“A Great Scholar is an Overeducated Person”

The world of social norms and values is constantly embedded in the teacher’s actions and the educational theories they recognise, in their didactic end educational successes and failures, in professional adaptation and evaluation, in didacticism and educational inspiration, and in the case of a few, in educational leadership deprived of the external and personal world. In every dimension of the teacher’s pedagogical activities there is a link between the acquired theoretical knowledge and the professional attitude. The pedagogical approximation into specific theories and pedagogical ideas is illustrated by the professional attitude of the teacher, interpersonal relations with students and the teaching staff. The knowledge of pedagogical paradigms, the realization of diverse ideas can be a factor in a teacher’s pedagogical success, as there is no single theory, explaining and suitable for a specific school community in the educational space. Contemporary pedagogical theories, like never in the past, are becoming a creator of social mentality in multicultural environments. They are becoming a “civilizational hope” for the reduction of traditional “prescriptive-distributive” thinking, as well as subject-based, directive and authoritarian education, and educational impossibilism in schools. Contemporary pedagogical controversies around the relationship of education and leadership do not have antagonistic content, elements that are pedagogically and socially opposed. They interact with each other in various and multi-level ways in the space of humanistic pedagogy and human resource management, they are a pedagogical dualism in the sphere of descriptive and relational narrative, critical thinking, without space for academic logomachia. The growing interest in the teacher’s autonomy, teacher’s independence, the dimensions of the presence in the pedagogical community, and the pursuit of individual needs are issues of external educational affiliation. What educational and cultural dimension should constitute the pedagogical habitus of a modern teacher? From the content of many pedagogical publications, a conclusion emerges that in education, it is not the teachers who become the motivators of exceeding knowledge and skills for themselves, but the students who exceed their teachers. Such a confrontation of the two worlds: teachers, representing institutionalised education and students (more precisely: learners), having one common goal – mutual understanding, which already requires a change in the generation paradigm, methods of operation, education (students and teachers), modification of the education already acquired, transformation of the model of “becoming” a teacher (usually based on authority – still traditional) more effectively appealing to students and systematic use of the new technological solutions in the education process. Increasingly, many pedagogical ideas and theories are starting to signal the need to transpose the role of the teacher in the spectrum of expert-conceptual practitioner, which is based on the methods and techniques of learning, i.e. critical thinking.

Reviewed by: Gender and Difference in the Middle Ages Robyn Cadwallader Farmer, Sharon and Carol Braun Pasternack , eds, Gender and Difference in the Middle Ages ( Medieval Cultures, 32), Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2003; paperback; pp. xxvii, 354; RRP US$24.95; ISBN 0816638942. Consideration of gender and difference in medieval literature is a fast developing and fruitful field of study. Sharon Farmer and Carol Braun Pasternack have obviously considered carefully some of the ways in which such scholarship can most effectively advance. They are clear about the purposes of this collection of essays: to move beyond a study of binary gender difference to examine the further complexities that arise from the encounter with social status, religion and sexuality. One of the most striking features of the eleven essays in this book is the range of subject matter and breadth of scholarship covered within this theme. The colour and variety of the medieval world are strongly evident through detailed scholarship [End Page 227] and argument, and the reader sees familiar patterns shot through with difference and complexity. This is particularly evident in Part One, 'Differing Cultures, Differing Possibilities', which explores the ways in which gender paradigms were subverted or expanded in the first millennium through a variety of cultures. Daniel Boyarin's excellent essay provides an appropriate opening to the collection through his study of the encounter of early western Christian and rabbinic Jewish interpretations of Genesis 1 and 2 with Lacan's psychoanalytic theory of the Phallus, thereby alerting the reader both to some of the earliest sources of medieval gender systems and to the contingent nature of contemporary theory. Everett K. Rowson's 'Gender Irregularity as Entertainment' takes us to Baghdad to explore the ways in which the rigid gender structures of the Abbasid court were subverted by both male and female cross-dressers, creating a complexity in which gender intersected with behaviour, role and social status. In 'Reconfiguring the Prophet Daniel', Kathryn M. Ringrose considers the tensions between binary and multiple constructs of gender evident in the study of the eunuch as a possible third gender in Christian Byzantium. Using interpretations of Daniel from the fourth and tenth centuries, Ringrose demonstrates the ways in which this Old Testament figure could be understood as both holy man and court eunuch, and the complexity of gender categories which changed across time where several cultural traditions intersected. A somewhat similar dynamic of tension and change is explored in Pasternack's precisely argued essay 'Negotiating Gender in Anglo-Saxon England' which examines the influences on gender subjectivity of the introduction of Christian dogma to the elite pagan culture of Anglo-Saxon England. Succinctly enunciating the theme of Part Two, 'Discourses of Domination', Mathew S. Kuefler's 'Male Friendship and the Suspicion of Sodomy in Twelfth Century France' explores the ways in which the devaluing of sodomy as effeminate and perverse was used as a means of social and political control. A similar means of domination is considered in "Because the Other Is a Poor Woman She Shall Be Called His Wench": Gender, Sexuality, and Social Status in Late Medieval England' by Ruth Mazo Karras, who looks at the intersection of gender and social status in the light of a discourse which enforces control by branding any sexually deviant woman a whore. In her study of a smaller community – that of the Cistercian order – Martha G. Newman extends the boundaries of existing scholarship by examining the influence of social and literary status, rather than gender, on spiritual expression. A fascinating finale to this section – and a timely theoretical proposition for both east and west – is Michael Uebel's 'Re-Orienting [End Page 228] Desire: Writing on Gender Trouble in Fourteenth-Century Egypt'. Uebel looks at the ways in which the Christian West differentiated itself from the Muslim Orient by demonizing Saracen gender and sexuality. Part Three, 'Individual Choices, Strategies of Resistance', considers the ways in which the individual can resist domination. Farmer's 'Manual Labor, Begging, and Conflicting Gender Expectations in Thirteenth-Century Paris' returns us to a rereading of the Genesis creation stories and to the story of Jehanne of Serris to argue that gender binaries were complicated through intersections with...

Merging Traditional Technique Vocabularies with Democratic Teaching Perspectives in Dance EducationA Consideration of Aesthetic Values and Their Sociopolitical Contexts Becky Dyer (bio) Introduction Conventional aesthetic values in dance traditionally have been wed to long-established authoritarian teaching approaches in American professional dance companies and university dance programs. Developed over time from a mixture of enduring cultural tastes, aesthetic ideals, and historical influences, aesthetic values play a significant role in teaching and learning processes in the classroom, although the impact of their presence on learning is often indiscernible or paid little attention. As dance educators in higher education make efforts to move toward more democratic teaching perspectives, they often find themselves philosophically lodged between established approaches to teaching traditional, codified vocabularies and aesthetics and more contemporary, student-centered, and democratically oriented perspectives to teaching and learning dance. Attention to the sociopolitical contexts of dance training gives practitioners opportunities to consider aesthetic values of dance from differing cultural vantage points and the perspectives by which these values are taught and learned. Each learning circumstance in dance is a complex weaving of personal and social experience involving individuals, communities, movers, and viewers. Movement aesthetic values emerge from personal and communal morals and ideals as well as social mores of the body, which create contextual lenses for experiencing, interpreting, and making meaning of movement vocabularies created and perpetuated in dance communities. It is important that teachers who seek to incorporate more democratically oriented, student-centered teaching perspectives become mindful of ways social values and perceptual/contextual frameworks impact personal [End Page 108] and communal practices in dance. Approaches to learning technique that consider sociocultural factors of dance movement aesthetics—wherein teachers and learners are led to recognize and reflect upon personal, social, and aesthetic values embodied in movement and embedded in movement vocabularies—can lead teachers and learners to better understand the significance of learning in dance as it relates to personal and social worlds beyond the classroom. This article will suggest how movement analysis from a socially contextualized perspective can inform understanding about the significance of sociopolitical contexts and aesthetic values in Western dance training. Perspectives of movement analysis will provide groundwork for discussing perceivable ways to address discrepancies between democratic and authoritarian teaching viewpoints and to challenge the prominent linking of conventional aesthetic values and vocabularies, as well as codified techniques, to authoritarian practices. The discussion will address relationships between pedagogical perspectives and ideologies held by teachers concerning the place and worth of conventional aesthetic values and the nature of aesthetic experiences in the dance technique classroom, and the potential understandings and meanings their students construct. Foundations of Movement Analysis: The Ideas and Practices of Rudolf Laban Recognizing embedded personal and social aesthetic values in movement is an important initial stage in developing more critically reflective practices that promote meaning, agency, and student interest in learning. The task is challenging because the only values accessibly evident to the bystander, and often the mover, are visual ones. Yet, as Rudolf Laban (1879-1958) suggested, intangible values also inspire movement. Laban created a theoretical framework—referred to as Laban Movement Analysis—for movement exploration, description, and analysis to consider both noticeably apparent and less-tangible values of movement by investigating movement phenomena and factors that generate them.1 The praxis-oriented system involves reflecting on movement observations, considering emotional and mental facets of movement, and taking into account experiential bodily perspectives of the mover.2 Although one of Laban's fundamental purposes for developing a descriptive vocabulary for movement was to facilitate the mastery of dance technique,3 his teaching emphasized the "harmonious expressiveness of the whole individual," as he aimed to facilitate dancers' ability to understand and use their bodies in order to discover individual ways of expressing themselves and communicating.4 Laban's attitudes toward training were in sharp contrast to approaches of the day, yet interestingly, they were not [End Page 109] opposed to them. For example, common dance gestures and postures were expanded into free exploration and studied from diverse points of view rather than a narrow range of perspectives, aesthetic values, and movement qualities.5 Laban's theory of "Effort," which he linked to emotions as well as...

Aim. To study the attitudes towards smoking in working-age men and women with different nature of work and marital status in Tyumen city.Material and Methods. The cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out as part of the cardiac screening in open urban male and female population. The study included 850 men (response rate 85.0%) and 704 women (response rate of 70.4%) aged 25–64 years. A self-report questionnaire of the World Health Organization titled «Knowledge and Attitude to Health» with a fixed list of answer options was used to analyze attitudes to smoking. Social status was assessed according to the nature of work (four categories: «unemployed and pensioners», «manual labour», «specialists and technical/engineering employees», and «leaders»), and marital status (have or do not have a life partner). Statistical analysis of the results was conducted using SPSS (11.5) and Statistica 7.0 software packages and Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software. Values were considered statistically significant when p was <0.05.Results. The prevalence of smoking among single men was higher than the corresponding value in men who had a life partner (63.4 vs. 46.6%, р<0.001); the opposite trend was observed in women (13.1 vs. 17.0%, р>0.05). In regard to the nature of work, the highest smoking rate was found among men who were engaged in manual labour (m/f: 60.8/19.8%). Men from the categories of «specialists and technical/engineering employees» and «leaders» (40.7 and 41%) as well as women from the «unemployed and pensioners» category smoked less often (11.6%), (р<0.001). Gender differences in attitudes to smoking depended on marital status and the nature of work. Correlations between the nature of work and attempts to change something in smoking pattern were observed in men (R=0.35, p=0.05) and women (R=0.18, p=0.01).Conclusion. According to the study of open urban population, significant differences were detected between men and women in regard to their attitudes towards smoking. Gender-related differences in the associations of smoking with marital status and the nature of work were identified.

Comprising 15% of the US population and growing faster than any other ethnic category, Latinosareexperiencinganincreasingincidenceof melanoma. Individuals with high socioeconomic status (SES) account for more than 50% of all melanoma cases among non-Latino whites (NLWs); however, individuals with low SES account for the largest number of melanoma cases among Latinos. 1 Thus, a need exists for effectiveprimarypreventionpublichealthprogramstargeted to Latinos with low SES. The failure of dermatologists to recognize the role of acculturation in the sun-safe behaviors of Latinos constitutes a practice gap. Acculturation, defined as the acquisition or adoption of the cultural elements of the dominant society (such as language[s], food, clothing, music, and sports), has a positive effect on sunscreen use but negative effects on sun avoidance and use of sun-protective clothing, according to the article by Andreevaetal 2 inthisissueoftheArchives.Also,theeffect of acculturation on sunscreen use was shown to be mediated through current membership in various social networks, self-perceived health status, and educational level. Previous studies 1,3 have shown that leisure outdoor activities increase with acculturation, but lessacculturatedindividualsaremorelikelytoexperienceoccupational sun exposure from outdoor agricultural and manual labor. Because the frequency of day-to-day sun exposure is likely to be similar to that of NLWs, Latinos with high levels of acculturation may respond favorably to strategies previously used in NLWs. A public health gap has been identified in 2 crucial areas:providingculturallysensitiveinformationinSpanish and English to Latinos of each SES and with all levels of acculturation and expanding beyond the traditional sources for health care education (including the media) to include Latino-specific social networks. Lessacculturated patients are likely to have limited literacy in Spanish and English, to have limited conversational ability in English, and to have immigrated to the United States recently, all of which tend to result in poor access to and knowledge of US health care systems. Given the importance of social networks to sun-safe behaviors, dermatologists should increase efforts to provide education to outdoor agricultural and manual laborers, as well as the family members and friends who comprise their social networks. Interventions to increasesun-safebehaviorsinless-acculturatedLatinosare likely to have a significant effect when culture-specific educational materials and programming such as fotonovelas (ie, graphic novels) and health-themed educational theater presentations are provided in Spanish and English, particularly in contexts such as Latino health fairs. Research into the use ofpromotoras de salud(ie, lay health care workers) should be performed in dermatology because such workers have been shown to improve medicaloutcomesinLatinos. 4 CollaborationbetweendermatologistsandlocalLatinohealthcareorganizationsalso should be encouraged. Barriers include lack of awareness by dermatologists regarding the importance of promoting sun-safe behaviors in Latinos; lack of published research regarding the interplaybetweenacculturation,SES,andFitzpatrickskin type; lack of centers of dermatology with research experience in patients with ethnicity other than NLW; lack ofeducationinmedical-Spanishterminologyamongdermatologists; and lack of US-born Latino dermatologists who could serve as leaders and advocates in closing this practice gap.

In a study of rnother.child social interaction 1 0 pairs of Head Start SS ( 4 and 5 yr. of age, half boys, half girls) and 1 0 pairs of middleand upper-class comparison Ss were observed in unstructured play situations. Both verbal and nonverbal behaviors were recorded during 40-min. sessions on each of two occasions. The units of analysis were 4sec. intervals, and 1260 such units were examined for each subject pair. The data were rated according to several dimensions of interpersonal behavior; the focus of this study was the dimension of relative stacur, a term which refers to the relative position one participant maintains with reference to the other. High-status racings were accorded to behaviors which exert control (ordering, resrra~nlng, giving, or taking away), demonstrate expertise or authority (teaching, praising, suggcst~ng), o r exhibit assertiveness (demanding, contradicting, snatching). Low-status ratlngs were given for yielding to or soliciting control, being deferential, or acknowledging the other's expertise or one's own lack of knowledge. There was no significant difference in the total number of highor low-status ratings given either mothers or children in the two social class samples (tested by means of the Mann-Whitney U test). W h e n the groups were combined, the rank-order correlation between a mother's high status and that of her child was 0.43 (P < .05); however, there was also a significant correlation (0.53, p < .01) between the amount of high status displayed by a mother and the amount of low status displayed by her child. There was no correlation between che amount of high status and low status displayed by the children ( p = 0.10). It seemed likely that these paradoxical findings were attributable to sex differences, and the correlations were recalculated for boys and girls separately. The rank-order correlation between mother's high status and child's high status was 0.93 for boys and 0.042 for girls; the correlation between high starus on the part of the mother and low status on the part of the child was 0.49 for boys and 0.56 for girls. These results demonstrate a strong differential relationship berween rhe amount of high-status control to which the child's environment exposes him and the role expectations and social reinforcement afforded by his sex. The correspondence between boys' highstatus expressions and those of their mothers was almost complete and was much stronger than the relationship between their low-status display and their mothers' high status. For girls there was a significant complementary relationship beween their low-status display and their mothers' high status, but there was virtually no correspondence berween their display of high status and that of rheir mothers.

The fourth pious caliph of Islam Hazrat Ali Bin Abu Talib R.A is considered a remarkable personality of Islam. He accepted Islam in his early age when he was only ten and had become a very close companion of the Prophet (PBUH). He remained caliph after the Martyrdom of Hazrat Usman Ghani in 36 A.H. Hazrat Ali R.A was also great scholar. Apart from political and military affairs, Hazrat Ali has a high academic status. All the great companions of the Prophet were appreciative of his erudition. That is why people like Hazrat Ayesha, Abdullah bin Masood would not give any opinion after their opinion. He was proficient in Quran, Hadith, principles, rules and language. He had a unique position based on his high academic status. This research article highlights the status quo within his personality.

This chapter examines how collective violence in the immediate post-World War II period functioned as a political ritual that assigned meaning to bodily appearance beyond symbolic social status or identity. It argues that crowd violence targeted not only market actors like millers and bakers but also teachers, clerics, notaries, police officers, and Jews, drawing a sharp divide between manual laborers and non-laborers. The chapter explains how participants believed physical traits such as fatness and thinness indicated moral and political belonging, expressing a vision of a state rooted in labor. It explores how these beliefs aligned with and influenced postwar state policies led by Communist and peasant parties, which sought to restructure society along the lines of physical labor. The chapter discusses how political discourse at the time echoed these corporeal distinctions, infusing them with ideological meaning. It highlights that violence was not merely reactive but performative, aiming to articulate political expectations and outline a desired social order. Ultimately, the chapter concludes that these demonstrations voiced popular visions of the future, calling for a state defined by work and a society centered on manual labor.

Demonstrating deservingness and dignity. Symbolic boundary work among Syrian refugees

Despite being global sugarcane titans, India and Brazil navigate cultivation through diametrically opposed approaches. This analysis delves into the technological disparity, cost structures, profitability landscapes, and government support systems shaping their contrasting realities. Brazil reigns supreme in efficiency, wielding advanced sensors, automation, and drip irrigation, translating to higher yields and lower production costs. India, conversely, clings to traditional practices and manual labor, incurring significant expenses and struggling for profitability. While Brazil boasts higher yields, market fluctuations and limited government aid keep profits slim. Indian farmers grapple with losses despite lower yields due to high costs and inadequate infrastructure. Examining government support reveals further divergence. India emphasizes price support and input subsidies, potentially distorting markets and fostering inefficiency. Brazil champions credit support and market promotion, encouraging a market-driven approach. Both, however, need to strike a balance between support and sustainability, addressing inequalities in accessibility and implementing stricter environmental regulations. Despite the yield gap, India's vast land area makes it the second-largest producer globally. Closing the yield gap demands embracing technology, optimizing water management, and strengthening pest control efforts in both nations. This comparative analysis underscores the urgent need for India to bridge the technological gap and embrace sustainable practices. Learning from Brazil's efficiency and adopting relevant technologies can pave the way for a future where both nations achieve profitable and sustainable sugarcane production, ensuring their continued dominance in the global sugar market. The comparison of sugarcane output in India and Brazil highlights the crucial role of technological innovation, supply chain efficiency, and government policy. Both nations are crucial players in the worldwide sugarcane sector, each possessing distinct advantages and obstacles. Technological progress boosts productivity and sustainability, while effective supply chain management guarantees resilience. Government policies have a substantial impact on the sector, requiring supportive measures to ensure sustainable growth. Collaboration and evidence-based policymaking are crucial for enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in the sugarcane sectors of both countries.

In recent years, historians have paid increased attention to the Civil War pension system created for Union army soldiers and their families. It has come to be seen as a milestone in the evolution of U.S. social policy. Despite the overall appearance of generosity and of unbiased treatment for applicants, however, individuals actually experienced the system very differently based on the social status of the soldier involved. Looking at pension legislation, its implementation, and nearly one thousand pension claim files, this article argues that three types of status discrimination appeared in the distribution of pensions: Pension laws paid larger amounts to officers and their families, the Pension Bureau used ability to perform manual labor to determine the level of disability regardless of the applicants' true ability to earn a living, and claims based on the service of officers generally were decided more quickly and more favorably than those of enlisted men. Because military ranks reflected the soldiers' civilian social position—most manual laborers served as enlisted men, for example—these biases meant that individuals of higher social status received significantly better treatment than those of lower civilian status.

Social networks were heavily intertwined with elites’ social status and political power throughout the Han dynasty. This article introduces the Han Elites’ Social Network Dataset, an open-access dataset that the author collected primarily through manual labor. It contains data on Han elites’ marriage, kinship, patron-client, teacher-disciple, friendship, and recommender-nominee relationships. The article then visualizes and analyzes these social networks in relation to Han politics. It argues that social networks provided individuals with channels for upward social mobility and access to political careers, and that the reliance on different types of networks contributed to the formation of political cliques as well as the growing conflict between the inner court and the outer court.

Utilizing theories of gift exchange from Seneca to Marcel Mauss and beyond, Thomas Blanton explains the operation of the gift economy at work in the letters of Paul of Tarsus. The book shows how Paul adapted discourses and practices of gift exchange to motivate the transmission of goods and services based on an ethic of reciprocity. In an economy of symbolic goods, Paul posited that gifts proceeding from the god of Israel could be incompletely reciprocated through the donation of money, material goods, labor services, or the extension of hospitality: “spiritual” benefactions were reciprocated by the donation of material goods and services. But the idea of “spiritual gifts” was also instrumental in orchestrating sociopolitical hierarchies. Paul claimed a relatively high status as an “apostle,” or mediator of heavenly gifts, and was able even to effect an inversion in the “normal” system of social evaluation whereby wealthy and educated persons held higher status than did manual laborers and craftsmen, such as Paul himself. Overturning some of the conventions associated with patronage, Paul asserted that the material goods supplied by patronal figures could only inadequately reciprocate the “spiritual gifts” that Paul mediated. In this way, he was able to lay claim not only to material goods and labor services but also to a relatively high status as a mediator of gifts that were valued highly within early Christian groups. The book’s development and elaboration of theories of gift exchange are pertinent to the fields of anthropology, sociology, and religious studies.

Given the current socio-political and economic circumstances, the article analyzes and updates the pedagogical ideas of the prominent Ukrainian practitioner and educator Sofia Rusova on the labor education of preschool children. The purpose of the article is to analyze, systematize and characterize the components of the concept of labor education of preschool children in the pedagogical heritage of S. Rusova. The significance, content, forms and methods of labor education of preschool children in the pedagogical heritage of the practicing teacher are revealed. In the context of finding ways to implement the Basic Component of Preschool Education at the present stage, the need for timely involvement of the child in feasible labor activity is proved. The author analyzes the pedagogical works of the scientist, which outline the theoretical and methodological foundations of labor education of children. The types of children’s labor (self-service, gardening, manual labor with various materials, household labor), requirements for it (interesting, feasible, pleasant, not tiring the child, not monotonous, corresponding to the age and individual characteristics of children, having a socializing effect, developing inclinations and abilities) are considered separately. The content and methods of organizing child labor are highlighted. The author emphasizes the educational possibilities of using various types of manual labor (drawing, cutting, gluing, modeling, weaving, embroidery, wood carving) and various natural materials. It is proved that the creative work of S. Rusova on the ideas of labor education of preschool children is a vivid testimony to the development of Ukrainian pedagogical theory and practice in the early twentieth century. The historical experience of the past and its potential for constructive use in the practice of modern preschool education institutions of Ukraine are rethought.

The state of intellectual freedom is, in many ways, both a Treflection of the degree of openness and inclusiveness of our societies and of the state of democracy. Academic freedom, in the words of Thandika Mkandawire, is, in truth, about the building of a new civilization. It is a site of struggle for democracy, and one could argue that where intellectual freedom really exists, authoritarianism and fundamentalism will find it more difficult to go unchecked. When, in November 1990, participants in a CODESRIA conference held in Kampala, Uganda, were adopting the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility, the continent was experiencing profound political changes, with authoritarian regimes collapsing one after the other, or receding as democratic space expanded with the struggles and intense pressures for democratic change coming from civil society and social movements. The state was then still seen as the main perpetrator of academic and intellectual freedom violations, but it certainly was no longer seen as the only institution or actor that was guilty of such restrictions. As can be seen in the conference papers and report1, most of the phenomena that we are witnessing more clearly today were already quite discernible then: groups based in civil society could harass scholars or public intellectuals for writing or making public statements that were considered to be contrary to religious principles, or to national interests, or to dominant social values, customs and ‘traditions’. Donors could also restrict the freedom of research in many different ways. Within the academia itself, the violations of academic freedom could take forms ranging from sexual harassment, through the trading of grades for different kinds of favours, to student groups threatening academic staff or other students and wreaking havoc on university campuses. The triumph of neoliberalism, and dominant notions of political correctness, and the rise of fundamentalisms of different kinds have led to the shrinking of spaces for critical thinking, not only in society, but also on our campuses. What were emerging phenomena then have now become major problems, with university campuses like Garissa University College in Garissa, Kenya, and the Ahmed Baba library in Timbuktu being raided by armed fundamentalist groups or rebel movements. Disciplines like history are barely surviving. Although it is now recognized that higher education and research have been key to all the successful and sustainable structural transformation and development experiences of the past few decades, most policy makers of our continent tend to be dismissive of the social sciences and humanities. Yet without the social sciences and humanities, no deep understanding of global and local challenges, and therefore no genuine human and people-centered development and meaningful empowerment of civil society and ordinary citizens are possible. The good news is, as one of the participants in the conference held in Lilongwe, Malawi, in April this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary conference of the Kampala Declaration, rightly pointed out, there are provisions explicitly protecting academic freedom in the constitutions of fifteen African countries, and in many of these cases, the inspiration came from the Kampala Declaration. The part of the Kampala Declaration that is rarely mentioned, but which is equally important, is the part dealing with the social responsibility of academics and intellectuals, more generally. The number of professors and lecturers who pay insufficient attention to ethical issues is, unfortunately, very large. This could be anything from the neglect of teaching and the responsibility to supervise theses and dissertations and mentor graduate students and junior colleagues, to a total lack of interest in the issues and challenges facing the communities where the universities are located. Too large a number of academics are prioritizing moonlighting activities instead of their duties at the institutions where they are employed. Yet the defense of academic freedom and the autonomy of the institutions of higher learning are best done if they go with a strict adherence to ethics, accountability, and the fulfillment of the social responsibility of academics. The development of a vibrant knowledge economy in Africa is something that CODESRIA has always taken keen interest in and researched with relentless vigour over the years through its programmes. At its 14th CODESRIA General Assembly held in June 2015, which focused on the creation of Africa’s futures in an era of global transformation, one of the key points over which there was a broad consensus is the need for research and new knowledge, and to critically interrogate the narrative and counter- narratives, not only on Africa’s development, but also on innovations and technology as engines of growth and development in Africa. One critical issue today is, precisely, that of the private appropriation, out of power and profit motives, of knowledge produced through scholarship that has been funded with public resources, thus making the availability of that knowledge to African universities or African and southern development extremely difficult. The future of Africa’s knowledge economy is, therefore, a subject that has continued to generate vigorous debate. In one of the articles featured in this issue of CODESRIA Bulletin, titled: Defining Structural Transformation in Africa, Carlos Lopes calls for a shift away from the present economic models in various African countries. He identifies poor investment in research and development as one of the banes of growth in Africa, in addition to several other political, social, environmental and economic factors. Henning Melber’s article in this issue of the Bulletin: Development and Environment: The Challenges for Research Collaboration in and with Africa underscores the importance of new research and new knowledge for development while drawing attention to the gap in knowledge production between the North and the South. He however noted that ‘‘relevant insights for local policy makers and communities in the South generated by new research end in peer reviewed journals whose commercial publishing priority remains prohibitive for access by those who might benefit most from it.’’ The subject of restricted access to scientific knowledge and scholarly communication (which, in effect, is a form of restriction of research and academic freedom), which Melber decried in his article, was the focus of an international conference hosted by CODESRIA in Dakar, 30 March - 1 April 2016, with the theme: ‘‘Open Access and the Future of the African Knowledge Economy’’. The conference which drew participants from 20 countries in Africa and across the globe focussed on the value of open access to scholarly communication in an increasingly globalised knowledge economy. The urgent need for the African scientific community to engage the open access movement as a driver of change and development on the continent was emphasized. A call was also made for a stronger South-South dialogue and cooperation on open access and scholarly communication at the conference which also had a strong participation by UNESCO, the Latin America Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), the Indian Citation Index, Africa Journals Online (AJOL), the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, the Academy of Social Sciences of South Africa (ASSAF), and several other partner institutions such as the Human Sciences Research Council, the Nordic Africa Institute, and the African Studies Centre of Leiden. A report from the conference is included in this Bulletin. Also in this Bulletin, we have featured tributes to two of Africa’s great scholars: Thandika Mkandawire and Helmi Sharawy, who are both among the founding fathers of CODESRIA. The tributes are in recognition of their long association with and service to CODESRIA, and the African social science community. Thandika is one of the leading global scholars of the day, whose devotion to the African cause and contribution to knowledge on the continent is very widely acknowledged. In the words of Jimi Adesina, ‘‘Thandika was always driven by giving voice to Africans and elevating African voices. His was not simply being Africa-focused but facilitating the authentic interlocution for Africa and its peoples’’. The Kampala Declaration was adopted during his tenure as executive secretary of CODESRIA. The theme chosen for the colloquium held in Malawi to celebrate Thandika the scholar, mentor, pan Africanist, institution-builder, friend, and eternal CODESRIA militant, was Thinking African: Epistemological Issues. Indeed, both as a CODESRIA leader and in his own work, Thandika has consistently engaged social science concepts and theories from a critical point of view, interrogating their significance for Africa and the continent’s peoples. He has tried to enhance the visibility of African scholarship both within Africa and globally, and promoted scholarship that contributes to the enhancement of the freedom, well-being and dignity of the peoples of the continent. Helmi Sharawy is also one of the most illustrious leaders of our community who played a pioneering role in the development of CODESRIA, in the promotion of the study of Africa, and in the formation of a number of institutions and associations, such as the African Association of Political Science (AAPS). He was elected and served two terms as a member of CODESRIA’s Executive Committee. Helmi has also been a great champion of African liberation. Many great leaders, such as Amilcar Cabral, Agostinho Neto, Eduardo Mondlane and others, who visited Cairo during the years when Gamal Abdel Nasser was the President, were invited to his home and enjoyed the hospitality of his family. On 11 May 2016, CODESRIA and the Arab and African Research Centre in Cairo organized a round table to celebrate Professor Helmi Sharawy. Some of the tributes to Sharawy and Mkandawire are published in this issue of the Bulletin. The people who have made, and continue to make, great contribution to scholarship in Africa and to the growth and development of CODESRIA are many. More celebrations, taking different forms, will therefore follow. We also invite articles on, or critically engaging the work of, great African intellectuals and their contributions for publication in the CODESRIA Bulletin, or in other CODESRIA journals. Bonne lecture!