Producing Knowledge in the War Zones: Challenges and Risks of Academia in Rojava

AbstractThis paper is based on the ongoing studies that examines the notion of producing knowledge and pursuing academic activities under exceptional circumstances. It is argued that academia and scientific institutions are under scrutiny in terms of their independence, neutrality and quality of producing knowledge and scientific achievements. In the countries that have lesser chance for freedom of expression and dialogue atmosphere, scientific institutions are naturally under less advantage academic conditions. Arguably, they are directly connected to the interests and the will of the state or powerful groups in society. Thus, this paper tries to shed light on the conditions within which universities and academic institutions in war zones and areas besieged by chaos and state failure. The paper is written with a focus on Syria and particularly on North Eastern Self Administration entity of Rojava. The paper tries to look at the challenges that these institutions are facing, in terms frameworks and recognition, freedom of works and limitations, risk of life and safety, and most importantly, the quality of producing knowledge and their academic staff. Another aspect that this paper tries to highlight is the claim of providing new and different style of knowledge productions out of the frame of mainstream style of academia in the world. How alternative and radical modes and methods of teaching and learning can develop in such an environment? What forms of relations between academia and society are developed, and what are the main obstacles in front of these relations? For this purpose, the focus will be on two recently established universities in Rojava, ‘University of Rojava and Kobane University’. My contribution is based on my experiences of working as an instructor of social and political thoughts at the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Rojava as well as my multiple visits to the actual Area of Syria and Rojava and conducting interviews with students, staff, and education policy makers in this region.Keywords: Universityproducing knowledgewar zoneRojavachallenges Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Notes1 Sansom and Milton, ‘Syrian Higher Education during Conflict: Survival, Protection, and Regime Security’, International Journal of Educational Development 64, (2019), pp. 38–47.2 Moaz Alsherfawi and Sulaiman Mouselli, ‘NGO Education at Syrian Higher Education Institutions: A Tale of Two Universities’, Journal of Service, Innovation and Sustainable Development 3(2), (2022), pp. 98–112.3 UNICEF, ‘Whole of Syria Humanitarian Situation Report: End of Year 2021’, (9 February 2022), available at: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNICEF%20Whole%20of%20Syria%20Humanitarian%20Situation%20Report%20-%20January%20-%20.4 United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), ‘SDG 4 QualityEducation: 2021 Report’, (2021), available at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2021/goal-04/.5 Seevan Saeed, The dilemma of the Kurdish struggle in Turkey, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 21(3), (2019), pp. 274–285.6 The terminology of Rojava which literally means west; has been introduced by Kurdish movement two decades ago which is meant to be western part of Kurdistan.7 Kobani and Afrin; two predominantly Kurdish cities in the Northern part of Syria.8 Buckland and Peter, Reshaping the Future: Education and Post conflict Reconstruction (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2005), p. 18.9 Ibid.10 Rose Pauline and Greeley Martin, ‘Education in Fragile States: Capturing Lessons and Identifying Good Practice’, Prepared for the DAC Fragile States Group Service Delivery Workstream Sub-Team for Education Services, (2006), p. 12.11 Bradford Emma and Wilson Margaret, ‘When Terrorists Target Schools: An Exploratory Analysis of Attacks on Educational Institutions’, Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology 28(2), (2013), pp. 127–138.12 Tierney and William, ‘The Role of Tertiary Education in Fixing Failed States: Globalisation and Public Goods’, Journal of Peace Education 8(2), (2011), pp. 127–142.13 Sansom and Milto, ‘Syrian higher education during conflict: Survival, protection, and regime security’, International Journal of Educational Development 64, (2019), pp. 38–47.14 Milton and Sansom, Higher Education and Post-Conflict Recovery (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), p. 147.15 Lubick and Naomi, ‘Syrian academics stymied: University systems struggle in Conflict-torn country’, Chemical and Engineering News 94(9), (2016), pp. 24–26.16 Samatar and Abdi, ‘Somali Reconstruction and Local Initiative: Amoud University’, World Development 29(4), (2001), 641–656.17 Shahrzad Mojab and Budd Hall, Education of a Non-State Nation: Reconstructing a University in the War Zone of Iraqi Kurdistan, in W. Nelles, ed., Comparative Education, Terrorism and Human Security: From Critical Pedagogy to Peacebuilding (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), pp. 159–173.18 Sansom and Milton, ‘Syrian Higher Education during Conflict: Survival, Protection, and Regime Security’, International Journal of Educational Development 64, (2019), pp. 38–47.19 Milton and Sansom, Higher Education and Post-Conflict Recovery (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), pp. 25–51.20 Hung Tseng, ‘Epistemetrics – Quantifying Human Knowledge’, Journal of Arts and Humanity, (2023), available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369801086.21 ‘Interview with the Co-Chair of Education Management of the Autonomous Administration’, Watsab Telephone Call, (20 July 2023).22 ‘Interview with the Co-Head of Social Science Institution at the University of Rojava’, Watsab Telephone Call, (15 July 2023).23 Hardy David and Munns Roger, ‘Syrian Higher Education: Responding to a Changing Economy’, International Higher Education 49, (2007), pp. 19–20.24 Yahia and Mohamed, ‘The Struggles of the Syrian Science Community’, Nature Middle East, (18 October 2011), available at: http://www.nature.com/news/2011/111018/full/news.2011.600.html.25 Sansom Milton, ‘Syrian Higher Education during Conflict: Survival, Protection, and Regime Security’, International Journal of Educational Development 64, (2019), pp. 38–47.26 ‘Interview with the Co-Chair of Education Management of the Autonomous Administration’, Watsab Telephone Call, (20 July 2023).27 Fouad Oveesy, ‘Farewell, Rojava: The Philosophical Case for Strategic Thinking as a Democratic Necessity’, Journal of Philosophy, World, Democracy, (2022), p. 8.28 Dana William, ‘Revolution and War in Western Kurdista’s Rojava. 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In: Computational Red Teaming (Cham: Springer, 2015), pp. 47–104, available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08281-3_2.41 ‘Interview with the Co-Chair of Education Management of the Autonomous Administration’, Watsab Telephone Call, (20 July 2023).42 Author’s Observation and participation at the Academic Activities in Rojava Universities from (2018–2023).43 Seevan Saeed, ‘The Dilemma of the Kurdish Struggle in Turkey’, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 21(3), (2019), pp. 274–285.44 Arianne Shavisi, ‘Beyond Orientalism: Exploring the Distinctive Feminism of Democratic Confederalism in Rojava’, Journal of Geopolitics, (2018), p. 1012.45 Seevan Saeed, ‘The Dilemma of the Kurdish Struggle in Turkey’, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 21(3), (2019), pp. 274–285.46 ‘Interview with the Co-head of Social Sciences Institute at Rojava University’, Watsab Telephone Call, (23 July 2023).47 ‘Interview with A lecturer at Rojava University’, Watsab Telephone Call, (28 July 2023).