International agendas and local manifestations: Universities in Cairo, Beirut and Jerusalem after World War I

Abstract

This article traces the influence of international networks in three Middle Eastern universities from the 1920s onwards: the American University of Beirut, the American University in Cairo and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It shows how American, internationalist, imperial and religious actors competed and how the universities were placed in these often overlapping or interconnected networks. It illustrates the complicated process of institutionalizing the new universities, for instance in financing them or validating degrees. The article also looks at the role the universities played in the attempt to transform local societies, as they devised outreach programmes and language policies that aimed to spread English, to simplify Arabic, or to modernize Hebrew.Keywords American University of Beirut Á American University in Cairo Á Hebrew University Á Internationalism Á Outreach programmes Á Elite formation Á Language policiesIn the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, the Middle East hosted a plethora of educational initiatives. Colonial institutions were established; missionaries of different denominations launched various projects, often working with benevolent societies and American foundations; traditional institutions of learning were transformed to meet international standards; and educators experimented with different forms of indigenous education. Such efforts coexisted in Beirut,