Dealing with the Intangible: Using the Analytical Lens of Hidden Curricula for a Transformative Paradigm of Sustainable Higher Education

There is a broad consensus that universities have the potential to act as drivers of education for sustainable development (ESD) and constitute fundamental vehicles to explore, test, develop and communicate conditions for necessary socio-ecological transformations. This goes hand in hand with stronger acknowledgment of the societal role of universities and the related need for a new transformative paradigm of sustainable higher education. Before such a paradigm can be established, before higher education can be transformative, universities themselves must be transformed. Despite various pioneer projects and frontrunners of sustainable universities, real transformations are still rare though.

Virtuous Engineers

Modern approaches to engineering ethics typically involve the systematic application of universal abstract principles, reflecting the culturally dominant paradigm of technical rationality. By contrast, virtue ethics recognizes that sensitivity to context and practical judgment are indispensable in particular concrete situations, and therefore focuses on the person who acts, rather than the action itself. Moral and intellectual virtues are identified within a specific social practice in accordance with its proper purpose, its societal role and associated responsibilities, and the internal goods that are unique to it. As a result, ethics is recognized as something integral to engineering, rather than supplemental to it. This is necessary and appropriate, since engineers are often the decision-makers in contexts where the potential beneficiaries and harm-bearers are not the same, such that even their routine technical choices have ethical ramifications.

“Public communication science in times of the Covid-19 crisis”: DACH 21 preconference

What is public science? What can communication science scholars contribute to society, especially in times of crisis? What are the challenges and limitations of such engagement? These questions were addressed at a recent preconference held on April 7, 2021, titled “Public communication science in times of the Covid-19 crisis”. The preconference was organized as part of the DACH 21 conference (the first three-country conference on commu nication science) and was held online with more than 50 participants. It was an excellent opportunity to stimulate discussion among Swiss, Austrian, and German scholars regarding the self-understanding and societal role of the discipline. The preconference was hosted by the association Öffentliche Medien- und Kommunikations wissenschaft (Public Media and Communication Science, PMCS), which aims to establish, promote, and further develop the concept of public science in the field.The co-presidents of the PMCS association, Prof. Dr. Marlis Prinzing (Hochschule Macro media Köln) and Prof. Dr. Mark Eisenegger (University of Zurich), welcomed all participants to the preconference. They emphasized that the preconference aimed to bring together diverse perspectives and to reflect on principles as laid out in the charter of the association (https://oeffentliche-kowi.org/charta/). This charter consists of fifteen principles and was signed by more than 250 scholars.

The Role of Native Weaknesses and Cultural Conflicts in Escalating Colonial Supremacy in the Igbo Society, as Perceived in Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe

The colonial invaders and their repressive means of governance in Africa were not the only reasons that could be solely held accountable for the fall of indigenous African society during the colonial invasion. Native weaknesses, socio-cultural conflicts and hegemony were equally responsible for the falling apart of native social setups when confronted with colonial alternatives. Native people had had their own covert religious and cultural limitations long before the colonizers entered their soil. The colonial powers cleverly used such inherent societal flaws of African people as excuses to impose European religion and traditions on them. Chinua Achebe does not blindly idealize native African traditions in his writings. He frequently narrates his doubts on flawed socio-cultural practices and moral dualities in the native society, too. This paper is an attempt to explore how innate weaknesses of native Igbo people, socio-cultural conflicts and domination in the native society have also made it easier for the colonial administration to prolong their supremacy in the Igbo land, as depicted in Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe. It also elaborates how Ezeulu, the chief priest of god Ulu, falls from dominance in his society because of his intent to execute personal desires which jeopardize his societal role in the Igbo land.

The Translation of Islamic Women-Related Legal Terms and Metaphors: A Comparative Study of Fazlul Karim’s (1938) and Robson’s (1963) Versions of Mishkat-ul-Masabih

Through the instrumentality of the translation allusions strategies proposed by Leppihalme (1997) and the Skopos-plus-loyalty approach developed by Nord (1997), the present study scrutinizes the English translation of six Islamic-legal terms and six metaphors used for women in selected Prophetic Hadith from two English versions of Al-Tabrīzī’s (d. 1348 A.D.) Mishkat-ul-Masabih that have been translated by Fazlul Karim (1938) and Robson (1963). The results indicate that Fazlul Karim’s (1938) translation of the of Islamic-legal terms shows his commitment to provide the Muslim reader with the necessary Islamic rulings and opinions taken from the Prophetic Hadith. However, the language in his translation is found to be incomprehensible in many cases because it strictly adheres to the Arabic structure. By comparison, Robson’s (1963) language appears natural and the terms are translated more accurately regarding the ‘general meaning’ of the word. In addition, his translation is comprehensible and coherent. Fazlul Karim’s (1938) translation of metaphors of women shows that, in most cases, he uses an inaccurate translation for the respective metaphor. Robson (1963) is found to be consistent with his skopos of using natural English. This study is an attempt to shed light on the importance of gaining knowledge about the culture that surrounds the terms related to women and its effects on translation. It endeavors to draw attention to the role of translation in reflecting the appropriate status and societal role of women at a particular time with special emphasis on terms that consist of a combination of physical, social, and legal aspects.

Language and dialect between past and future

Chapter 24 surveys the book’s main arguments, which include especially the emergence of the modern language / dialect distinction during the early sixteenth century and the subsequent formulation of its main interpretations. Above all, however, this chapter emphasizes that the language / dialect distinction unmistakably has a history, for too long neglected, and that it is not a timeless and self-evident given. Having established its historicity, Chapter 24 fields the question of whether the conceptual pair has a future, to which an answer, both tentative and brief, is offered. On the one hand, it is suggested that a reconceptualization of the distinction can be a viable option. On the other hand, the fact that the conceptual pair has become common knowledge gives linguists not only the opportunity but also, and especially, the responsibility to take on a more prominent societal role in language / dialect disputes.

Towards Implementing Transdisciplinarity in Post-Soviet Academic Systems: An Investigation of the Societal Role of Universities in Armenia

The concept of transdisciplinarity (TD) has been introduced to find solutions for complex sustainability challenges via knowledge co-production by scientists and societal actors. The understanding of the societal role of universities is a critical factor when implementing transdisciplinarity in the academic systems of Post-Soviet countries, given their historic development. Using Armenia as a case, we adopted a qualitative research approach by analyzing legal documents, conducting semi-structured expert interviews and focus group discussions with a range of stakeholders. We identified discrepancies of expectations between stakeholders as challenges for a joint understanding of the societal role of universities, as well as differently perceived competences and motivations, which can lead to trust deficits. The results are discussed according to four main features of transdisciplinarity: focusing on real-life problems, transcending and integrating disciplinary paradigms, ensuring participatory research and teaching, and searching for unity of knowledge beyond disciplines. Findings show that no formal obstacles exist for implementing transdisciplinarity in two Armenian universities and that the societal understanding of the role of universities could be expanded. Yet, while society is in principle ready for collaboration, the initiative is expected to come from academia. A particular responsibility will lie with teachers from the younger generation to become key-agents for change.