The Arab world was shaken in 2011 by a series of popular movements, collectively known as the 'Arab spring(s)', that have challenged long established authoritarian regimes. What will be the medium and long term impacts of these uprisings? Who is driving (and contesting) change, and what kind of change is being sought? This study addresses these issues in the context of the contested transitions in Tunisia and Egypt. It is based on the following premise: for these uprisings to deliver on their potential will require transformative change that emphasises local agency and resources, the prioritization of process rather than pre-conceived outcomes, and the challenging of unequal power relationships and structures of exclusion. Such change is here named transformative justice. The overarching research question is: How is transformative change defined and delivered in the context of political transition (in Tunisia and Egypt), and which actors, institutions and structures drive and contest such change? The study's aim is to analyse the agendas of those driving and contesting change using an actor-oriented perspective. Field research about 'drivers of change' - agents, formal and informal institutions, structures - and the four key areas of contestation (elections, constitutions, transitional justice, economic policy), will provide insights to local understandings of transformation and agendas for change. Actors interviewed will be as follows: the old political guard, military and police, economic and judicial elites, Islamic groups, youth, women, human rights organisations, trade and labour unions, and the urban and rural poor. A large interview data set (over 700 interviews) will be complemented by focus groups and basic quantitative analysis. The research will look at changing attitudes over time (conducting two sets of interviews, one year apart) and document a range of voices and perspectives (urban/rural, supporters/opponents of the revolutions). The research will reach diverse audiences and maximise impact by using appropriate languages (Arabic, French, English) and media e.g. a project website; workshops and conferences; official, social and citizen media; public events; policy briefings, a tool kit and academic outputs; etc. In addition to conventional academic outputs such as peer reviewed articles and books, the research project will deliver three policy briefings -'Defining and Operationalising Transformative Justice'; 'Securing Transformation through Transitional Justice'; and 'Expanding the Scope of Transitional Justice' - and a transformative justice toolkit, outlining concrete strategies and entry-points for policy makers and practitioners. As such, the research will benefit policy-makers and practitioners (donors, inter-governmental agencies, policy think tanks, NGOs and civil society groups, etc.), as well as academics. Research of this kind speaks to several ESRC strategic priorities, notably security, conflict and justice ('competing ideas of justice', 'changing patterns of conflicts'), and social diversity and population dynamics ('how diverse communities can minimise violent conflict while sustaining rights for all'). The research will represent a partnership between a White Rose (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York) and Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) research collaboration on transformative justice on the one hand, and the American University in Cairo (AUC) on the other. The research is multidisciplinary in range and methods and includes specialists in fields such as transitional justice, human rights, democratisation, development and political economy. Members of the Advisory Board have shaped the proposal and will engage with all parts of the research process. Local members of the Board will be particularly important in securing access to interviewees, advising on security, and framing dissemination and outreach strategies.

CONNEKT is a research and action project involving 14 partners from the EU, MENA and Balkans and targeting 8 countries in the MENA and Balkans region (Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bulgaria) that will run for 3.5 years. Its purpose is to establish a multi-dimensional map of drivers of violent extremism (VE) among youth aged 12-30 in MENA and Balkans and to identify the interplay between them. The multi-disciplinary research and the multi-stakeholder approach will allow the enrichment of empirical and academic research in order to draw a comprehensive picture of VE drivers among youth in target countries. Using a building-blocks methodology the project will be staged to allow the findings from one phase to inform research and data analysis for the following phases at key milestones. A final stage will be devoted to research on prevention of VE from a community perspective and will converge in a set of actions and recommendations on prevention measures implemented at a local and community level. Objective 1: Mapping past and current country strategies and approaches towards radicalisation and VE in Europe, MENA and Balkans. Objective 2: Drawing a comprehensive picture of radicalisation drivers among youth in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Objective 3: Establishing a cartography of conducive collective contexts of radicalisation and VE in MENA and Balkans involving diverse stakeholders Objective 4: Identifying measures, strategies and policies at state, community, local and society level to prevent radicalisation and VE in target countries Objective 5: Implementing pilot experiences of context intervention in target countries in liaison with local authorities and civil society actors Objective 6: Transferring results and recommendations to multi-level policy-makers in target countries and to the EU.

The EU and Turkey face mounting challenges both in relation to one another and internationally. The EU is confronted with an economic crisis which is likely to make differentiation a growing phenomenon. Turkey faces polarisation between different political forces, the state and civil society. The neighbourhood is unravelling to the east and south and a power shift is under way at global level. This questions the regional roles of Turkey and the EU. Accordingly, FEUTURE – a consortium of 13 experienced universities and think tanks from the EU, Turkey and the neighbourhood – aims to: (1) map the dynamics of EU-Turkey relations as to underlying narratives and thematic drivers; (2) substantiate most likely future scenario(s) and assess its implications; (3) draw policy recommendations. FEUTURE provides excellence and pursues an ambitious, inspiring and innovative programme in a three-phased structure of elaboration, exploration and extrapolation. It applies an inter-temporal, interdisciplinary and international approach by analysing drivers within six thematic dimensions (politics, security, economics, energy, migration, identity) and across four levels of analysis (EU, Turkey, neighbourhood, global). Phases 1 and 2 culminate in an extrapolation phase in which FEUTURE integrates new knowledge and tests the implications of 3 ideal-type future scenarios for EU-Turkey relations: conflict, cooperation and convergence. We engage in a trans-disciplinary exchange within an elite survey and with the knowledge-user community from the four levels of analysis exploiting the full range of virtual and social media as well as traditional means. FEUTURE’s work plan guarantees coherence of its research approach by streamlining work in one conceptual, one synthesis, two organisational and six thematic work packages. Joint WP meetings and three FEUTURE conferences assure intensive horizontal exchange. FEUTURE will achieve academic, practical and structural impact beyond the project.

Studies on teacher education have underlined the importance of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) that is school based as the proven preferred modality of enhancing teacher education. In the Egyptian context most studies have illustrated that both faculties of education and the Ministry of Education have for the longest of time adhered to very traditional methods of teacher training, which not only wasted resources but also did not lead to any learning or improvement of performance all of which has deterred educational reform at both the higher educational levels as well as school levels. Teacher performance being the key factor for learning has been selected as the most strategic entry point to reform. The aim of this project is to empower Egyptian Faculties of Education to develop modern, innovative and effective models of Continuing Professional Development CPD that is school based and allows for the development of Professional Development PD schools that are sustainable and that will eventually be brought to a larger scale in the Egyptian and regional context. From experiences with international cooperation in particular with the EU it has become apparent that when Egyptian systems are exposed to innovative thinking overtime there tends to be a gradual shift particularly of culture with partnerships that are strong in imparting both clear and tacit knowledge through exchange, dialogue, joint activities and exposure. Change as we well know is incremental and often is the result of transfer through mentors hip as well as conscious reflection. The most significant partnership for the success of this transformation is that between university and school whereby the former equips practitioners with the theory behind their practice.