2004.
UNESCO, Education in a Multilingual World, Education Position Paper, Paris 2003.
German-Arab Cooperation in Education and Science and the
Intercultural Dialogue – an Arab Perspective
p. 112 et seq.
Ala Al-Hamarneh
Cassarino, Jean-Pierre, Theorising Return Migration: a Revisited Conceptual Approach to Return Migrants,
EUI Working Papers, RSCAS no. 2004/02, Florence 2004.
Escher, Anton, “Arabische Welt, Islamische Welt oder Orient? Ein Plädoyer für ‘Arabische Welt’ und
‘Islamische Welt’ gegen ‘Orient’”, in Praxis Geographie, vol. 35, no. 3, 2005, pp. 4–11.
Fischer, Josef, Rede auf der XL. Münchner Konferenz für Sicherheitspolitik, 7.2.2004 (www.securityconference.de).
Herzinger, Richard: “Siamesische Zwillinge”, in Internationale Politik, no. 6, June 2003, ed. Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, pp. 1–8.
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims in the
EU – Developments since September 11: Report by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights,
Vienna 2005 (www.ihf-hr.org).
Lüders, Michael: “Wir hungern nach dem Tod”, Berlin 2001.
Messner, Dirk/Scholz, Imme (eds.), Zukunftsfragen der Entwicklungspolitik, Baden-Baden 2005.
Patten, Chris, “Arme Staaten, Terrorhöhlen”, in Die Zeit, no. 14/2002. Available at
www.zeit.de/2002/14/200214_arme_staaten__te_xml?page=all
Perthes, Volker, Geheime Gärten: die neue arabische Welt, Schriftreihe der Bundeszentrale für politische
Bildung, vol. 477, Munich 2005.
Rademacher, Franz Josef, Balance oder Zerstörung – Ökosoziale Marktwirtschaft als Schlüssel zu einer weltweiten nachhaltigen Entwicklung, Vienna 2004.
Rudolph, Ekkehard (ed.), Bestandsaufnahme: Kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung über die muslimische Welt in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Hamburg 1999.
Rudolph, Ekkehard, “Islam und Wissenschaft”, in Deutschland. Forum für Politik, Kultur, Wirtschaft und
Wissenschaft, no. 2/2002, ed. Bundespresseamt, pp. 58–61.
Senatsverwaltung für Inneres, Abteilung Verfassungsschutz, Islamismus – Diskussion eines vielschichtigen
Phänomens, Studienreihe “Im Fokus”, Berlin 2005.
149
Bibliographical Note
Nils Warner
Persson, Angelika/Schmidt-Dumont, Marianne,
Bildung in den arabischen Ländern. Eine Auswahlbibliographie,
ed. Deutsches Übersee-Institut, Hamburg 2005. ISBN 3-937393-01-3
Anyone interested in further reading on the issue of “Perspectives on
Cooperation in Education and Scholarship between Germany and the Arab
World”, first of all, is met by the challenge of gaining a general view of an
extraordinarily complex subject area. The history and status of the political,
economic and cultural relations between Germany and the Arab world, in
addition to the official and private commitment of German participants with
regard to that region, play as important a role as the intricate and, from country to country, extremely dissimilar sociopolitical basic conditions in the Arab
states themselves.
A well structured and topical synopsis is offered by Bildung in den arabischen Ländern. Eine Auswahlbibliographie by Angelika Persson and Marianne
Schmidt-Dumont, published in 2005 by Übersee-Dokumentation (DOK, Overseas Documentation) of Deutsches Übersee-Institut (DÜI, German Overseas
Institute), Hamburg.
In his introduction “Die Vision einer Wissensgesellschaft im Vorderen
Orient – Eine Herausforderung auch für Deutschlands Rolle als Zivilmacht
im internationalen System”, Dr. Martin Beck, Middle East consultant at
Deutsches Orient-Institut (DOI, German Institute for Middle East Studies) in
Hamburg, argues for the creation of a comprehensive, dynamic and innovative education system in the Arab world, and demands, above all, that scholarly exchange and the support of junior academics be intensified in Oriental
societies. Subsequently, there are references to nearly 500 contributions in
English, French, Arabic and German, which are – according to the regions
and states of the Arab world – divided into professional focal points such as
training, education, science, society, religion, foreign policy and international
relations. All entries are supplied with a keyword outline of the subjects dealt
with and/or a brief summary, as well as details on the period of time in question and on the location in libraries. In addition to the main Arab Human
Development Report 2003: Building a Knowledge Society, I want to highlight
here the following contributions indicated in the bibliography, which are devoted to the subject from a German point of view:
150
Bibliographical Note
United Nations Development Programme and Arab Fund for Economic and Social
Development, Arab Human Development Report 2003: Building a Knowledge Society,
New York, USA, 2003.
Arras, Ulrike, “Germanistik an der Universität Al-Azhar in Kairo”, in Informationen
Deutsch als Fremdsprache, vol. 28, no, 1, February 2001, pp. 42–50.
Braune, Ines, “Beispiel Marokko” in INAMO, vol. 9, no. 36, Winter 2003, pp. 24–26.
Burkhard, Helmut, “Im Dienste des Dialogs der Kulturen: Als Musikexperten in Arabien”,
in Der deutsche Lehrer im Ausland, vol. 51, no. 3, August 2004, pp. 185–191.
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (ed.), Euro-Islamischer Dialog, Bonn 2002.
Hanelt, Christian-Peter/Asbeck, Richard, “Eine Publikumsbibliothek in Ägypten für Ägypter. Eine Modellbibliothek in Kairo, ein Projektbericht der Bertelsmann-Stiftung”, in
Konrad Schliephake (ed.), Die Beziehungen zwischen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
und der Arabischen Republik Ägypten, Würzburg 2002, pp. 65–70.
Hottinger, Arnold, “Das zweigeteilte Wissen: Islamische und weltliche Hochschulen in der
Islamischen Welt”, in Der Überblick, vol. 39, no. 1, March 2003, pp. 6–8.
“100 Jahre DSB Kairo”, in Der deutsche Lehrer im Ausland, vol. 51, no. 1, February 2004,
pp. 13–64.
Keller, Ursula, “Jemen: Dorfschulen in der Sackgasse”, in: DED-Brief. Zeitschrift des
Deutschen Entwicklungsdienstes, no. 1/2000, pp. 29–30.
Nebel, Sonja, “Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in Lehre und Forschung. Erfahrungen deutschsyrischer Hochschulkooperation im Bereich Stadtentwicklung und Architektur”, in
Informationen zur Raumentwicklung, no. 4/5, 2001, pp. 219–226.
Nienhaus, Volker, “Der 1. Arab Human Development Report: Zielsetzung und Ergebnisse in
Nahost”, in Nahost-Jahrbuch 2002, ed. Deutsches Orient-Institut, Opladen 2002, pp.
220–225.
Otto, Ingeborg, Frauen in den arabischen Ländern. Eine Auswahlbibliographie, ed.
Deutsches Übersee-Institut, Hamburg 2000.
Reinermann, Lothar, “Die Außenstellen des DAAD in London und Kairo”, in Peter Alter
(ed.), Der DAAD in der Zeit, Bonn 2000, pp. 164–195.
Weiss, Dieter, “Wege zu einer arabischen Wissensgemeinschaft”, in Orient, vol. 45, no. 1,
March 2004, pp. 75–90.
151
Participants
Short biographies
of participants
Source: participants, reviewed by the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung, as of February 2006
Mrs. Awad-Gladewitz is a social anthropologist and a specialist for education and educational programmes. She has
been working with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) since 1996 and was programme leader
of the Basic Education Improvement Programme in the Ministry of Education, Sana’a, Republic of Yemen. Since January
2006, she has been working as an education expert at GTZ
headquarters in Eschborn, Germany.
Husni Ayesh
was born in 1935 in Kufrellabad in the West Bank, Palestine.
He received a diploma in educational planning from the
UNESCO Regional Center in Beirut in 1967. 1967–1970:
head of Educational Planning at the Ministry of Education in
Jordan. Subsequently he studied in the United States, receiving a Master’s degree from Michigan State University in 1971.
1972–1975: director of UNRWA/UNSCO Amman Teacher Training and Vocational Training College. 1978–1990: general manager of two sister companies in the medical and educational supplies industries. 1989–1993:
senator in the Jordan Senate. He has also been a member of several boards and
committees: since 1980 he has sat on the Board of Trustees of Prince’s Trust
Community College and Arab Community College; in 1990 he became a member of the Royal National Charter Committee, and in 1993, of The Royal Committee for Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights; from 1992 to 2000, he was
a member of the Jordan Board of Education; and from 2003 to 2004, he sat
on the Board of Trustees of the Jordan National Center for Human Rights. Author of several books on education and politics, including Students and Youth:
Promises and Challenges, and Survival in a Changing World.
152
Biographies
Martin Beck
was born in 1962 in Tübingen, Germany. 1983–1989: studied
political science and German literature; received a doctorate
in international oil politics in 1994, and in 2001 completed
his postdoctoral lecture qualification (Habilitation) on the
Arab-Israeli conflict. 1990–2000: research associate at the
Institute of Political Science at Tübingen University. 1994:
visiting professor in Denver, Colorado, USA. 2001–2003:
visiting professor at Birzeit University, Palestine, and representative of the
Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD). Since 2004, consultant for
the Middle East at Deutsches Orient-Institut (DOI). He has published extensively on politics and the Middle East, and particularly the Arab-Israeli conflict; his most recent article, “Prospects and Problems of External Democracy
Promotion in the Middle East from a Social Science Perspective”, was printed
in Orient, February 2005.
Christoph Beier
is Director General, Mediterranean Region, Europe and
Central Asian Countries, at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH. He graduated from
the University of Munich with a diploma in geography. Between 1989 and 1991, he worked as project leader for industrial development at Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung
in Saarbrücken and as EC Advisor at the Saarland Ministry
of Economics. He then took up a position as research officer at the Chair of
Economic and Social Geography at the Ruhr-University Bochum, where he received his Ph.D. after having worked as Government Advisor at the Indonesian
Ministry of the Interior between 1996 and 1998. He joined GTZ in 2000 as
Director General, Planning and Development Department, before moving to
his current position in 2003.
is Professor of Public Law, International Economic Law and
Director of Strategic Studies at Mohammed V University,
Morocco. Her Ph.D. thesis on The Concept of World Food
Security and International Law was awarded the prize of
best thesis at Paris II Pantheon University. Mrs. Alaoui is
Vice-President of the Mediterranean Charter, Madrid, Spain;
Associate Member of the Club of Rome; member of the Board
of Trustees of the Bibliotheca Alexandria, Egypt; and member of the International Consultative Group on the Middle East (Centre for Strategic and International Studies), Washington D.C., USA. She is a co-chair of the High Level
Advisory Group on The Dialogue between Peoples and Cultures in the Euro-
153
Participants
Mediterranean Area which was created in October 2002 by Romano Prodi, the
then EU President. She has published many valuable contributions on issues of
food security, the European Union, Morocco and the Arab world, conflict prevention, women’s status in Moroccan society, and demography and migration.
Sven Olaf Berggötz
was born in Karlsruhe in 1965. 1987–1993: studied politics, history, public law and music at Freiburg im Breisgau,
Oxford (Trinity College) and Bonn, and obtained a doctorate.
1997–1998: research assistant at Institut für Zeitgeschichte
(IfZ), edited Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. 1998–2003: academic assistant for
Bonn University’s “North American Studies Program”
(NAP). 2003–2004: research officer at Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung. Since 2004,
director, corporate office, New York City, ALTANA AG.
Mongi Bousnina
was born in 1944 in Tunis, Tunisia. He completed his higher
education at the University of Tunis, the University of Sorbonne (Paris), and the Alumni of the Higher Institute of
Teachers’ Training, Saint-Cloud (Paris), obtaining a B.A. in
General Literature Studies, a doctorate in Third Cycle Human Geography, and a Ph.D. in Arts and Human Resources,
respectively. He has held numerous positions in ministerial
and diplomatic capacities: Minister of Culture; State Minister of Education;
Tunisian Ambassador to Morocco; Tunisian Ambassador to France; as well as
Permanent Undersecretary of several ministries: Ministry of Education; Ministry of Higher Education; Ministry of Culture; and Ministry of Communication. He has written extensively on his academic fields of expertise – economic
and human geography, as well as educational planning – and his studies and research projects have been published in journals of economic geography, communication, culture, education and training. He has also received several
awards and medals for his outstanding service, including the First Class Order
of the Republic, and the Honorary Medal granted by the Federation of Arab
Historians. Currently, Dr. Bousnina is Director General of the Arab League Education Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
154
Biographies
Johannes Ebert
was born in Ulm in 1963, and obtained his M.A. in Islamic
Studies and Political Science from the Universities of Freiburg and Damascus. After that, he received journalistic training in Heilbronn. Since 1993 he has been working for the
Goethe Institut in various parts of the world, such as Munich,
Abidjan, Riga and Kiev. Since March 2002, he has been Director of the Goethe-Institut Kairo/Alexandria, and Regional
Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Elsayed Mohammad Elshahed
was born 1945 in Cairo. He studied at the Ain-Shams University, Cairo, and obtained his Licence in Philosophy, Psychology und Sociology. In 1978 he obtained a Master’s in
Islamic Sciences, and later a Ph.D. in Islamic Sciences.
1983–1984: research fellow at the Institute for History and
Arabic Islamic Science. 1984–1991: Assistant and Associate
Professor for Islamic Culture at the Shari’a Faculty of the
Ibn Saud University in Riyadh. 1991–1995: Head of Department of Middle
Eastern Studies at the Ibn Saud University. 1995–1997: Visiting Professor at
the Al-Azhar University, Cairo. Besides his position as Professor for Islamic
Sciences at the Al-Azhar University, Mr. Elshahed is Director of the Islamische
Religionspädagogische Akademie (IRPA) in Vienna and Visiting Professor of
Islamic Didactics at the University Osnabrück, and teaches Islamic Philosophy
at the University of Vienna. He is a member of the Islamic Supreme Council in
Cairo, and since 1987, has been advisor for the Egyptian Minister for Religious
Affairs. Mr. Elshahed has published and translated numerous books on Islamic
philosophy, theology, Qur’an exegesis and inter-religious dialogue between
Germany and the Arab world.
Waheeba Ghalib Faree
was born 1954 in Yemen. She is Rector and Professor of
Education of the Queen Arwa University, Sana’a. Mrs. Faree
speaks Arabic, English, and French, and has worked for
Yemen International Language Institute. She taught educational planning and development, sociology and philosophy
of education at Sana’a University. 2001, she was Minister for
Human Rights. Mrs. Faree is an active member and advisor
for many worldwide organisations and the Arab countries at the Arab Curricula Association, Arab Education Union, World Council of Curriculum and
Instruction. She is a women’s rights activist, and has created and led various
Yemeni women’s initiatives and programmes.
155
Participants
Sherine Ghonheim
Mrs. Ghoneim is Director of the Global Development Network office in Cairo. The GDN is an ever-expanding global
association of research and policy institutes in the social sciences, working to address problems of international and regional development. The GDN’s approach to policy-relevant
research is multidisciplinary, generating knowledge based on
a variety of methodological approaches. Its capacity-building
activities include regional research competitions, development research awards,
global research projects, annual development conferences, and an online library
of development research.
Antje Gunsenheimer
Mrs. Gunsenheimer received her doctorate in ethnology
from the University of Bonn. Since March 2002, she has
been a research officer at the VolkswagenStiftung. Among
her duties there, she is involved in the funding initiative
“Knowledge for Tomorrow – Cooperative Research Projects
in Sub-Saharan Africa”.
Alexander Haridi
was born in 1967. He studied at the Universities of Bonn,
Hamburg, Cairo and Tunis, and received a B.A. and M.A. in
Middle Eastern History and Law and the Diplome d’études
approfondies at Science Po (Paris) in Political Science. From
1998 to 1999 he worked for the Dutch NGO, Euro-Arab
Dialogue from Below, in Rabat. From 1999 to 2005, he was
Director of the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
(DAAD) office in Cairo. Since 2005, Mr. Haridi has been head of section for Marketing, Information about Study and Research at the DAAD head office, Bonn.
Mohammad Jabir Ali
is Vice President of the Alnahrain University in Baghdad,
Iraq, as well as Assistant Professor (Candidate for Professorship) in its Education Department. He received a B.A. in Education and Psychology from the University of Baghdad in
1968, and an M.S. in International Education/Social Foundations of Education at the University of Southern California, USA, in 1979. In 1982, he obtained a doctorate in Educational Policy Planning and Administration from the University of Maryland,
USA. He has extensive experience of teaching and lecturing in the fields of ed-
156
Biographies
ucation and psychology at several institutions in Iraq, including the Ministry of
Education (1969–1972), Salahaddin University in Erbil (1983), Almustansiriyya
University (1994–1995), the College of Fine Arts (1995–1996), and the University of Technology (1995–1998). He has also worked as a Specialist at the
National Center for Consultancy and Management Development (1985–1987);
as Head of the Educational Courses Department (SDC) of the Foundation of
Technical Institutions (1990–1994); as an expert for the Arab Federation for
Technical Education (AFTE) (1996–1999); and as Director of the Staff Development Center (SDC) (1999–2003). He received several awards for outstanding
achievement, including the first “Professor of the Year” award from the Ministry of Higher Education in Iraq in 2000. Assistant Professor Dr. Mohammad
Jabir Ali is also a member of several scientific and professional organisations,
including the Iraqi Organization of Psychology and Education Sciences, and
the Iraqi Economists Organization.
was born in Kassel in 1962. Studied history and Romance
languages in Graz, Freiburg and Madrid from 1983 to 1991,
obtaining a doctorate. His most recent position was head of
the educational programme at the ZEIT-Stiftung in Hamburg and, at the same time, general manager of Deutsche
Nationalstiftung in Weimar. Previously, he had been assistant to Prof. Berthold Beitz at the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen
und Halbach-Stiftung, subsequently working as manager of the project
“Weimar – Cultural Capital of Europe 1999” with the prime minister of
Thuringia, Dr. Bernhard Vogel. Since April 1, 2004, Albrecht von Kalnein has
been an executive board member of the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung.
George Khalil
was born in Munich. He is Coordinator of the Working
Group Islam and Modernity at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu
Berlin (Institute for Advanced Study). Since 2004, he has
been a member of the Advisory Board for the Arab books
project of the Next Page Foundation in Bucharest. Mr. Khalil
studied History, Islamic Studies, and Political Science at the
University of Hamburg and at the American University in
Cairo. He has been a fellow of the Robert Bosch Stiftung’s “Stiftungskolleg
für Internationale Aufgaben”, and obtained a postgraduate degree in European
Integration and International Economic Relations from Europa-Kolleg Hamburg, Institut für Integrationsforschung.
157
Participants
Michael Klett
was born in Stuttgart in 1938. University entrance qualification (Abitur), military service, publishing traineeship, training as an actor, then studied German and philosophy. Gathered experience at publishing houses abroad (USA, England).
1965, joined Ernst Klett Verlag. Since 1973, member of the
executive board (managing partner), from 1989 member of
the holding company of the newly reorganised Klett Group;
from 1996, chairman of the management board of Ernst Klett Aktiengesellschaft. He has been active on an honorary basis at cultural institutions and
foundations in Germany and elsewhere, especially in connection with FrancoGerman relations. Since 1986, Swedish honorary consul. 1994–1999: member
of Stuttgart regional parliament. Since 1999, Dr. phil. h.c. University of Würzburg, visiting professor at St. Kliment Ohridski University, Sofia. Member of
the Board of Counsellors of the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung.
Ulrike Knotz
Mrs. Knotz studied in Munich German, History and Political Studies with a focus on Arabic history and Arabic language. After her exams and teaching qualification she entered the Foreign Federal Office in 1983 and was posted in
Madrid, Bratislava, Den Haag, Algiers but also in the Cultural Department and Department for European issues in
Berlin. Since August 2005, Mrs. Knotz has been head of the
task force for the “Dialogue with the Islamic World”, Berlin.
Sybille Krummacher
is a scientific staff member of Forschungszentrum Jülich
(FZJ), Germany, which operates the section of the International Bureau of the Bundesministerium für Bildung und
Forschung (BMBF) responsible for Africa and the Near East.
Born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. High School in Frankfurt, Germany and exchange student in USA. B.Sc. from the
American University of Beirut, Lebanon, diploma and Ph.D.
from University of Freiburg, Germany. More than 20 years of basic research in
physics in international and interdisciplinary surroundings. Study and research
periods in France, USA and Lebanon. Activities in promotion of women in science and gender issues.
158
Biographies
Michael Lüders
was born in Bremen in 1959, studied Arabic Literature in
Damascus, Islamic and political sciences, and mass communications in Berlin. After receiving his Ph.D., he was Director of Documentaries for the TV channels SWR and WDR
and journalist of the German weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT.
Currently, he works as a political and economic advisor,
journalist and author in Berlin.
Noha El-Mikawy
was born in Egypt 1960, and is currently Policy Advisor for
Governance Institutions at the United Nations Development
Programme’s Sub-Regional Resource Facility for Arab States
(UNDP SURF-AS) based in Beirut. Dr. El-Mikawy has participated in a wide range of programmes and projects. Four years
ago, she joined the Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung (ZEF)
of Bonn University as a senior research fellow and coordinator for a project which targets lawmaking processes and education reform in
the Arab world. She worked as a peer reviewer and consultant on Institutional
Governance and Democratization for the Economic Research Forum (ERF),
Egyptian Human Development Report, and Global Development Network. In
addition, she has been a visiting lecturer at the Free University of Berlin, the
summer school of Ruhr-University Bochum, and a professor at City University
European Programs e.V. in Frankfurt am Main, American University of Cairo
(AUC), University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), the Zentrum für Gegenwartsbezogene Orientforschung, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Ibrahim El-Moallem
is President of the Arab Publishers Association, as well as
the Egyptian Publishers Association. He was born in 1945
in Cairo, Egypt; studied engineering at Cairo University.
Mr. El-Moallem is chairman of Dar El Shorouk, one of the
leading publishing houses in Egypt and the Arab world,
founded in 1942 by his father, Mohamad El-Moallem. Always insisting on excellence and quality, Dar El Shorouk has
won many national and international awards. He is a member of the International Publishers Association (IPA) Executive Committee, and serves as advisor
to UNESCO’s board of publishers.
159
Participants
Sabah Naji Al-Mussawy
was born in 1952 in Missan, Iraq. 1970–1974: studied geology at the University of Baghdad college of sciences, obtaining
a B.S. 1978–1981: attended the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz, Germany, obtaining a doctorate in geology in
1984. 1974–1977: geologist at the General Directorate of
geological survey and mineral investigation in Baghdad.
1984–1988: lectured at the Marine Geology Department of
the Marine Sciences Center at the University of Basra, and from 1988 to 1994
was head of the same. From 1991–1994: head of the High Education Committee of both the Marine Sciences Center and the University of Basra. Since 1994,
professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the University of
Baghdad, and since 2003, Director General of Scholarships and Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad.
He has been a member of the editorial board of several journals, including Marina Mesopotamica, Water Resources, and Geological Society, and a member
of several professional societies, including the International Association of the
Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO) and the Iraqi Union of Geodesy and
Geophysics (IUGG). He has participated in many national and international geological conferences inside and outside Iraq, and has published extensively on
the topics of geology, mineralogy, and remote sensing technology, including the
textbook Introduction to Marine Geology.
Jorgen S. Nielsen
is Professor of Islamic Studies at the Centre for the Study of
Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, and Director of the
Graduate Institute for Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham. He holds degrees in Arabic and Middle
Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African
Studies, University of London, and a Ph.D. in Arab History
from the American University of Beirut. He has worked as a
consultant to the Council of Europe on religious minorities, and the Swedish
Foreign Ministry on Islam and Europe. Since 1992, he has been a trustee and
board Mmember of the International Centre for Minorities and Intercultural
Relations (IMIR) in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is currently working on the Islamic Debate on religious pluralism and relations with the west. His recent publications
discussed the Muslim communities and Islam in Europe, and the ChristianMuslim frontier and cultural dialogue. Since October 2005, Mr. Nielsen has
been Director of The Danish Institute in Damascus, Syria.
160
Biographies
Sari Nusseibeh
was born in 1949 in Jerusalem. He received a doctorate in
Islamic philosophy from Harvard University in 1978 and is
Professor of Philosophy (Islamic, Moral, Political Theory).
Since 1995, Mr. Nusseibeh has served as President of Al-Quds
University, Jerusalem. As a peace activist, he is known for
his work to build grassroots support for a two-state solution.
Mr. Nusseibeh is married, and has four children.
Hans-Joachim Rabe
studied Arabic and Politics at the School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS) in London, UK, and the University of
Alexandria, Egypt. He then taught Middle East politics at
SOAS and wrote his Ph.D. on Palestinian elites after the Oslo
Agreements. After two years of field work in the Palestinian
Territories and several positions as journalist, editor and public relations officer, he joined Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in 2000. There, he coordinated public relations at
the Centre for Cooperation with the Private Sector, before taking up his current
position as Country Manager for the Palestinian Territories and Jordan in 2005.
Hans-Heiner Rudolph
studied education and sociology, followed by a supplementary course in “Education and International Development
Processes” in Frankfurt am Main where he also obtained a
doctorate. He has many years of professional experience in
education research and policy, basic education and community development, as well as youth and community work
with children and adolescents. He spent several periods
abroad for project and research work, and was in Argentina from 1987 to
1992. He currently works as Deputy Director of the GTZ Division “Health,
Education and Social Protection”, head of section “Strengthening of Education
Systems, Knowledge Organisation & Youth Policies”.
Heba Salah El-Din Abou-Soud
graduated from the Faculty of Commerce-English Section,
Cairo University. Got B.Com. with an accounting major.
Graduated summer scholar (GTZ in cooperation with the
Faculty of Commerce and Political Sciences, Cairo University). Currently studying for a Master’s in Accounting and
Finance. Working as an instructor and teaching assistant
at the Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University, and as a researcher at the Research and Commercial Studies Center (RCSC).
161
Participants
Jamil Elias Salem
was born in 1975. Received his Master’s degree in Law from
the University of Vienna. He considers Arabic and German
his mother tongues, and is fluent in French and English. He
has worked as a volunteer for different groups and organisations in West Bank and Austria. He is now working as a
paralegal researcher for the University of Birzeit, Rammallah,
Westbank.
is a technical education expert with more than 12 years of
teaching experience in various vocational fields and 24 years
of project experience in international vocational training and
technical educational planning. After 17 years of project experience in the vocational education field in several countries
with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit
(GTZ), he was appointed Director of the Technical Education
and Vocational Education section at GTZ’s headquarters in Germany, managing
a team of 21 advisors, senior advisors and support staff. In 2003, he became
Director of the national Mubarak-Kohl programme for technical education
and vocational training in Egypt with seven different components, advising
four ministries in their policy and strategic development in the Techical and vocational education and Training (TVET) reform in Egypt.
Stefan Schreiner
studied theology, Islamic sciences and Arabic philology at
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. 1989–1991:
lecturer for Old Testament and Judaistic at the HumboldtUniversity, and visiting lecturer at the Centre for the Study of
Judaism and Jewish/Christian Relations in Birmingham (UK).
1992: visiting professor at the Johann Wolfgang GoetheUniversity in Frankfurt am Main. Since 1992/93, he has held
the chair in religious sciences and Judaism at the University of Tübingen. He is
editor-in-chief of Judaica-Beiträge zum Verstehen des Judentums and publisher
of Scripta Judaica Cracoviensia, and moderator of the Abrahamic Forum of the
International Council of Christians and Jews.
162
Biographies
Ayman Shehata
is an independent socio-economic researcher in various areas of community development, cultural dialogue, and civic
education. He has worked as a consultant for NGOs and
think tanks in his home country of Egypt, such as Nahdet El
Mahrousa NGO, and the Centre for Political Research and
Studies, and on many projects such as the UNDP-funded
“Polar Market Project”, and the Ford Foundation Project
“Mobilizing People and Resources: A Program to Promote Philanthropy for
Social Investment in Egypt”. He has taken part as an economic analyst in
“Egypt 2020”, a national project which was linked to the Third World Forum
and had a comprehensive development vision.
Mark Speich
was born in 1970. After attending Collegium Josephinum,
Bonn, and completing his military service in an intelligence
unit, he read Political Science, Modern History and Constitutional Law at Pembroke College/Cambridge University (MPhil)
and the University of Bonn (Ph.D.). While still a student, became parliamentary research assistant to a Minister of State.
After graduation, worked as a research associate in the Policy
Planning Department of the Christian Democratic Party’s general secretariat.
1997–1998: executive assistant to the President, Bonn University. 1999–2002:
senior research associate responsible for programmes, Herbert Quandt Foundation of ALTANA AG, Bad Homburg; 2003–2005: Director of the Berlin Office of the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung. Since January 1, 2006 Director of Policy
Planning, CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group, Deutscher Bundestag.
Bärbel Stark
born in Zeitz, Germany, she specialised in Arab Studies and
Economics at Leipzig University, Germany, and Baghdad
University, Iraq. She received a doctorate in philosophy at the
Akademie für Sozialwissenschaften in Berlin in 1984; worked
as an expert on international cooperation in higher education
and research at the European Commission in Brussels, DG
Research, and at the UNESCO offices in Baghdad, Amman
and Paris. 1997–2003: Director for International Relations at the Palestinian
Ministry for Higher Education and consultant for cooperation with the European Commission at the Arab Studies Society in Jerusalem. Since August 2004,
she has represented Iraq at the Goethe-Institut, Munich.
163
Participants
Nils Warner
was born in 1971 in Lübeck. 1993–1999: studied law and
Arabic at the universities of Passau, Damascus and Potsdam.
During his legal clerkship from 1999 to 2001, he worked for
five months in the German Chamber of Commerce in Dubai.
2002–2004: as First Secretary in the Political Department of
the German Embassy, Tehran, he was in charge of the dialogue with Islam. Since September 2004, he has been research officer at the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung, Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe.
Werner Wasmuth
studied social and political sciences, German literature and
linguistics in Cologne and in the US (German State Examination/M.Sc., M.A.). Working experience: lecturer at universities in Germany, Italy and the US. 1986–1992: guest lecturer in Indonesia with Deutscher Akademischer Austausch
Dienst (DAAD). Since 1992, professional focus on university management and cooperation. 1997–2002: team leader at
a higher education project in Indonesia for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). Since 2002, he has been Senior Advisor for
Higher Education at GTZ Headquarters, Germany.
Lord George Weidenfeld of Chelsea
was born in Vienna and emigrated to England in 1938. During
the war, he worked for the BBC Overseas Service. 1945: with
Nigel Nicolson, he founded the publishing firm Weidenfeld &
Nicolson. 1949: political advisor and chef de cabinet of the
Israeli president Dr. Chaim Weizmann. Subsequently, he returned to England and to publishing. Lord Weidenfeld has
published the works of many important international historians and biographers, and also the memoirs of some distinguished British citizens. He has been twice honoured for his work in Britain, first with a knighthood, and in 1976 with a peerage. He is an Honorary Fellow of St. Peter’s
College and St. Anne’s College, Oxford. 1996: honorary senator of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn. 1999: Magister, Diplomatic College,
Vienna. Among other appointments, he is Chairman of the Board of Governors,
Ben Gurion University/Beer Sheva, Governor of the Weizmann Institute and
member of the Board of Counsellors of the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung.
164
Biographies
was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1941. Studied chemistry
at ETH Zurich, obtaining a doctorate in 1968. Post-doctoral
studies at the University of California, Berkeley, (1968–1970)
and at the medical Nobel Institute of Karolinska Institute in
Stockholm (1970–1972). 1974, post-doctoral thesis (Habilitation) in genetics. Since 1980, he has held the chair of biochemistry at the University of Munich; since 1984, he has
also been head of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the genetic centre of
the University of Munich. Since 1990, he has been visiting professor at Harvard Medical School. 1987–1993: Vice-President and, since 1998, President of
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Vice-President of Alexander von
Humboldt-Stiftung. 1984–1987: member of Bundestag inquiry commission on
“Opportunities and risks of gene technology”. Member of several scholarly
academies and also of the Board of Counsellors of Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung.
Since April 1995, external Vice-President of Akademie der Naturforscher
Leopoldina in Halle (Saale). He has written numerous scientific publications,
including Gene und Klone. Eine Einführung in die Gentechnologie, 1984; Das
Genom, 1996, 2nd edition, 1997.
165
Participants
Participants
Dr. Dagmar Awad-Gladewitz
Head of Programme, “Basic Education
Improvement” in Yemen, Sana’a
Husni Ayesh
Writer, former member of the
Jordan Educational Board
Amman
PD Dr. Martin Beck
Senior Fellow, Deutsches
Orient-Institut (DOI)
Hamburg
Dr. Christoph Beier
Director General, Mediterranean
Region, Europe, Central Asian Countries,
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Eschborn
Prof. Dr. Assia Bensalah Alaoui
Faculty of Law, University Mohammed V
Rabat-Agdal, Morocco
166
Dr. Sven Olaf Berggötz
Director, Corporate Office, New York,
ALTANA AG, and US Representative,
Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung, New York
Dr. Mongi Bousnina
Director General of Arab League
Educational Cultural and Scientific
Organization (ALECSO), Tunis
Johannes Ebert
Director, Goethe-Institut, Cairo
Prof. Dr. Elsayed Mohammad Elshahed
Director, Islamische Religionspädagogische
Akademie (IRPA), Vienna
Dr. Waheeba Ghalib Faree
President, Queen Arwa University, Sana’a
Dr. Sherine Ghonheim
Director, Global Development
Network, Cairo
Overview
Dr. Antje Gunsenheimer
Research Officer at the
VolkswagenStiftung, Hanover
Dr. h.c. Michael Klett
CEO, Ernst Klett AG, Stuttgart,
Member of the Board of Counsellors,
Alexander Haridi
Head of Section for Marketing,
Information about Study and Research
Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
(DAAD), Bonn
Ulrike Knotz
Head of the task force for the
“Dialogue with the Islamic World”
Berlin
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Jabir Ali
Vice-President, Al-Nahrain University
Baghdad
Dr. Sybille Krummacher
Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
Jülich
Dr. Albrecht Graf v. Kalnein
Executive Board Member of the
Dr. Michael Lüders
Journalist and writer, Berlin
George Khalil
Academic Coordinator of the Working
Group “Modernity and Islam”
Wissenschaftskolleg, (Institute for
Advanced Study), Berlin
Dr. Noha El-Mikawy
Policy Advisor for Governance
Institutions, United Nations
Development Programme’s Sub-Regional
Resource Facility for Arab States
(UNDP SURF-AS), Beirut
167
Participants
Ibrahim El-Moallem
President of the Arab Publishers
Association, Cairo
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schreiner
Director, Institutum Judaicum,
University of Tübingen, Tübingen
Prof. Dr. Sabah Naji Al-Mussawy
Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research, Director General
of Intercultural Relations and
Scholarships, Baghdad
Ayman Shehata
Student, Cairo University, Cairo
Prof. Dr. Jorgen S. Nielsen
Department of Theology,
University of Birmingham, Director,
The Danish Institute, Damascus
Prof. Dr. Sari Nusseibeh
President, Al-Quds University
Jerusalem
Dr. Hans-Joachim Rabe
Country Manager, Palestinian
Territories and Jordan, Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Technische
Dr. Hans-Heiner Rudolph
Deputy Director, Division “Health,
Education and Social Protection”
Heba Salah El-Din Abou-Soud
Student, Cairo University, Cairo
Jamil Elias Salem
Researcher for the University of Birzeit,
Rammallah, West Bank
Head of Programme “Introduction of
Cooperative Vocational Education and
Training”, Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)
Cairo
168
Dr. Mark Speich
Director of Policy Planning
CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Deutscher Bundestag
Dr. Bärbel Stark
Representative for Iraq at the
Goethe-Institut, Munich
Nils Warner
Research Officer,
Werner Wasmuth
Senior Adviser for Higher Education,
Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea
Chairman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson,
London, member of the Board of
Counsellors, Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung
Prof. Dr. Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker
President, Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Bonn,
member of the Board of Counsellors,
Overview
Participants conversing during
the 10 th Trialogue Conference
169
Selective List of
German and Arab Institutions
in the Areas of
Education and Science
Alexander Vey
German Institutions and their
Activities in the Arab World
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 833-0
Fax:
49 228 833-199
E-Mail: [email protected]
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/
http://www.bmz.de/
Exchange of highly qualified scientists; scholarships and research awards for Germans and foreigners.
Bundesverwaltungsamt – Zentralstelle für das
Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA)
50728 Köln
Phone: 49 1888 358-0
Fax:
49 1888 358-2854
http://www.bva.bund.de
Auswärtiges Amt
Werderscher Markt 1, 11013 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 5000-0
Fax:
49 30 5000-2000
E-Mail: info@ auswaertiges-amt.de
http://www.auswaertigesamt.de/www/de/aussenpolitik/kulturpolitik/mittler_html
Extensive collection of links and further information on the foreign cultural and educational
policies of Germany.
Bundesministerium für Bildung und
Forschung (BMBF)
Heinemannstr. 2, 53175 Bonn
Phone: 49 1888 57-0
Fax:
49 1888 57-83601
Hannoversche Str. 28-30, 10115 Berlin
Phone: 49 1888 57-0
Fax:
49 1888 57-83601
www.bmbf.de
Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche
Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Adenauerallee 139-141, 53113 Bonn
Phone: 49 1888 535-0
Fax:
49 1888 535-3500
170
Detailed notes and further information on the
activities of the BMZ, among others in the Arab
world.
In consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Auswärtiges Amt) the ZfA provides educational, staff and financial supervision of the
work of Germany’s schools abroad, of academic
institutions supported by Germany, and German
departments at state schools.
Centrum für Internationale Migration und
Entwicklung (CIM)
Mendelssohnstraße 75–77, 60325 Frankfurt/Main
Phone: 49 69 719121-0
Fax:
49 69 719121-19
[email protected]
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 885-1
Fax:
49 228 885-2777
http://www.dfg.de
International promotion of research, supervision
of research cooperation between Germany and
other states.
Selective List of German and Arab Institutions in the Areas of Education and Science
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1–5, 65760 Eschborn
Phone: 49 6196 79-0
Fax:
49 6196 79-1115
http://www.gtz.de/
Activities in the Arab world in: Egypt, Algeria,
Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates.
Promotes reform processes in developing and
transition countries in order to make lasting improvements in living conditions. Numerous education projects.
Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer
(DIHK)
Breite Straße 29, 10178 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 20 308 0
Fax:
49 30 20 308-1000
http://www.dihk.de
http://www.daad.de/en/index.html
Active in the Arab world through foreign
branches, information centres, lectureships and
long-term professorships in Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, East Jerusalem and the Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Saudi Arabia, Morocco,
Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia.
Largest German development agency for international cooperation amongst universities.
Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst gGmbH (DED)
Tulpenfeld 7, 53113 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 2434-0
Fax:
49 228 2434-111
[email protected]
Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI)
Zentrale Berlin
Podbielskiallee 69–71, 14195 Berlin
Phone: 49 1888 77 11-0
Fax:
49 1888 77 11-168
http://www.dai.de
Branches in the Arab world: Algeria, Egypt,
Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian
Territories, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, United
Arab Emirates.
Mainly projects connected with vocational training, education and further education.
Branches, among others, in Cairo, Damascus
and Sana’a.
Carries out excavations and maintains contact
with the world of international science.
Deutsche UNESCO Kommission e.V. (DUK)
Colmantstraße 15, 53115 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 60 497-0
Fax:
49 228 60 497-30
http://www.unesco.de
Deutsches Orient-Institut (DOI)
Rue H. Beyhum, Zokak el-Bat
P.O.B. 11-29881107, 2120 Riad El-Solh, Beirut,
Lebanon
Phone: 961 1 37 29 40
Fax:
961 1 37 65 99
http://www.oib.org
The DUK gives advice on all UNESCO affairs
and provides information on the work of
UNESCO.
Among other things, supports the cooperation
of foreign researchers with local experts.
Deutsche Welle
Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
Kurt-Schuhmacher-Straße 3, 53113 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 429 0
Fax:
49 228 429-3000
http://www.dw-world.de
Goethe-Institut
Dachauer Straße 122, 80637 München
Phone: 49 89 15921-0
Fax:
49 89 15921-450
http://www.goethe.de/kug/prj/isl/deindex.htm
German international broadcasting. The
Deutsche Welle broadcasts in German, English
and Spanish; the internet programme is available in approximately 30 foreign languages.
Offices in the Arab world: Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Autonomous Territories, Syria, Tunisia, United
Arab Emirates.
Special website with information on the Arab
and Islamic world, including a complete link list
to the Goethe Institutes in the region.
Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
(DAAD)
Kennedyallee 50, 53175 Bonn
Postfach 200404, 53134 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 882-0
Fax:
49 228 882-444
171
Alexander Vey
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Abteilung Kommunikation
John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 397 87-0
Fax:
49 30 394 86-79
http://www.hkw.de
Events to promote understanding of foreign
cultures.
Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IfA)
Charlottenplatz 17, 70173 Stuttgart
Phone: 49 711 2225-0
Fax:
49 711 2264-346
http://cms.ifa.de/
Organises international symposia, maintains a
specialised library and an information centre on
foreign cultural and educational policy.
Internationales Büro (IB) des
Bundesministeriums für Bildung und
Forschung (BMBF)
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (FZJ)
52425 Jülich
Phone: 49 2461 61-2206
Fax:
49 2461 61-3635
www.fz-juelich.de
InWEnt Entwicklung GmbH
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40, 53113 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 44 60-0
Fax:
49 228 44 60-1766
http://www.inwent.org
Further education projects with the emphasis on
development policy.
KfW Entwicklungsbank
Palmengartenstraße 5–9, 60325 Frankfurt/Main
Phone: 49 69 7431-0
Fax:
49 69 7431-2944
[email protected]
Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD)
Abteilung des Sekretariats der Kultusministerkonferenz der Länder (KMK)
Lennestraße 6, 53112 Bonn
Phone: 49 228 501-0
Fax:
49 228 501-777
http://www.kmk.org
Supports international exchanges with regard
to schools.
172
Qantara
Redaktion Qantara.de
c/o Deutsche Welle Online
Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 3, 53113 Bonn
http://www.qantara.de
Dialogue with the Islamic world; topics are
literature, culture, youth and women’s rights.
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin – Arbeitskreis
Moderne und Islam
Wallotstraße 19, 14193 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 89001-259
Fax:
49 30 89001-200
E.Mail: [email protected]
http://www.wiko-berlin.de
Contact: Georges Khalil
Scientific cooperation within the Muslim world
by means of seminars, discussions, summer
academies and post-doctoral programmes.
Political and private foundations
Bertelsmann-Stiftung
Carl-Bertelsmann-Str. 256, 33335 Gütersloh
Phone: 49 5241 81 90
Fax:
49 5241 81 68 13 96
http://www.bertesmann-stiftung.de
Political advice in connection with the Middle
East, among others; promotion of democratic
development, projects for international understanding etc.
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung e.V. (FES)
Referat Naher/Mittlerer Osten und Nordafrika
Hiroshimastraße 17, 10785 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 269 35-728
http://forum.fes-international.de/
Branches, among others, in Cairo, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine.
Foundation of the Social Democratic Party of
Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD). Promotion of democracy and pluralism, university scholarships, international
communication and cooperation.
Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNSt)
Karl-Marx-Straße 2, 14482 Potsdam
Phone: 49 331 70 19-0
49 331 70 19-188
Fax:
http://www.fnst.de
Regional offices in Cairo, Jordan, Morocco,
Egypt, Palestine/Israel.
Foundation of the Liberal Democratic Party of
Germany (Freiheitlich Demokratische Partei
Deutschlands, FDP). Promotion of political education and political dialogue, support for the
gifted, research and political counselling.
Gerda Henkel Stiftung
Malkastenstraße 15, 40211 Düsseldorf
Phone: 49 211 35 98 53
Fax:
49 211 35 71 37
http://www.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de
Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung e.V.
Lazarettstraße 33, 80636 München
Phone: 49 89 12 58-0
Fax:
49 89 12 58-356
http://www.hss.de/
Activities in, among others, Morocco, Algeria,
Tunisia, Jordan, Mauretania, Egypt and Palestine.
Closely connected with the Christian Social
Union. Promotes, for example in the Middle
East, sociopolitical education and the development of democracy.
Heinrich Böll Stiftung
Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 285 34-0
Fax:
49 30 285 34-109
http://www.boell.de
Regional offices in Beirut und Ramallah. Closely
connected with Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. Political education at home and abroad to promote
democratic decision-making, sociopolitical commitment and international understanding; support for culture, science and research.
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. (KAS)
Rathausallee 12, 53757 Sankt Augustin
Phone: 49 2241 24 6-0
Fax:
49 2241 24 6-2591
http://www.kas.de/
Regional offices in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,
Tunisia, Palestine.
Closely connected with the Christian Democratic Union (Christlich Demokratische Union,
CDU). Political education at home and abroad
for peace, freedom and justice. International
support for the gifted.
Private Foundation. Promotion of the historical
humanities, postgraduate support.
173
Alexander Vey
Institutions Offering Arab
Language Courses in Germany
and in the Arab world
In Germany:
Various universities, adult education centres,
adult education centres etc., and in particular:
Landesspracheninstitut NRW
Humboldtstr. 59–63, 44787 Bochum
Phone: 49 234 6874-0
Fax:
49 234 6874-190
http://www.lsi-nrw.de/arabisch/index.html
Assorted courses in standard present-day Arabic
at various levels.
Modern Arabic School (MAS)
Franz-Josef-Strasse 48/II, 80801 München
Phone/Fax: 49 89 129 22 41
Standard present-day Arabic.
Arabic Language Center Cairo
534, The Saudi Egyptian Housing Project,
El-Sawah Square, 11281 Cairo, Egypt
Phone/Fax: 20 2 257 1926
http://www.arabic-in-cairo.com
Standard present-day Arabic, Egyptian colloquial language in special courses.
In the Arab world:
Centre Français de Culture et de Coopération
1, Madrasset El Huquq El Frinseya Street,
Mounira, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 794 7679 / 794 4095
Fax:
20 2 795 7136 / 795 7148
http://www.ambafrance-eg.org/cfcc/
Various Goethe Institutes, and in particular:
EGYPT
Community Service / Association CSA
4, Road 21, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 358 5284 / 358 0754
http://www.livinginegypt.org
Standard present-day Arabic, cultural and linguistic trips to Egypt, Lebanon, Dubai.
Alexandria:
University of Alexandria, Alexandria Center
for Languages
11, Mah. Khattab Street, Bab Sharki, Alexandria, Egypt
Phone: 20 3 393 1507
Fax:
20 3 393 1506
http://www.aclegypt.com/
Standard present-day Arabic, colloquial Egyptian language, Arabic calligraphy, translation
courses, Arab literature courses.
Cairo:
Al-Azhar Universität / Salih-Kamel-Zentrum
für islamische Wirtschaft
Madinat Nasr, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 261 1419 / 262 3278
Fax:
20 2 261 1404
http://www.alazhar.org/
174
Al Diwan Arabic Language Center
12, Naguib Mahfooz Street, Nasr City, Cairo,
Egypt
Phone/Fax: 20 2 270 8415
http://www.aldiwancenter.com/
Arabic in seven-week courses.
Fajr Center for Arabic Language
24, Mohamed El-Nady Street, 6th Zone, Nasr
City, P.C. 11471 Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 275 0066 / 0067
Fax:
20 2 590 7412
http://www.fajr.com
Standard present-day Arabic in various courses.
Instructive British Institute (IBI)
4, Road No. 75 St. Maadi el-Sarayat, Cairo,
Egypt
Phone: 20 2 359 3810 / 358 1011
Fax:
20 2 750 8578
http://www.ibi.com.eg/
Standard present-day Arabic, Egyptian colloquial language in two- to four-week intensive
courses.
International Language Institute (IBI)
3, Mahmoud Azmy Street, Madinet el-Sahafeyeen,
Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 346 3087 / 346 8597
Fax:
20 2 303 5624
http://www.arabicegypt.com
Standard present-day Arabic, colloquial Egyptian language. Summer and all-year courses.
Kalimat Language & Cultural Center
22, Mohamed Mahmoud Shaaban Street, Mohandessin, Giza, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 761 8136
Fax:
20 2 760 3528
URL: http://www.kalimategypt.com/index.htm
Standard present-day Arabic, colloquial Egyptian language.
Qortoba Institute for Arabic Studies
Hussam Basune Street, Block 53, Building 3,
Area 9, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 272 4810 / 272 3032
Fax:
20 2 683 8083
http://www.qortoba.com
Various special courses in standard present-day
Arabic, colloquial Egyptian language, Arabic
calligraphy and religious poetry.
The American University of Cairo
The Arabic Language Institute (ALI)
113, Kasr El Aini Street, P.O. Box 2511,
11511 Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 797 5055
Fax:
20 2 795 7565
http://www.aucegypt.edu/
Standard present-day Arabic, semester courses
and three-week intensive courses at all levels.
The Netherlands Institute of Archaeology
and Arabic Studies
1, Dr. Mahmoud Azmi Street, P.O. Box 50,
11211 Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 738 2520 / 738 2522
Fax:
20 2 738 2523
http://www.nvic.leidenuniv.nl
Zentrum für Deutsch (Partner of the DeutschArabische Gesellschaft)
43, Sh. El Ansar/Moussadak, Dokki, 12311
Giza, Egypt
Phone: 20 2 749 3043
Fax:
20 10 518 5346 / 49 89 14 8824 1502
http://www.zfd.info
Standard present-day Arabic, colloquial Egyptian language, specially adapted to learners from
the German-speaking area.
Luxor:
High Impact
Phone: 49 8803 488 608
Fax:
49 8803 488 609
http://www.businessenglish.de/egypt
Standard present-day Arabic; one- and twoweek intensive courses.
Learn Arabic in Luxor
Viaggi e Miraggi, Cooperativa sociale O.n.l.u.s.,
Treviso, Via Montello 4, Italy
Phone/Fax: 39 422 304 242
http://www.arabicinluxor.com/
Standard present-day Arabic, Egyptian colloquial language plus the chance to form strong cultural contacts.
Madrassa Arabisch-Schule
Phone/Fax: 41 41 710 7308
Egyptian colloquial language; intensive courses,
individually matched to requirements and previous knowledge.
Sinai:
Blue Beach Travel
Blue Beach Club Dahab
P.O. Box 45, Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt
[email protected]
http://www.sinai.ch
http://www.bluebeachclub.com/
Two- to four-week intensive courses in Arabic.
LISA! Sprachreisen / Arabic Language School
Kreuzstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Phone: 49 341 702 6868
http://www.lisa-sprachreisen.de
http://www.arabic-language-school.com
175
Alexander Vey
JORDAN
Amman:
University of Jordan Language Centre
Amman 11942, Jordan
Phone: 962 6 535 5000 ext. 3436, 3439, 3427
Fax:
962 6 535 5522
http://www.ju.edu.jo/lancen/
Standard present-day Arabic, six-stage tutorial.
Université Saint-Joseph
Rue de Damas, BP 17-5208 Mar Mikhaël,
Beirut 1104-2020, Lebanon
Phone: 961 1 426 456
Fax:
961 1 423 369
http://www.usj.edu.lb
MOROCCO
Fez:
KUWAIT
Safat:
Arabic Language Unit (Kuwait)
P.O. Box 2575, Safat, Kuwait University,
Kuwait 13026
Standard present-day Arabic, one-year programme, number of participants limited.
Standard present-day Arabic, Moroccan colloquial language at all levels, three-to six-week
courses.
LEBANON
Tangiers:
Beirut:
Intensive Arabic Studies Programme
King Fahd Advanced School of Translation
Abdelmalek Essadi University
Route du Charf, BP 410, Tangiers, Morocco
Phone: 212 39 942 813
Fax:
212 39 940 835
http://www.ecoleroifahd.uae.ma
American Language Center
Bliss Street Facing AUB’s main gate, Beirut,
Lebanon
Phone: 961 1 366 002 / 961 1 379 989
E-Mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
http://www.alc.edu.lb
Lebanese colloquial language in three stages.
Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies
American University of Beirut
P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon
Phone: 961 1 374 374 ext. 3845
Fax:
961 1 744 461
http://www.aub.edu.lb/
Standard present-day Arabic, four-stage summer
programme, language laboratory, individualised
learning.
Lebanese American University
P.O. Box 13-5053, Chouran Beirut 1102 2801,
Lebanon
Phone: 961 1 786 456 / 786 464 / 961 3 791 314
Fax:
961 1 867 098
http://www.lau.edu.lb/
Standard present-day Arabic, especially for advanced learners.
176
The Arabic Language Institute in Fez
BP 2136, Fez 30000, Morocco
Phone: 212 55 624 850
Fax:
212 55 931 608
http://www.alif-fes.com/
Standard present-day Arabic at intermediate level, Moroccan colloquial language at basic and
intermediate levels.
PALESTINE
Birzeit:
Palestine and Arabic Studies Programme
Birzeit University, Continuing Education
Department
P.O. Box 14, Birzeit, West Bank, via Israel
Phone: 972 2 298 2153
http://www.birzeit.edu/
Standard present-day Arabic, Palestinian colloquial language, six-week summer intensive
course, not for beginners.
SAUDI ARABIA
Jeddah:
Special Arabic Sessions
Dean of Admissions
Department of Islamic Studies, King Abdul
Aziz University
P.O. Box 1540, Jeddah 21441,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Riyadh:
Arabic Programme
Dean of Admissions
King Saudi University
P.O. Box 2454, Riyadh II 45 1, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia
SYRIA
Damascus:
Arabeske
Luitpoldstr. 85, 91052 Erlangen
Phone: 49 9131 712 5430
Mobile: 49 176 2382 3889
http://www.arabisch-in-damaskus.de
Standard present-day Arabic, four-week course
at various levels.
Arabic Programme
Institut Francais d’Etudes Arabes Damas
(IFEAD)
P.O. Box 344, Damascus, Syria
Phone: 963 11 412 272
Fax:
963 11 247 887
http://www.ifporient.org/
Standard present-day Arabic, Syrian colloquial
language.
Phone: 49 2641 902 947
Fax:
49 721 151 240 125
http://www.hoch-arabisch.de
Standard present-day Arabic, two-week course
following the 4-skills method, 80 lessons.
Louden Voyages
Budapester Str. 18b, 10787 Berlin
Phone: 49 30 324 9875
Fax:
49 30 324 0962
http://www.louden-voyages.de/
Standard present-day Arabic, Syrian colloquial
language, courses in small groups or one-to-one
lessons.
Sprachvermittlung Ghalayini
Amorbacher Weg 7, 63128 Dietzenbach
Phone: 49 6074 44 723
Fax:
49 6074 47 314
http://www.lingua-arabica.com/
Standard present-day Arabic, two-week course
with 40 teaching units.
TUNISIA
Tunis:
Bourguiba Institute of Modern Languages
University of Tunis
47 Avenue de la Liberte, Tunis 1002, Tunisia
Phone: 282 418 / 281 923
Fax:
216 71 833 684
http://www.iblv.rnu.tn/english/
Standard present-day Arabic, six-week intensive
summer programme, all levels.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Abu Dhabi:
Arabic Teaching Institute for Foreigners
Villat Sharqiyah, al-Mazza, P.O. Box 9340,
Damascus, Syria
Phone: 963 11 221 538
Fax:
963 11 611 9453
Standard present-day Arabic, for beginners and
advanced learners.
DSH-Damaskus Sprachschule für
Hocharabisch
Niederhutstr. 68, 53474 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
Gulf Arabic Programme GAP
P.O. Box 17213, Al Ain, UAE
Phone: 971 3 755 1858
Fax:
971-3 755 1878
http://www.gapschool.net/
Standard present-day Arabic, colloquial Arabic
of the Gulf States, intensive and long-term
courses.
177
Alexander Vey
The Arabic Language Center DWTC
Arabic Language Centre Coordinator
Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE
Phone: 971 4 308 6036
Fax:
971 4 306 4089
http://www.dwtc.com/facility/arabic.htm
Standard present-day Arabic, all levels, specialised courses matched to the requirements of
varied industries.
YEMEN
Sana’a:
Standard present-day Arabic, Yemenite colloquial language, courses from four weeks to a year.
Tarim:
Badr Language Institute
P.O. Box 58049, Tarim, Hadramaut, Yemen
Phone: 967 5 418 370
Fax:
967 5 425 520
http://www.badr.org.uk/
British Yemeni Arabic Institute
P.O. Box 16204, 24 Hadda Street, Sana’a,
Yemen
Phone/Fax: 967 1 417 527
http://www.study-arabic.com
Standard present-day Arabic, language courses
and Islamic studies for one to two years, 40-day
summer intensive course, translation intensive
course.
Standard present-day Arabic, various courses
with an academic, business or cultural focus.
For more information on university-organisations
see http://www.herbert-quandt-stiftung.de
Center for Arabic Language and Eastern
Studies
Mahmood Basha Street, P.O. Box 15201,
Sana’a, Yemen
Phone/Fax: 967 1 222 275
http://www.y.net.ye/cales/
Standard present-day Arabic, Yemenite colloquial language.
Modern American Language Institute (MALI)
P.O. Box 11727, Sana’a, Yemen
Phone/Fax: 967 1 241 561
http://www.arabicinyemen.com/
Standard present-day Arabic, Yemenite colloquial language, varied levels, courses in Arabic calligraphy.
Sana’a Institute for the Arabic Language
Old City of Sana’a, P.O. Box 5734, Sana’a,
Yemen
Phone: 967 1 284 330
Fax:
967 1 284 329
http://www.sialyemen.com
Standard present-day Arabic, Yemenite colloquial
language, classical Koran Arabic, specialised language courses (e.g. medical or political Arabic),
courses in Arabic calligraphy, Islamic studies.
178
Yemen Language Center
P.O. Box 3671, Sana’a, Yemen
Phone: 967 1 270 200
Fax:
967 1 270 127
http://www.ylcint.com/
Background
HERBERT QUANDT
Dr. Herbert Quandt (1910–1982), descended from an old Brandenburg family of entrepreneurs, was one of the most prominent and successful personalities
in German post-1945 industry. He gave his companies, which were organized on
a decentralized basis, extensive decision-making powers in order to strengthen
initiative and innovative spirit. He maintained that the entrepreneur’s responsibility extended beyond the purely economic sphere.
Herbert Quandt was the first chairman of the Board of Managing Directors
of ALTANA AG, which was created in 1977 by means of a spin-off from the
Varta Group. His especially strong interest in the community is underlined by the
foundations set up in his honour – the BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt (1970), the
Herbert Quandt-Stiftung of Varta AG, Hanover (1970) and the Herbert-QuandtStiftung of ALTANA AG, Bad Homburg (1980).
ALTANA AG
ALTANA is a pharmaceutical and chemicals group with worldwide activities.
For ALTANA, business success and social responsibility are inseparable. As a
corporate citizen, ALTANA plays a role in shaping civil society wherever it pursues its business activities. In the 27 years since its formation, ist has done this
through selective sponsorship of social and cultural events. The three pillars of
its involvement in society are the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung, ALTANA Cultural
Forum and ALTANA Forum for Education and Science.
HERBERT-QUANDT-STIFTTUNG
On the occasion of Herbert Quandt’s 70th birthday, in November 1980,
ALTANA AG established the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung as a sign of gratitude
for the management over the years of the companies belonging to the group. In
the form of projects and by means of financial support, the Foundation promotes domestic and international dialogue as well as research and education.
179
Background
In addition to the Sinclair House debates, the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung also
runs the international project “Trialogue of cultures”. On the one hand, the
foundation operates here in the form of international conferences with participants from the three monotheistic faiths on pressing issues arising from interreligious encounters. On the other, it becomes involved in projects with a strong
practical orientation focusing on exchanges and cooperation in the fields of education and journalism.
The members of the Foundation’s Management Board are:
Dr. Nikolaus Schweickart (Chairman), Dr. Albrecht Graf v. Kalnein (Executive Board Member),
Dr. Thomas Gauly, Dr. Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, Dr. Matthias L. Wolfgruber.
The members of the Board of Counsellors are:
Hans Graf von der Goltz (Honorary Chairman), Susanne Klatten (Chairwoman),
Prof. Dr. jur. Udo Di Fabio, Dr. h.c. Michael Klett, Herr SAID, Prof. Hermann Schäfer,
Prof. Dr. jur. Rudolf Steinberg, Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea, Prof. Dr. phil Karin v. Welck,
Prof. Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker.
TRIALOGUE OF CULTURES
The globalization process, which goes hand in hand with the removal of
borders and the networking of different economic regions, is also overcoming
geographical separation to an unprecedented degree. With the end of EastWest antagonism, which had tended to obscure the underlying cultural differences, the various cultures are confronted with themselves to a greater extent
and are finding it necessary to establish their own identity. Against this background, Samuel Huntington projected his famous scenario of the “clash of civilizations”. The Trialogue of Cultures is an expression of the conviction that
Huntington’s projection is by no means a scenario without alternatives, but rather just one – and an especially dangerous – potential development, which
may counteract the potential for understanding that exists between the three
world religions deriving from Abraham: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Quite consciously, therefore, the Trialogue of Cultures has been conceived as
an intercultural, rather than an inter-religious venture. Since 1996, the HerbertQuandt-Stiftung has annually invited influential figures dedicated to such a trialogue between the cultures based on Abraham to an international colloquium
to discuss problems which are especially important for the intercultural exchange
of ideas. At the same time, the Foundation runs projects of its own, focusing on
education and the media. With its local trialogue, the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung
has created a complement to its international commitment, and is making a
contribution towards a better understanding of, and improved coexistence for,
the three Abrahamic cultures in the Rhine-Main region.
180
Background
The GTZ is an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions
for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world.
GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes, often working under
difficult conditions. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.
The company’s main focus in international cooperation is on so-called Technical Cooperation. Far from being only centred on transferring technical knowledge, this primarily involves communicating knowledge that enables people to
shape their present and future on their own. GTZ’s development projects and
programmes cover a wide range of themes and tasks. These include advising the
government in Tajikistan, vocational training in Argentina, protecting the tropical forest in Indonesia and preventing AIDS in Kenya.
The GTZ was established in 1975. It is organised as a private company
owned by the German Federal Government. It is working on a public benefit
basis, using all funds generated as profits exclusively for projects in international cooperation.
181
Published by
Am Pilgerrain 15
61352 Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe
www.h-quandt-stiftung.de
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1–5
65760 Eschborn
www.gtz.de
Editing by
Nils Warner
Hans-Joachim Rabe
Ulrich Berkmann
Colin McCabe
Design
Gesa Emde
Mirko Krizanovic
Darmstadt
Lithography and printing
Jan van der Most
Düsseldorf
Photography
Mirko Krizanovic
Translation
Bernd Rullkötter, Hamburg
Übersetzungsbüro Kaiser,
© Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung
GTZ, Eschborn
June 2006
ISBN 3-7973-9993-7
The opinions expressed in the articles
of this publication do not necessarily
reflect those of the publishers.

10th Conference Trialogue of Cultures, 2006, Mediterranean Sea

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