About Issue 1:2
Summary of Issue Content
In this collection of thought-provoking articles and essays, we embark on a journey through a spectrum of global issues, each offering unique insights and perspectives.
Manal Hosny and Carine Zanchi advocate for the decolonization of university curricula, emphasizing its significance in the Middle Eastern context. They address the importance of centering Middle Eastern students within the curriculum for greater engagement.
Arnaud Lacheret's research focuses on the integration of female managers from North African immigrant backgrounds in France, offering a 'à la Française' perspective. His study reexamines the freedoms these managers negotiate within their families.
Ben Bennett-Carpenter's essay takes us on a philosophical exploration of the term 'global.' He reflects on its metaphorical, metonymic, and dialectic dimensions, encouraging us to consider its nuanced connotations.
Connie Price delves into the role of naturalism and political philosophy, particularly in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol events in 2021. She draws upon thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and David Hume to address the societal crises of our time.
Danish A. Ahmed emphasizes the importance of non-English languages in scientific research, shedding light on how language barriers hinder knowledge transfer and create biases in scientific fields.
Nesma Elsakaan takes us back in time to 972 when Ibn Hawqal visited Palermo, revealing the historical perceptions of the city's Muslim denizens and their depiction in his writings.
Gereon Kopf offers valuable insights into cross-cultural dialogue and engagement. He presents a metapsychology of the challenges in bridging physical and ideological boundaries in our increasingly divided world.
These diverse articles and essays come together to form a rich tapestry of global thought, addressing issues from education and culture to language and historical perspectives.
Featured Articles
- Manal Hosny and Carine Zanchi: Why We Should Decolonize the University Curriculum.
- French Female Managers of North African Origin: Integration “à la Française”.
- Ben Bennett-Carpenter: Preface to the Global as Trope-ical.
- Connie Price: Naturalism in America Today.
- Danish A. Ahmed. Non-English Languages Enrich Scientific Knowledge.
- Nesma Elsakaan: Beyond Ibn Hawqal’s Judgment on Palermo and Its Denizens.
- Gereon Kopf: How to talk across Boundaries.
- Alfarabi’s Book of Dialectic: On the Starting Point of Islamic Philosophy. (Book Review)
About the Articles
Arguments and ideas in the present articles represent those of the respective authors and not necessarily GUST University or the editors of this Newsletter.
1. Manal Hosny and Carine Zanchi: Why We Should Decolonize the University Curriculum
Applied to the Middle East, “decolonizing the curriculum” gains a new dimension. Regardless of the minority context, Middle Eastern students cannot find themselves in the Western textbook with which they study. To get students involved we need to make a real effort to decenter the curriculum.
2. Arnaud Lacheret: French Female Managers of North African Origin: Integration “à la Française”
Our last book addressed the way female managers from the Gulf negotiate a certain space of freedom within their families, for example having the right to study. I have reproduced this study and handed the same questionnaire to female managers from the second generation of North African immigrants to France.
3. Ben Bennett-Carpenter: Preface to the Global as Trope-ical
What’s the first thing that comes to mind for you when you hear the word “global”? Beyond the global as system or sphere, I have in mind the ways it may work as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, or dialectic. This short essay reflects briefly on some initial associations that may arise in the context of exploring global studies.
4. Connie Price: Naturalism in America Today
The attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, exposed the country’s subsistence on racism and denial. Ideas from political philosophy can encourage honesty about our crises. One such concept is naturalism. Another is Thomas Hobbes’ argument for the social contract. Thirdly, David Hume’s “sympathy” comprises his affirmation of political being.
5. Danish A. Ahmed. Non-English Languages Enrich Scientific Knowledge
Does science only speak English? The exclusive focus on the English language in scientific research hinders effective communication between scientists, practitioners, and policy makers whose mother tongue is non-English. This barrier in scientific knowledge and data transfer leads to significant knowledge gaps and creates biases in many fields of science.
6. Nesma Elsakaan: Beyond Ibn Hawqal’s Judgment on Palermo and Its Denizens
In 972, the Iraqi traveler Ibn Hawqal visited Palermo, the capital of Sicily under Kalbid rule. In his book, Kitāb al-Masālik wa-l-mamālik,he reports some aspects of the city and depicts its Muslim denizens as unsympathetic, accusing them of ‘foolishness’ (naqṣ ‘uqūlihim), ‘turbulence’ (khiffat al-’admigha), and ‘bad breath’ (fasād ḥawāshīhim).
7. Gereon Kopf: How to talk across Boundaries.
Despite all efforts to improve dialogue and exchange between cultures, religions, or ideologies the world today seems to be more bifurcated than ever. This essay will provide a metapsychology of this problem and suggests twenty rules of engagement of how to overcome boundaries, real and imagined, physical and ideological
Alfarabi’s Book of Dialectic: On the Starting Point of Islamic Philosophy (Book Review)
he first complete English translation of Alfarabi’s Kitāb al-jadal, a commentary on Aristotle’s Topics devoted to the art of dialectic (Cambridge University Press, 2019). Review by Catarina Belo.
