MUBS Receives Stevens Initiative and Aspen Institute Grant to Lead Research on Virtual Exchange

By MUBS Communications Dept., 2000-2021.

A research team from the Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS) was awarded one-year research funding from Stevens Initiative and Aspen Institute to study “Marginalization and Underrepresentation in Virtual Exchange”, leading an alliance of scholars from University of Arizona, Newcastle University, Open University, HBCU Africa Education Consortium, and Class2Class to critically assess Virtual Exchange as a vehicle for action, public engagement, and socio-political change.  Virtual Exchange (VE) is an innovative approach that uses technology to connect students and scholars across continents and cultures, allowing them access to educational resources, hands-on collaborative training, international exposure, and unique learning opportunities abroad, without having to leave their communities.

Despite the documented advantages of VE, it is prone to suffer from Western hegemony and limited access, as any other form of online education. The researchers, thus, will seek to understand the challenges and pitfalls in VE for educators and administrators from marginalized and/or underrepresented regions, which will enable the researchers to identify practices and formulate policies that can contribute to mitigating the impact of these challenges on under-served populations. The urgency of the project was amplified as educators around the world recognized the importance of developing virtual learning environments that engage learners and educators during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Stevens grant will support the work of an international team that includes Dr. Mirjam Hauck (Open University, UK), Dr. Liudmila Klimanova (University of Arizona, USA), Dr. Müge Satar (Newcastle University, UK), Dr. Loye Ashton (Class2Class, USA), Mr. Kwabena Boateng (African Diaspora Nation, South Africa). The team is led by Dr. Nael Alami, supported by Dr. Joanne Karam, Mrs. Ramona Nasr, and Mrs. Mariam Fadel.

The Stevens Initiative is committed to helping expand the virtual exchange field through three pillars of work: investing in promising programs, sharing knowledge and resources, and advocating for virtual exchange adoption. The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the world.

 

For further information: research@mubs.edu.lb