10. ARABIC REFERENCES

I attended a course on "Corporate Governance," expecting the lecturer to discuss the rules, processes, and practices by which organizations are directed and controlled, and how to balance the interests of an organization's stakeholders, and how to implement these principles practically. By the way, the last two points were the main reasons I enrolled in this course. However, I was surprised when the lecturer began as if he was translating the word "Governance" from the dictionary, then proceeded to build his interpretation based on this translation. He continued explaining the difference between حاكمية and حوكمة رشيدة and حوكمة which completely deviated from the core concept of "Governance" as outlined in most papers, handbooks, and in the formal definition of OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).

I analyzed this situation and concluded that the lecturer had likely not read any English sources on that topic. His explanations seemed to come exclusively from Arabic references, combined with his personal views and his Arabic/Islamic background, which ultimately led to a loss of the topic’s meaning.

Based on many observations, which led me to write this article, I believe that one of our fatal problems in Egypt and the MENA region is that knowledge (as well as writing history) in Arabic content is very scarce, very poor, and, most importantly, very contaminated with ideology, personal opinions, and a lack of reliable, trusted references. As a result, anyone acquiring this knowledge will inevitably inherit these flaws.

Article by Amr H. Abayazeed - November 01, 2024.