Editorial Introduction; Bio-academic narratives and educators of the Mediterranean- an editorial introduction; Middle East Education against all odds: the Palestinian struggle for survival and excellence; Searching for praxis and emancipation in an old culture; A Syrian educationalist in the USA: reflections on human relations, practical skills, and intellectual empowerment; Crossing borders: ambiguities and convictions; Reflections on education and transformation by a Jordanian-American scholar; Turkey: the rise of the phoenix in education; North Africa Between enduring hardships and fleeting ideals; Retrospective and experiential perceptions on education in Morocco by an engaged observer; From the independence generation to the Bouazizi generation; Power and struggle for education in Libya: an insider's perspective; Transforming education, transforming lives in the MENA region; South Europe Time, space and educational desire; An eventful journey ; Emotions and rationality in political consciousness ; Between sociology and policy of education; On a hard rock: trying to be radical in a conservative context; Travelling, not arriving: an intellectual journey ; Regional reflections The educated person and the new capitalism-a Euro-Mediterranean reflection; Education as spaces of community engagement and a 'capacity
to aspire'; The culture of despair: youth, unemployment and educational failures in North Africa