The Standing and Understanding of Scholars in Society: Arab and European Perspectives

International and Interdisciplinary Conference

At a time when academic expertise is increasingly questioned, politicized, and constrained, the societal role of scholars has become a matter of global concern. Against the backdrop of post-truth debates, science skepticism, and shifting expectations toward research and higher education, this alumni project by Dr. Luise Fischer and Dr. Jan Claudius Völkel sets out to critically examine how scholars understand their roles, responsibilities, and possibilities for engagement in different societal contexts.

Bringing together researchers from a wide range of disciplines, the project adopts a transregional perspective that connects experiences from Germany and Europe with those from the Arab world. While scholars in both contexts face growing pressure to justify their work and demonstrate societal relevance, the structural conditions under which they operate differ significantly. Limited academic freedom, restricted access to resources, and political constraints shape scholarly work in many Arab countries, while increasing competition, funding pressures, and public distrust challenge academia in Europe. The project seeks to make these similarities and differences visible and to open a dialogue across regions.

Scholars and their professional job descriptions have undergone major changes from their original focus on research and teaching to advising political decision-makers, promoting their work on social media and getting involved in public discourses. Given the rising scepticism many people have towards science, this required recalibration of science ethics requests a thorough reflection of positionalities and successful science communication strategies.

Jan Claudius Völkel, AGYA Alumnus

Encounters, discussions, and shared questions

Central to the project was an international author’s workshop held in Tunis, which brought together scholars from Germany, Europe and various Arab countries for three days of intensive discussion. Participants presented their ongoing research and discussed key themes such as academic freedom, ethics and truth in scholarship, education and societal engagement, data and research processes in the age of artificial intelligence, and the transfer of knowledge beyond academia. The format encouraged open exchange, critical feedback, and comparative reflection across disciplines and regional contexts. A key outcome of the workshop is the preparation of a collective volume addressing the societal standing of scholars in comparative perspective.

By combining scholarly exchange, critical reflection, and collaborative publication, the project contributes to ongoing debates about the role of scholars in times of societal transformation. Strengthening academic networks and advancing a nuanced, transregional discussion on scholars’ responsibilities and possibilities for engagement, both the workshop and the forthcoming special issue will make these debates accessible to a wider audience and extend the project’s impact beyond the workshop itself.