Farida Makar - How to become a Progressive Educator

This lecture will be hosted on Thursday, 11 December 2025 at 6:00 pm.

Full lecture title:
How to become a Progressive Educator: Teacher training, psychology, and institution building in early 20th century Egypt

This talk explores the emergence of a 'modern' teaching profession in Egypt during the first half of the 20th century. It traces the institutions, the people and the ideas that shaped Egyptian teachers and the impact of modern psychology on their practices. Keen on incorporating art, music, and activities in the classroom, Egyptian teacher trainers drew on a multitude of sources to influence a new generation of young teachers that they deemed would be fit for a new and ever changing world.

About the Speaker

Farida Makar holds a DPhil in History from St. Antony's College, Oxford. Her work focuses on the history of progressive education and the teachers' movement in early 20th century Egypt. She is the author of "Educational Institutions and John Dewey in Early 20th Century Egypt" and co-author of "Egyptian Textbooks in Times of Change: 1952-1980" with Ehaab Abdou.

Attention!

The lecture starts at 6 pm. The number of seats is limited and we work on a first-come, first-served basis. We open our doors at 5:30 and close them at 6:15 or earlier in case the lecture room reaches its full capacity.