Al-Fanar looks at higher education from Arab perspective The editors of al-Fanar, a new journal covering higher education in the Arab world, have cancelled their inaugural event in Dubai, after a university lecturer was stopped from speaking about the Arab Spring. Editor of the publication David Wheeler said he is concerned about the lack of \"academic freedom\" after UAE authorities stopped London School of Economics professor Kristian Coates Ulrichsen from entering Dubai on February 22.
Ulrichsen, a speaker on political challenges posed by the Arab Spring was scheduled to address a conference organised by LSE in partnership with American University of Sharjah last month, before delivering a lecture at Zayed University.
In a statement, Wheeler said: \"Universities can’t function properly without academic freedom. We just don’t feel comfortable celebrating the birth of a publication about Arab higher education at this point in time in the Emirates.\"
Ulrichsen had been warned that he cannot speak about the uprising in Bahrain - despite have prepared to discuss the very topic.
LSE withdrew from the conference and Ulrichsen was put on a plane back to London.
Al-Fanar are yet to set a new date for the journal\'s launch party.