Modern Education and Arab Nationalism in Kuwait, 1911-1961
GSC Lecture Series
Although Arab nationalism is not accorded a prominent role in Gulf history, this presentation demonstrates that it was in fact central to the emergence of a modern political identity in Kuwait in the twentieth century. Going beyond the realm of traditional politics, it focuses on modern education as a primary channel through which Kuwaitis interacted and came to identify with the broader Arab world. This process began in the 1910s and 20s, when Kuwaiti merchants and reformist ‘ulama’, inspired by the Arab nahda or cultural renaissance, established the shaykhdom’s first modern schools. The rise of Pan-Arabist activism in Kuwait between the 1930s and 1950s greatly influenced the development of education, with Kuwait’s Educational Department becoming bastion of Arab nationalist influence within the state. This fostered intimate cooperation with Arabs from across the region, notably Palestine and Egypt, who played a prominent role in shaping education in the country.
Dr Talal Al-Rashoud is an Assistant Professor of Modern Arab history at Kuwait University. He obtained his PhD in history from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and holds master’s degrees in history and government from King’s College London and Georgetown University respectively. Dr Al-Rashoud specialises in the history of modern ideological movements in the Gulf region and their transnational connections, as well as the history of modern education in the Gulf.
Dr Al-Rashoud's discussant will be Dr. Saleh Al-Nafisi, Assistant Professor of Politics at GUST.
The Lecture is hybrid. Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88654925613?pwd=kq4maD49UWTTo3CFjbT66hZU43bddA.1
Passcode: 550128
6pm Kuwait time (Riyad time)
(Note that the Zoom Link on the Zoom page might display the wrong time.)
Physical location: Room N4-002 GUST (map)
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