EPS 590: Youth and Democracy in Egypt
Summer Session II EDU/SAO Course Abroad
Cities: Alexandria & Cairo
Application Deadline has passed (March 1, 2013)

Course Description

Two years after Egypt’s 25 January revolution that led to the fall of the thirty-year regime of Hosni Mubarak, the country’s youth and youth movements are still struggling to assert their voice and carve out their place in the post-Mubarak order. This study trip to Egypt, led by professor Linda Herrera from the Global Studies in Education program, is organized around the theme, “youth and democracy.” During the two-week visit to Egypt the group will meet with youth organizations, artists, activists from schools and universities and civil society. Through a series of talks, tours, and site visits in Cairo and Alexandria, the course will explore issues around youth protest and the city; the role of social media and the internet on youth movements; revolution and renaissance in the arts; religion and democracy; and the role of young women in political change. The group will also visit the historic sites  from the Pharaonic, Coptic, Greco-Roman, and classical Islamic Periods. 

Fall 2013 Course List

Language and Culture of Arab World

This course is 3 undergraduate credits and satisfieds the General Education Criteria in Fall 2013 for a UIUC: Non-Western Cultures course

Course Information: Interdisciplinary overview of the major aspects of the contemporary Arab culture. Based on scholarly research, textual resources, media, and literature from both the Arab World and elsewhere, examines the Arab people's historical background; language varieties; literary traditions; and representative social institutions.

Introduction to the World of Islam

This course is 3 undergraduate credis and satisfies the General Education Criteria in Fall 2013 for a UIUC: UIUC: Non-Western Cultures course, UIUC: Hist&Philosoph Perspect course, and UIUC: Western Compartv Cult course

Course description: Introduction to the world of Islam. Islamic thought and traditional institutions; historical expansion and evolution of the Islamic world in pre-modern and modern times; state, society and cultures in different world regions; gender issues; artistic expression; family life; language and identity; literary expression; issues in economic development; human rights; Christian-Muslim relations; debates over Sharia vs. secular law.