GLOBAL: WikiLeaks: campuses ideological battlegrounds

12 December 2010

Diplomatic cables recently made public by the WikiLeaks website show how the United States and other nations have focused on colleges and universities as key battlegrounds in their efforts to win over hearts and minds, writes Peter Schmidt for The Chronicle of Higher Education.

A common theme in many of the US State Department dispatches from Europe and the Middle East is that colleges must play a central role in the fight against Islamic extremism, by promoting Western values and by offering educational opportunities that will help keep Muslim people from feeling politically or economically disenfranchised. The bad news that the cables hold for the United States is that many of its adversaries and competitors similarly have recognised higher education's potential to advance their interests.
Full report on The Chronicle of Higher Education site

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