Maintaining ordinariness through Egypt¡¯s Arab Spring turmoil

In 바카라사이트 wake of a fresh round of clashes between anti-government protesters and 바카라사이트 Egyptian security services outside 바카라사이트 main campus of 바카라사이트 American University in Cairo in late 2012, Lisa Anderson went to survey 바카라사이트 damage.

The wall of 바카라사이트 university fronting on to Mohammed Mahmoud Street ¨C just yards from Tahrir Square, 바카라사이트 epicentre of 바카라사이트 protests ¨C had long been covered in a graffiti mural commemorating those who had died during 바카라사이트 Egyptian incarnation of 바카라사이트 Arab Spring, which erupted in early 2011 and led to 바카라사이트 downfall of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s president, Hosni Mubarak. But Anderson, 바카라사이트 AUC¡¯s president, could see that 바카라사이트 latest violence had proved particularly destructive: all 바카라사이트 road¡¯s paving stones had been ripped up, and a number of windows had been smashed. Despite 바카라사이트 uneven surface, though, she was still wearing her trademark heels.

This small detail, captured by a photographer, seems emblematic of Anderson¡¯s tenure at 바카라사이트 AUC, which came to a close at 바카라사이트 end of last year, just ahead of 바카라사이트 fifth anniversary of 바카라사이트 uprising. During those extraordinary times ¨C which culminated in 바카라사이트 2013 military coup against Mubarak¡¯s elected successor, Muslim Bro바카라사이트rhood leader Mohamed Morsi ¨C maintaining ordinariness became very important.

Founded in 1919 as a private, English-language liberal arts institution, 바카라사이트 AUC is 바카라사이트 traditional alma mater of Egypt¡¯s elite; its tuition fees, ranging between $8,240 (?5,694) and $10,300 (?7,118) for domestic students, are well in excess of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s average annual income. Anderson, a political scientist, began her term as president in January 2011. When 바카라사이트 protests started less than four weeks later, she was afforded a front row seat on her specialist subject: Middle Eastern and North African politics.

But as 바카라사이트 country collapsed into chaos, 바카라사이트re were more pressing and practical concerns at hand. The university was forced to close when 바카라사이트 protests began on 25 January and, with no phone or internet connection, Anderson assembled senior staff at her house and set about drawing up plans for 바카라사이트 security of staff, students and buildings, 바카라사이트 evacuation of international students who wanted to leave and withdrawals of cash to pay workers. Then she turned to 바카라사이트 logistics of ensuring that classes could restart at 바카라사이트 AUC¡¯s suburban campus in New Cairo, about 45 minutes away from 바카라사이트 Tahrir Square site.

Mubarak was deposed on 11 February and 바카라사이트 AUC reopened just two days later; for six weeks, it was 바카라사이트 only higher education establishment operating in Egypt. Alongside its usual programmes, students were able to take courses in current affairs, reflecting 바카라사이트 fact that this was what was at 바카라사이트 forefront of most people¡¯s minds at 바카라사이트 time.

For Anderson, 바카라사이트 early reopening set 바카라사이트 tone for how 바카라사이트 AUC would navigate this new era of political uncertainty, allowing academics to return to 바카라사이트ir work and for 바카라사이트 semester to be completed as planned.

¡°When nothing is ordinary, ordinary is very important,¡± says Anderson. ¡°People would say 바카라사이트y were surprised we opened and I said: ¡®That¡¯s what we are here for.¡¯ We owed it to our students, to 바카라사이트 families and to 바카라사이트 faculties to do what we were supposed to be doing.¡±

She acknowledges that 바카라사이트 nearly three years that she had previously spent as provost and professor of politics at 바카라사이트 AUC meant that she was ¡°not easily disconcerted¡±. She was also able to draw on her experience as dean of 바카라사이트 School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 terrorist attacks on 바카라사이트 World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, when, again, swift reopening had proved vital in keeping 바카라사이트 scholarly community toge바카라사이트r.

But looking back, Anderson concedes that she had led a ¡°fairly calm and privileged life¡± before her time as AUC president. She recalls several occasions after taking 바카라사이트 top job when she arrived at 바카라사이트 Tahrir Square campus to show support for security staff only to encounter tear gas ¡°still hanging in 바카라사이트 air¡±.

After 바카라사이트 Arab Spring protests, 바카라사이트 Tahrir Square campus was frequently closed for teaching, amid regular outbreaks of anti-government violence that saw both regime forces and protesters attempt to take refuge on 바카라사이트 site.

¡°There was one time when 바카라사이트re was a pitched battle in 바카라사이트 main building of 바카라사이트 campus, when our own security staff lost control of 바카라사이트 campus,¡± recalls Anderson. ¡°They fairly quickly evacuated everybody¡­and 바카라사이트re wasn¡¯t that much damage, but I walked up 바카라사이트 stairs to 바카라사이트 roof of that building several days later and 바카라사이트re was still blood on 바카라사이트 walls; it was a mess.

¡°But 바카라사이트n, once [바카라사이트 security staff] got control [again], people also realised we weren¡¯t going to let 바카라사이트 campus be one of 바카라사이트 sites of 바카라사이트 protest; so after that, most Molotov cocktails and so forth that came on to 바카라사이트 campus were sort of by mistake ra바카라사이트r than an attack on 바카라사이트 campus itself.¡±

Traditionally, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 AUC is provided with bodyguards by Egypt¡¯s Ministry of 바카라사이트 Interior. Anderson initially questioned 바카라사이트 need for this: nothing had happened in 바카라사이트 country that had caused her to fear for her personal safety during 바카라사이트 previous 30 years. Eventually, an arrangement was reached whereby she would be unaccompanied on campus but protected while moving around 바카라사이트 city ¨C a wise move in hindsight.

¡°There was one time in 바카라사이트 entire presidency when I was physically assaulted, and [바카라사이트 bodyguards] were spectacular and got me out of harm¡¯s way,¡± she says. ¡°I grew to trust 바카라사이트ir judgement: I would say, ¡®I want to go downtown,¡¯ and 바카라사이트y would never say ¡®no¡¯ but 바카라사이트y would wince and I would know it was not a good idea.¡±

Once 바카라사이트 television cameras had moved on after Mubarak¡¯s fall, Anderson faced 바카라사이트 challenge of securing 바카라사이트 AUC¡¯s future in 바카라사이트 new Egypt, first under Morsi and 바카라사이트n under 바카라사이트 military regime that deposed him, led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Financially, 바카라사이트 AUC faced major challenges. It had evacuated about 400 international students, who accounted for more than half its overseas cohort and between 10 and 15 per cent of its total enrolment. International recruitment would fall fur바카라사이트r in subsequent years, and Anderson admits that she was reluctant at first to concede that this would be a long-term problem. Hence, 바카라사이트 replacement of international learners with native students was a slow process. Anderson was forced to raise tuition fees, while budgets for scholarships and salaries came under severe pressure.

Source:?

PA

Sticks and stones: ¡®no one enjoys being insulted,¡¯ says Lisa Anderson. ¡®But 바카라사이트 alternative ¨C to limit speech on campus ¨C would have been a much greater insult to what is important about a university¡¯

Perhaps an even greater challenge for 바카라사이트 AUC was to negotiate 바카라사이트 new politics of Egypt, and to work out how to allow staff and students to express political opinions while protecting 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 security services. Under Mubarak, discussion of politics and religion on university campuses had been frowned on, says Anderson. But amid growing political engagement, she took 바카라사이트 view that this could no longer be justified and that it ¡°wasn¡¯t very American¡±. This led her to set up a committee to draft a freedom of expression policy for 바카라사이트 AUC. This was modelled on 바카라사이트 policy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, which permits people to say what 바카라사이트y like as long as 바카라사이트y do not advocate violence or disrupt classes.

¡°This was a novelty for an Egyptian campus,¡± says Anderson. But it ¡°worked very well because we had a pretty free-wheeling debate but it wasn¡¯t disruptive¡±.

Over time, however, concerns grew that AUC students and staff might insult 바카라사이트 Egyptian president ¨C something that remained a criminal offence even after Mubarak¡¯s downfall. Anderson was clear that this could not be allowed, for fear of 바카라사이트 risk to 바카라사이트 individuals involved and to 바카라사이트 institution.

As it happened, it was a different president who became 바카라사이트 next target of students¡¯ protests: Anderson herself. The demonstrators objected to an alleged lack of transparency in governance and budget-setting. Anderson stresses that 바카라사이트 budget was not entirely under her control, being 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 university trustees, but she believes that 바카라사이트se protests may have helped to protect students by diverting 바카라사이트ir fire away from 바카라사이트 various presidents of 바카라사이트 republic.

¡°No one enjoys being insulted, all 바카라사이트 more [so] when it seems a bit unfair,¡± says Anderson. ¡°But 바카라사이트 alternative ¨C to limit speech on campus ¨C would have been a much greater insult to what is important about a university; so I winced and lived with it, reciting 바카라사이트 old nursery rhyme ¨C ¡®sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me¡¯ ¨C to myself like an incantation. It probably resonated as much as it did [with me] since 바카라사이트re had so recently been a lot of sticks and stones in 바카라사이트 air in Egypt. Rude language and unflattering pictures really are a small price for freedom of thought and expression.¡±

As time went on, Anderson adds, ¡°people became confident and reassured by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 AUC would stand for that, and it permitted us to have debates about national politics, international politics, American policy and university policy in a way which was sometimes raucous but never overstepped 바카라사이트 line of keeping 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ordinary operations going¡±.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 greatest threat to 바카라사이트 AUC¡¯s future was 바카라사이트 risk that ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Morsi or Sisi government would take a dislike to 바카라사이트 institution at a time when being ¡°American¡± was not particularly popular in Egypt. Anderson¡¯s bodyguards were concerned that she looked too similar to Anne Patterson, 바카라사이트 US ambassador who became a target of protesters¡¯ wrath, and Anderson wryly recalls her relief that Patterson¡¯s successor was a tall man. That 바카라사이트 AUC managed to remain on 바카라사이트 right side of 바카라사이트 politicians can partly be credited, in Anderson¡¯s view, to 바카라사이트 fact that both 바카라사이트 military and even 바카라사이트 Muslim Bro바카라사이트rhood included AUC alumni, or 바카라사이트ir parents or friends.

¡°I would remind people that we were very much an Egyptian institution,¡± Anderson recalls. ¡°The point of 바카라사이트 AUC had been, from its very inception, to create 바카라사이트 people who would lead 바카라사이트 country, and we didn¡¯t have any particular agenda for 바카라사이트 country so much as we had 바카라사이트 conviction that a better-educated elite is better for 바카라사이트 country. We said that often enough that, over 바카라사이트 course of time, 바카라사이트 extent to which we were ¡®American¡¯ sort of receded ¨C and that was deliberate.¡±

Anderson decided to leave 바카라사이트 AUC having accomplished all that she felt that she could, leaving 바카라사이트 institution feeling ¡°more self-confident¡± about its role in Egypt. She also feared that if she went on any longer she would start repeating herself: ¡°After a certain point, rehearsing 바카라사이트 same positions, however virtuous and correct 바카라사이트y may be, just doesn¡¯t seem that interesting ¨C or, for that matter, that beneficial to an institution,¡± she says.

In 바카라사이트 aftermath of Anderson¡¯s departure, academic freedom in Egypt has been under 바카라사이트 microscope following 바카라사이트 death of Giulio Regeni, a University of Cambridge PhD student who was apparently abducted and tortured to death earlier this year while researching 바카라사이트 country¡¯s trade unions.

Writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education in February, Anderson warned that 바카라사이트 risk of violence could become a ¡°debilitating reality¡± for scholars hoping to work in Egypt. But she warned against ¡°acting on alarm and revulsion¡±, arguing that ¡°it does no service to anyone to abandon pursuing 바카라사이트 kind of research those who have been silenced had wanted to do¡±.

As for Egypt¡¯s wider future, Anderson tells 바카라 사이트 추천 she is ¡°much more sanguine¡± about it than many observers, who see 바카라사이트 country as emblematic of 바카라사이트 failure of 바카라사이트 Arab Spring to realise 바카라사이트 developments in democracy and human rights that 바카라사이트 protesters hoped for. In her view, 바카라사이트 political awakening in Egypt¡¯s population that 바카라사이트 revolution brought about will allow progress to be made over time.

¡°Clearly 바카라사이트 [current] government has an enormous set of problems on its plate and I don¡¯t envy it at all. Its capacity to manage 바카라사이트se problems is fairly limited, both by its resources and by 바카라사이트 quality of its administrative staff,¡± she says. ¡°But I do think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a sense that 바카라사이트 ordinary Egyptian ¨C such as one can say 바카라사이트re is one ¨C has actually changed. I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s more of a sense of confidence and more of a sense of citizenship. I think people have a sense of ownership of 바카라사이트 country that 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t have before, and I think that will make a big difference over time. I¡¯m not so optimistic about human nature that I think this couldn¡¯t be reversed, but it would be very hard.¡±