American liberal education and the civic university: ‘citizenship’ and ‘learning’ at the American University of Beirut

ABSTRACT

This article examines constructions of ‘citizenship’ and ‘learning’ in university initiatives and curricula at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, contributing to theorizing in critical geographies of education. The methodology entailed examining: (i) educational rationales from the AUB archive (1922–2012); (ii) university catalogues (1880–2015) and (iii) contemporary university initiatives from the AUB website. This empirical examination is contextualized in relation to: (i) discourses on the mission of higher education including nation-building, the ‘civic’ university and its local embeddedness, and (ii) the neoliberal internationalization of higher education. These constructions of ‘citizenship’ and ‘learning’ are also socio-politically located in relation to the post-colonial history of the institution and region. My empirical analysis identifies three themes: discourses of the ‘moral’ role of education at AUB, its importance in a precarious region, and discourses of ‘common values’ amongst a diverse student body. I illustrate how these contested discourses of ‘citizenship’ and ‘learning’ are situated both within a discourse of the civic university, yet simultaneously negotiated and in tension with discourses and practices of neoliberalism in higher education. Despite these challenges, I propose that the post-colonial particularities of AUB in the region construct a space that enables faculty and students to exercise their agency.

KEYWORDS:

• Citizenship
• civic university
• knowledge production
• Lebanon
• neoliberal
• postcolonial

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 This Fellowship was part of a larger award to the American University of Beirut, intended to strengthen both research and teaching in the humanities and social sciences, constructed around the theme of intersections between West and East. In addition, this research study resulted in the development of a proposal for a MA level course ‘Citizenship in the Arab World’, as well as a proposal for an MSc in Citizenship Studies, based on the audit of existing course offerings.

2 For example, Welch (2012) notes the Great Library of Alexandria, founded by Ptolemy (323–283 BCE) as one of the earliest, which systematically collected material from all over the world.

3 With 40% of the population in the region being under the age of 18 (Faour and Muasher 2012).

4 Formerly Dubai Academic City until 2016 (where Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) is located; institutions from the former Dubai Knowledge Village after 2006 moved to Dubai Academic City).

5 AUB in 2017 is ranked as the top institution in the region for the first time http://website.aub.edu.lb/news/2017/Pages/qs-one-arab.aspx. Previously third in the region in 2016 and ranked 235 in the world: http://website.aub.edu.lb/news/2017/Pages/qs-ranking.aspx.

6 This reference to body is relatively under-focussed in university speeches. Of note however, is the reference to preserving extracurricular and sporting life in President Malcolm Kerr’s 1983 message to the AUB community at a time of great political difficulty facing Lebanon and the AUB community (AUB Bulletin, XXVI, no. 3, p. 3). In passing, Dorman (opening day comments, 2012) notes that the heavy curricular load reduces extracurricular and sporting opportunities. Khalaf (2012) argues that American soft power from the time of the missionaries onwards in AUB’s early history – ‘the winning of hearts and minds’, was largely successful through extracurricular and sporting life – an as yet unwritten history of the AUB.

7 A café/restaurant in Hamra, Beirut which was opened in 2006, known for frequently holding talks and other cultural/political activities, including being a meeting place for activists protesting the trash crisis in 2015/2016.

8 See Appendix 1 for the list of courses.