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ABSTRACT
The procedural concept of university democracy as relying on an existing customary or written law that guarantees a real, forthright, integral system of power and counter-power that can ensure the widest participation for all stakeholders in the management of university affairs, and in the management of the symbiotic relationship between the university and its social environment, was adopted for this study. In an attempt to measure the presence of democracy in the discourses, practices, courses and education curricula of 36 Arab universities in 18 Arab countries, the study was based on the findings of a survey collected on the discourses of the universities in question. Analytical material that detailed and documented examples of each of the ‘connotations on democracy’ was scrutinized. Conclusions show the ‘weakness’ to ‘no presence’ of democracy in some Arab universities’ curricula, programmes and courses. This may not be the result of a premeditated planning strategy, but rather one that is undoubtedly absent on coordination between the discourse of university leaders and the spread of the democracy in its meaning, behaviour and ethics within college life activities and course contents. In addition, there are forces that hinder democratic practice within the very university institutions that host democratic practice incentives. Analysis of both internal and external environments indicates an emphasis on the negative and stringent resistance to evolution by a large proportion of teachers, along with resistance to change in leaders.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 For full details, see http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001892/189242e.pdf/.
2 For full details, see both http://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/who-we-ar/ and http://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/who-we-ar/talloires-declaration/.
3 For full details, see http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/maan/Pages/default.aspx/.
4 The American model of liberal arts education is one such example.
5 See the president's message, University of Jordan (state university) at http://www.ju.edu.jo/home.aspx.
6 See the Faculty of Science, Sfax University, Tunisia (public), at http://www.fss.rnu.tn/index.php?lang=fr; the University of Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco (public) at http://www.uh2c.ac.ma/index.php; and the Faculty of Law at Bahrain University (public) at http://www.uob.edu.bh/pages.aspx?module=pages&id=163&SID=86/.
7 See Assiyut University website (Egypt, public) at http://www.aun.edu.eg/.
8 See the Dean's Address, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University (public) at http://www.eng.cu.edu.eg/; and the Center of Excellence for Training and Human Development Objectives (October 6th University, Egypt; state university) at http://o6u.edu.eg/Services.aspx?FactId=0&id=190/.
9 See the Dean's Address of the Lebanese University (public) at http://www.ul.edu.lb/.
10 See the Department of Humanities, Qatar University (state university) at http://www.qu.edu.qa/artssciences/humanities/.
11 See Notre Dame University, Lebanon (private) at http://www.ndu.edu.lb/index.htm/.
12 See the Faculty of Physical Education, Baghdad University (public) at http://www.cope.uobaghdad.edu.iq/default.aspx; and Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (public) at http://www.pnu.edu.sa/ar/Pages/Home.aspx/.
13 See the Higher Institute of Accountancy and Institution Management, Tunisia (public) at http://www.iscae.rnu.tn/Fr/restaurant-universitaire_11_259/.
14 See the Quality Assurance Unit, Faculty of Engineering, Assiyut University (Egypt, public) at http://www.aun.edu.eg/faculty_engineering/arabic/qual_assur.htm/.
15 See AUB record, Lebanon (private) at http://www.aub.edu.lb/main/Pages/index.aspx; president of the Lebanese University (public) at http://www.ul.edu.lb; and Birzeit University, Palestine (private) at http://www.birzeit.edu/ar/.
16 See Birzeit University, Palestine (private) at http://www.birzeit.edu/ar/.
17 See the Faculty of Engineering, Baghdad University (public) at http://www.coeng.uobaghdad.edu.iq/.
18 See the American University of Kuwait (private) at http://www.auk.edu.kw/cgs/index.jsp/.
19 See Notre Dame University (Université Notre-Dame-de-Louaizé; private, Catholic), Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon at http://www.ndu.edu.lb/index.htm/.
20 See AUC (Egypt, private) at http://www.aucegypt.edu/Pages/default.aspx/.
21 See the dean's message, Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences, Tangier, Université AbdelMalak Essaidi (Morocco, public) at http://www.fsjest.ma/.
22 See University Discourse, Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates (state university) at http://www.adu.ac.ae/.
23 See the AUB (Lebanon, private) record at http://www.aub.edu.lb/main/Pages/index.aspx/.
24 See the head of the Department of Curricula and Teaching Methodology, Faculty of Education, Bahrain University (public) at http://www.uob.edu.bh/pages.aspx?module=pages&id=1269&SID=369; and Princess Nora Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (public) at http://www.pnu.edu.sa/ar/Pages/Home.aspx/.
25 See the Male Faculty of Medicine, Azhar University, Egypt (private) at http://www.azhar.edu.eg/bfac/domfacmed/index.htm/.
26 See the Dean's Message, Agricultural and Marine Sciences Institute, Oman. http://www.squ.edu.om/college-agricultural/tabid/135/language/en-US/Default.aspx; and Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman (state university) at http://www.squ.edu.om/.
27 See Université Saint Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon (private, Catholic); and Zahle, Sidon, Tripoli, at http://www.usj.edu.lb/.
28 See Human Rights Association, activities paragraph Assiyut University (Egypt, public) at http://www.aun.edu.eg/faculty_law/arabic/human_rights/index.htm; and Ibn Rochd Education Unit for Peace Studies and Human Rights, Faculty of Education for Humanities, Baghdad University, Iraq (public) at http://www.ircoedu.uobaghdad.edu.iq/PageViewer.aspx?id=27/.
29 See United Arab Emirates University, El Ain (state university) at http://www.uaeu.ac.ae/en/.
30 See the Dean's address, Faculty of Law, University of Alger 1, Algiers, Algeria (public) at http://www.fac-droit-alger.dz/Droit/index.php?page=3/.
31 See the President's Message, American University, Cairo (private) at http://www.aucegypt.edu/Pages/default.aspx/.
32 See Abdelmalek Essaidi University, Morocco (public) at http://www.uae/ma/.
33 See Assiut University website, http://www.aun.edu.eg/faculty_computer_information/Arabic/?width=1280/.
34 For more details, see 2012–2017 Ain Shams University Strategic Plan, Egypt (public), http://art.scuegypt.edu.eg/attach/S_plan_adab.pdf.
35 For more details, see Amman Ahlya University, Jordan, (private) Strategic Plan, http://www.ammanu.edu.jo/Arabic/pdf/Strategic%20Plan2013-2018.pdf.
36 For more details, see Developing a High Impact Strategic Plan (2012–2016), College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia (state university); the first draft dated 16 January 2010 was approved on 5 February 2012, https://pharmacy.ksu.edu.sa/sites/pharmacy.ksu.edu.sa/files/imce_images/final-approved-stratigic-plan_2016.pdf.
37 For more details, see Our Community of Learning: A Strategic Plan for AUC at its Centennial, https://documents.aucegypt.edu/docs/about_StrategicPlanning/AUC%20Strategic%20Plan%20Final%20Text,%20April%2015,%202015.pdf.
38 See note 37.
39 See Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Morocco (public) at http://www.uae/ma/.
40 See note 39.
41 See note 39.
42 For more details, see 2008–2013 Strategic Plan for the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt (public), http://qac.alexu.edu.eg/index.php/ar/strategic-plan-ar.
43 For more details, see Qatar University Strategic Plan 2013–2016, http://www.qu.edu.qa/static_file/qu/About/documents/qu-strategic-plan-2013-2016-en.pdf.