Al-Fanar Media English

12/10/2025

There has been a furore in Egypt over the British Jewish translator Raphael Cohen being on the jury of next year’s Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, given by the American University in Cairo Press.

The AUC Press, fellow jurors, and other prominent figures in Egypt’s literary scene came to Cohen’s defence. The Egyptian writer Dina Samak was one of them. In an article published on Egypt’s Al-Manassa website, Samak wrote that Cohen was a Jewish intellectual who stands with the Palestinians and nearly lost his life in Gaza in an act of solidarity over 20 years ago.

The furore erupted immediately after Cohen’s name was announced as one of five members of the jury for this year’s award, prompting a wave of questions from Egyptian intellectuals, academics, and writers.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/furore-over-british-jewish-translator-on-mahfouz-medal-jury/

10/10/2025

“I will never forget the first day of the assault. I was trying to focus on my studies, and suddenly everything turned into noise and explosions. Classes stopped, the university was shut down, and my dreams collapsed before my eyes. Between fear and repeated displacement, I clung to the hope that I would return to my studies despite everything I had lost.”

These are the words of Salwa, a student at the Islamic University of Gaza who recently spoke to ISNAD, a nonprofit scholarship initiative.

Salwa’s story may seem personal, but it reflects the reality of an entire generation of students in the besieged Palestinian territory. The Israeli war in Gaza that has destroyed buildings, hospitals, vital facilities, and critical infrastructure has also attacked the human right to education.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/resisting-erasure-aid-for-gaza-students-is-a-form-of-survival-scholarship-project-says/

Welfare Association - Taawon مؤسسة التعاون

08/10/2025

The fourth Mediterranean Student Summit, held this month at the University of Girona, in Spain, brought together young people from across the Mediterranean region to explore their role in fostering dialogue between academia and civil society.

Organised by UNIMED–Mediterranean Universities Union and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), the three-day event marked the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, a landmark diplomatic initiative that established a framework for strengthening cooperation between Europe and countries on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

Under the theme “From the Barcelona Process to the Mediterranean Pact: What is the Role of Students in Supporting Mediterranean Dialogue?” participants discussed how universities and students can bridge social, cultural, and academic divides.

Participants reflected on the third objective of the Barcelona agreement—rapprochement between peoples through a social, cultural and human partnership—as well as on the third mission of universities, which calls on higher education institutions to build strong connections with local communities to foster social, economic, and cultural development.

Around 25 students from UNIMED universities, alongside representatives from the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF), took part in workshops, cultural exchanges, and policy discussions at the summit. Their collective recommendations will be presented to policymakers to strengthen student involvement in shaping the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.

The summit was held under the patronage of the Union for the Mediterranean, with support from the University of Girona, the European Investment Bank Institute, and the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme.

UNIMED - Mediterranean Universities Union

08/10/2025

The digital verification platform Manhom and the communication consultancy SciComm X have released a list of 50 Arab universities that they regard as the region’s best in terms of research impact and community engagement. The ranking is available in English and Arabic.

Majarra, an Arabic digital content provider and the parent company of Manhom, said in a news release that the ranking aimed to showcase the role of Arab universities in advancing knowledge and scientific production, as well as in creating tangible impacts within Arab societies by linking academic research to public policy and sustainable development.

The list serves as a key reference for decision-makers, academic leaders, and students, underscoring the vital role of higher education institutions in building competitive, knowledge-driven societies, the company said.

The ranking was developed based on two main criteria: research performance—which encompasses the quality, volume, and international reach of scientific output—and societal impact, which evaluates community outreach, public engagement, and the role of universities in advancing the knowledge economy and sustainable development.

The United Arab Emirates’ Khalifa University of Science and Technology took the top position on the list, followed by Qatar University in second place. Both achieved exceptional results across both the research and societal impact dimensions.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/new-ranking-highlights-research-social-impact-of-50-arab-universities/

07/10/2025

Egypt’s Supreme Council of Universities has issued a new edition of its official “Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education and Scientific Research”.

In a statement, the council said the guide outlines the strategic and regulatory framework, ethical principles and controls, areas of application in higher education, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific research, risk management, as well as recommendations and implementation policies.

The council approved the guide during its session on 30 September 2025, marking the first regulatory reference of its kind in Egyptian universities. The manual aims to govern the use of smart technologies and ensure their ethical and safe application in education and research.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/egypt-issues-guidelines-on-use-of-ai-in-higher-education-research/

06/10/2025

The Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) has expressed “deep concern” about Northwestern University’s decision to prevent students from enrolling in classes unless they complete an online anti-bias training module that the university has mandated for all undergraduate and graduate students.

In a letter dated 3 October 2025, MESA called the training’s content “deeply flawed” and said that by making it mandatory, Northwestern was violating students’ right to free speech and the principles of academic freedom. The letter was addressed to the interim president and other officials of Northwestern University, a private institution located in Evanston, Illinois.

In the letter, MESA said that “sanctioning students for their principled opposition to this problematic training, in the manner of a corporation disciplining its employees, is unworthy of a self-respecting institution of higher education.”

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/mesa-accuses-northwestern-u-of-coercing-students-into-controversial-anti-bias-training/

06/10/2025

A recent episode of the panel discussion series Al-Fanar Media Talks focused on “The Impact of the Erasmus+ Programme on Arab Universities”. Featuring directors of national Erasmus+ offices from across the Arab world, the session examined the programme’s role in enhancing academic exchange, university internationalisation, curriculum reform, institutional reform, and research collaboration.

The speakers were Ahmad Abu-El-Haija, founder and director of the National Erasmus+ Office in Jordan; Nesrine Baklouti, director of the National Erasmus+ Office in Tunisia; Amir Khalil, director of the National Erasmus+ Office in Palestine; Latifa Daadaoui, director of the National Erasmus+ Office in Morocco; and Mohamed Boudour, director of the National Erasmus+ Office in Algeria.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/afm-talks-erasmus-aids-arab-countries-through/

Erasmus+ Jordan Erasmus+ National Office Palestine Erasmus+ Algérie Erasmus+ Tunisia Erasmus+ Morocco

01/10/2025

“Unprecedented” attacks on higher education in the United States highlight a trend of rising assaults on academic freedom around the world, in both authoritarian states and traditionally liberal democracies, warns a new report from Scholars at Risk (SAR).

The report, “Free to Think 2025”, documents 395 attacks on higher education in 49 countries between July 2024 and June 2025.

SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project has published the “Free to Think” report annually for more than a decade. This year’s edition cites alarming developments in 16 countries, including India, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, where leaders have cracked down on student and faculty expression, banned the study of disfavoured topics, or targeted scholars for what they teach.

Other countries highlighted in the report include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Colombia, Georgia, Germany, Nigeria, Pakistan, Serbia, and Zimbabwe.

The report also provides updates on countries covered in earlier reports, including China and Hong Kong, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Palestine, Sudan, and Turkey.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/free-to-think-2025-attacks-on-higher-education-rise-even-in-democracies/

28/09/2025

Al-Fanar Media is participating in a regional talk organised by the Unesco Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, based in Doha, that will focus on media and information literacy in an age of artificial intelligence.

The panel discussion, called “Empowering Communities with AI, Media Literacy, and Communication”, is part of a Unesco initiative that aims to teach people to “think critically and click wisely” when engaging with media content, to protect themselves from the growing sources of AI-generated misinformation online. The discussion will be held via Zoom, starting at 10 a.m. Doha time (3 a.m. U.S. Eastern time) on Monday, 29 September. You can register for the Zoom call here: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MUuo1aS_RPmBKiZiPXth5A #/registration

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/09/al-fanar-media-to-participate-in-unesco-panel-on-media-information-literacy/

27/09/2025

27/09/2025

Al-Fanar Media has announced the opening of applications for the second cohort of its Gen-Z Project, training Arab university students and recent graduates in journalism and digital content creation. The free course aims to prepare a new generation of journalist influencers who combine journalistic professionalism with a strong presence across digital platforms.

The Gen-Z Project is for young people who want to work in media and content creation, particularly those with on-camera talent. Applicants should be able to produce high-quality visual content, and will need:

- A mobile phone with a good camera
- A simple microphone
- A suitable location for filming with good lighting, either natural or supported by basic lighting equipment

Applicants must also demonstrate that they already have basic content creation skills and, preferably, some prior experience.

Application deadline: September 30, 2025

Attendance: Full-time participation is required. The training is free of charge, and participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Duration: 3 months — October, November, and December 2025

Format: A weekly online group meeting will be held, and each trainee is expected to attend and complete assignments throughout the week.

Al-Fanar Media launched the Gen-Z Project to train Arab university students in professional journalism, with a focus on social media, to prepare them to become journalist influencers (“journo-influencers”).

The first cohort was a diverse group of ten students from media, commerce, and computer science faculties at universities in Egypt, Syria, and Morocco. The course ran from February to August, and students were happy to find themselves doing practical journalism from day one.

To apply, please fill in the form at this link: https://forms.gle/ox2STkm7WrbJD2d36

Learn more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/09/gen-z-project-al-fanar-medias-journo-influencer-course-to-open-2d-round/

27/09/2025

Arab scholars taking academic placements abroad should connect with universities in their home countries, Dame Heather McGregor, provost of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, said during a recent panel discussion hosted by Al-Fanar Media.

“What we want ultimately” is “for people to always connect to universities back in the region, and come back and raise the standards, and keep investing in the region”, said McGregor, who was one of two guests in a discussion called “Social Capital in the Arab World”, part of the Al-Fanar Media Talks series.

She was joined by Sherifa Fouad Sherif, executive director of Egypt’s National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development and a professor of public administration in the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University.

Read more: https://al-fanarmedia.org/2025/09/afm-talks-arab-scholars-abroad-should-connect-with-universities-at-home/

Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus المعهد القومي للحوكمة والتنمية المستدامة