Civil society and state practices in Egypt. Case studies: Innovation and civic education

In this study, I explore the different factors enabling civil society in influencing state practices. And how this is reflected in the social and economic development of the state. I am mainly focusing on Egypt, specifically going through a comparative analysis of the different development strategies from Nasser till Al Sisy. In addition, drawing a comparison between Innovation and Civic Education as two case studies. The framework through which the dynamic state society relations are explored is Michael Mann\u27s Sources of Social Power and Joel S. Migdal\u27s Strong Societies and Weak States . The different factors I identified were; political change, the purpose of the local civil society actors, as well as international support. The influence of these factors on state practices from recognition of civil society, support to civil society, and policy change. And thus, identifying the social and economic development of the state

University and School Collaborations during a Pandemic

Based on twenty case studies of universities worldwide, and on a survey administered to leaders in 101 universities, this open access book shows that, amidst the significant challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, universities found ways to engage with schools to support them in sustaining educational opportunity. In doing so, they generated considerable innovation, which reinforced the integration of the research and outreach functions of the university. The evidence suggests that universities are indeed open systems, in interaction with their environment, able to discover changes that can influence them and to change in response to those changes. They are also able, in the success of their efforts to mitigate the educational impact of the pandemic, to create better futures, as the result of the innovations they can generate. This challenges the view of universities as “ivory towers” being isolated from the surrounding environment and detached from local problems. As they reached out to schools, universities not only generated clear and valuable innovations to sustain educational opportunity and to improve it, this process also contributed to transform internal university processes in ways that enhanced their own ability to deliver on the third mission of outreach

Deconstructing the Veneer of Simplicity: Co-Designing Introductory Generative AI Workshops with Local Entrepreneurs

Generative AI platforms and features are permeating many aspects of work. Entrepreneurs from lean economies in particular are well positioned to outsource tasks to generative AI given limited resources. In this paper, we work to address a growing disparity in use of these technologies by building on a four-year partnership with a local entrepreneurial hub dedicated to equity in tech and entrepreneurship. Together, we co-designed an interactive workshops series aimed to onboard local entrepreneurs to generative AI platforms. Alongside four community-driven and iterative workshops with entrepreneurs across five months, we conducted interviews with 15 local entrepreneurs and community providers. We detail the importance of communal and supportive exposure to generative AI tools for local entrepreneurs, scaffolding actionable use (and supporting non-use), demystifying generative AI technologies by emphasizing entrepreneurial power, while simultaneously deconstructing the veneer of simplicity to address the many operational skills needed for successful application

A critical institutionalist analysis of youth participation in Jordan's spatial planning the case of Amman 2025

By 2050, it is estimated that 84% of the population in the Global South will be living in urban areas. As a country of the Global South, Jordan has experienced dramatic growth of urban areas over the past decades. Cities in Jordan contain 83% of the population, of which, it is estimated, 24% are in the age group 15–24. Youth input, effort and experience in the planning process are recognised by academic research and international aid donors as a significant element in catalysing positive social and economic change and ensuring sustainable development across the Global South. Consequently, this research aims to investigate whether young groups’ vision and aspirations for, and perspectives on the city of Amman were translated into strategies or projects in urban policy. In doing so, it aims to explore the wide range of institutional challenges and opportunities that either hinder or encourage youth participation in policymaking. To achieve this aim, this study followed the inductive–deductive cycle of knowledge. This research starts with a critical literature review of theories in planning, governance, youth participation and spatial planning in Jordan. Healey’s systemic institutional design for collaborative planning was employed to critically analyse the planning system (hard infrastructure) and planning practice (soft infrastructure) within the chosen case study of Amman 2025. Amman 2025 is a significant and unique strategic spatial planning project in Jordan designed to encourage public participation in the policymaking process regarding urban development in Amman. New primary data were collected through extensive qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews and focus groups to cover the period from the start of Amman 2025, in 2006, to the conducting of data collection in 2015. With the research objectives in mind, a thematic analysis was conducted to identify salient themes in order to address the research aims. The findings of this study show that youth participation in Jordan is neither inherent in the legal, political and administrative framework of the planning system nor in the embedded institutional settings within the planning practice of Jordan. Most importantly, cultural imperialism in Jordan weakens young people’s chances of being considered for any decision-making roles relevant to planning activities. Enhancing youth participation in spatial planning in Jordan requires the institutional capacity of urban governance to be built up to enable a more collaborative planning practice, in addition to applying principles of good governance in the planning system

An aesthetic for sustainable interactions in product-service systems?

Copyright @ 2012 Greenleaf PublishingEco-efficient Product-Service System (PSS) innovations represent a promising approach to sustainability. However the application of this concept is still very limited because its implementation and diffusion is hindered by several barriers (cultural, corporate and regulative ones). The paper investigates the barriers that affect the attractiveness and acceptation of eco-efficient PSS alternatives, and opens the debate on the aesthetic of eco-efficient PSS, and the way in which aesthetic could enhance some specific inner qualities of this kinds of innovations. Integrating insights from semiotics, the paper outlines some first research hypothesis on how the aesthetic elements of an eco-efficient PSS could facilitate user attraction, acceptation and satisfaction

Supporting leadership development in European Universities: a mixed methods study of digital education leadership literacies for higher education

This exploratory mixed methods case study research addressed the problem of how a framework of digital education leadership literacies can support European campus-based universities in implementing strategic and organizational change to improve the way technology is used for teaching and learning. The study applied qualitative and quantitative approaches through a Delphi study; a thematic analysis of (a) case study data collected from three campus-based universities (France, Belgium, United Kingdom), and (b) selected digital education leadership development programmes; statistical analysis of data collected via a survey with academics (n=102); and a final online focus group. The main findings of the study confirm Digital Education Leadership Literacies for Higher Education (DELLHE) as a theoretically and empirically grounded novel concept and framework. The results highlight the need to focus more explicitly on cultural, pedagogical, ethical, relational, and environmental issues in digital education leadership development, and to take a whole-institution approach to developing leadership capacity for digital education.Esta investigación exploratoria plantea de qué forma un marco de alfabetización del liderazgo en educación digital puede ayudar a las universidades presenciales europeas a implementar cambios estratégicos y organizacionales para mejorar el uso de la tecnología para la educación superior. Para realizar la investigación se ha aplicado una metodología mixta a través de un estudio Delphi; un análisis temático de a) estudios de casos de tres universidades presenciales (de Francia, Bélgica y Reino Unido), y b) una selección de programas de desarrollo del liderazgo en educación digital; un análisis de los datos de una encuesta con académicos (n=102), y un grupo focal final en línea. Los principales hallazgos confirman el marco Digital Education Leadership Literacies for Higher Education (DELLHE) como un concepto novedoso fundamentado teórica y empíricamente. Asimismo, destacan la necesidad de centrarse en cuestiones culturales, pedagógicas, éticas, relacionales y ambientales, y de adoptar un enfoque institucional sistémico para desarrollar la capacidad de liderazgo para la educación digital.Aquesta investigació exploratòria planteja de quina manera un marc d'alfabetització del lideratge en educació digital pot ajudar les universitats presencials europees a implementar canvis estratègics i organitzacionals per millorar l'ús de la tecnologia per a l'educació superior. Per fer la recerca s'ha aplicat una metodologia mixta mitjançant un estudi Delphi; una anàlisi temàtica de a) estudis de casos de tres universitats presencials (França, Bèlgica i el Regne Unit), i b) una selecció de programes de desenvolupament del lideratge en educació digital; una anàlisi de dades d'un qüestionari amb acadèmics (n=102), i un grup focal final en línia. Les principals troballes confirmen el marc Digital Education Leadership Literacies for Higher Education (DELLHE) com un concepte nou fonamentat teòricament i empíricament. Destaquen, també, la necessitat de centrar-se en qüestions culturals, pedagògiques, ètiques, relacionals i ambientals, i d'adoptar un enfocament institucional sistèmic per desenvolupar la capacitat de lideratge per a l'educació digital.E-learnin

InterAction : How Can Academics and the Third Sector Work Together to Influence Policy and Practice?

In this report Carnegie Fellow Professor Mark Shucksmith argues that to make an impact on social policy universities must work more closely with civil society.  The report: explores the different approaches of both sectors to knowledge and evidence; investigates the obstacles and challenges to collaboration; highlights examples of successful interactions; and makes a series of recommendations to those in the third sector, academia and the research funding councils as to how more positive collaboration can be encourage

Enhancing Free-text Interactions in a Communication Skills Learning Environment

Learning environments frequently use gamification to enhance user interactions.Virtual characters with whom players engage in simulated conversations often employ prescripted dialogues; however, free user inputs enable deeper immersion and higher-order cognition. In our learning environment, experts developed a scripted scenario as a sequence of potential actions, and we explore possibilities for enhancing interactions by enabling users to type free inputs that are matched to the pre-scripted statements using Natural Language Processing techniques. In this paper, we introduce a clustering mechanism that provides recommendations for fine-tuning the pre-scripted answers in order to better match user inputs