As September approaches, several topics need your attention.
At the top of the list, I hope our Middle Eastern experts will address curriculum issues related to 9/11. The terrorist attack continues to shape international relations curricula, but I believe that history, political science, and international relations programs largely fail to teach the history and politics of the Middle East adequately. They often fall short in explaining why the attacks took place, as well as in educating students about Islam, the region, and America’s subsequent wars. A survey from last year revealed that 30 percent of Gen Z students think Osama bin Laden’s ideas had merit—a troubling sign of how poorly these critical topics are being taught.
Other topics also require your analysis.
Richard Vedder has written extensively on college sports, but there’s room for more voices. Some argue that college athletics, with burgeoning professional opportunities and financial incentives, is steering colleges and universities away from their academic missions. Do you agree with this assessment?
Additionally, I believe conservatives who are optimistic about the decline of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) initiatives—citing examples like Florida and Texas banning DEI offices and administrators—are naive. As I reported earlier this year, these administrators often transition into teaching roles, where they continue to influence required coursework, pushing anti-American and anti-Western agendas. While conservatives may claim victory in dismantling DEI departments, they’re merely picking low-hanging fruit—celebrating the win while leaving the underlying structure intact.
Finally, with an election year upon us, no contributor has yet looked into their crystal ball. What new education policies might we see if Kamala Harris is elected? Conversely, how might Trump, if elected, shake up higher education?
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You really mean 9/11, not and/or 10/7? I think the latter is much more timely right now, and in the long run, may turn out to be more important.
Feel free to write about that.
“… history, political science, and international relations programs largely fail to teach the history and politics of the Middle East adequately. They often fall short in explaining why the attacks took place, as well as in educating students about Islam, the region, and America’s subsequent wars”
I have often wondered how much a man named Adolph Hitler is responsible — how much of this started with National Socialism.