This subproject examines from a critical political economy and global governance perspective the organisation of education for Syrian refugees in Lebanon with a special focus on the ideological foundations of this process. What makes the situation in Lebanese refugee education unique at the moment is the country’s globally exceptionally severe economic crisis that began in 2019 and is still ongoing. The entire education sector in Lebanon is on the verge of collapse. This crisis is likely to politicise the ideological foundations upon which the governance of Lebanon’s education system, including refugee education, has traditionally relied upon. It may also lead to attempts to articulate these foundations anew.
This subproject focuses specifically on the role of human capital theory in the global governance of refugee education. Human capital theory frames educational choices as rational economic investments for individuals, families, and states, primarily intended to maximise the financial benefits derived from education. Human capital theory informs the knowledge production and policy recommendations of numerous international organisations operating in the Lebanese educational context, such as the World Bank. In this subproject, human capital theory is approached as a discursive globalised localism produced in the Global North and as a localised globalism promoted by international organisations in the Lebanese context, informing their knowledge production and activities at large. Of special interest are the ways in which human capital theory can depoliticise refugee education by framing it as an economic phenomenon and the implications such a framing has for decision-making regarding refugee education.
The seminar organised by Taavi Sundell at the Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME) in Beirut, Lebanon, brought together researchers from Finland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to explore the concept of human capital in the context of education governance, political economy, humanitarian aid, and property rights.
Learn moreThe course, led by Taavi Sundell and organised jointly by FIME and the University of Helsinki delved into various aspects of Lebanon's political and economic system and used it as a lens to explore broader regional developments. It aimed to understand how, why, and with what consequences Lebanon and the Middle East have integrated into global economic structures.
Learn moreTaavi Sundell's article providing a brief overview of the tensions caused by the Gaza war in the relations between Israel and Lebanon surveys the results from the heightened tensions up until now, particularly in Lebanon, discusses the possibilities of the conflict expanding, and provides background on the situation in Lebanon regarding its limited governance capacity amplified by the present exceptionally severe economic crisis.
Read moreThe lectio praecursoria presented by Taavi Sundell in the public defense of his doctoral dissertation on March 4, 2023, has been published in Finnish. In his lectio, Sundell emphasized the importance of considering the diversity of economic and academic worlds in discussions about the relationship between universities and the economy. Economising discourses and policies are concerning as they often narrow the accepted goals for universities, science, and education. Furthermore, they are often based on simplistic views of the (capitalist) economy.
Read moreMIGDIA project researcher Taavi Sundell defended his doctoral dissertation "Contingent Logics of Capitalism in Contemporary Academia: A Case for a Post-Foundational Political Economy of Higher Education" (Unigrafia, Helsinki 2023) on March 4, 2023, at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Social Sciences.
Read moreMiddle East Law and Governance, 15:2, 173–196 (2023). Taavi Sundell's research article critically examining the political economy of Jordan's higher education system and the theory of academic capitalism.
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