April 13, 2011

Today was another fast mover in ole Egypt. Participated in an Open Seminar (about 200 faculty and students in attendance). Panel members included past and present Deans from Suez and other universities as well as a couple of university vice presidents. I find that there are times when the loudest voice is the one that speaks least. Besides my Arabic is not all that good, so it is easy to sit and look intellectual. Anyway I was struck by the common issues between here and at home. The topic for the seminar was “The Future of the College Of Education.” We discussed everything from staffing, salaries, community involvement, faculty development, governance and student involvement. It was very enlightening to find that we (at home) are not the only ones facing these issues. Seminar was long but very worthwhile. Rest of the day was spent with students or traveling back to Cairo. All is well.