UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1940-11-15_Page-014

Still the original purposes of the School of Oriental Studies have been fulfilled. The School has been a center of active interest in Oriental Studies. Missionary recruits have enjoyed the same thorough-going and scientific training in Arabic, both colloquial and classical. Dr. Adams has deepened and widened his contact with the Arabic world whose center is Cairo. A striking illustra-tion of the recognition of him as an authority in things Islamic was an invita-tion for him to share in a program put on by the Egyptian State Broadcasting Company in honor of the highly revered Mohammedan reformer, Mohammed Abdu. The statistical report of the School covers the following items: Enrollment Statistics: Church Missionary General Mission, 4.; Apostolic Assemblies, 5. Total missionary enrolment 30. Army terns, 9. Individuals, 26. Grand total, Society, 8; American Mission, 6; Egypt 4; American University, 3; other missions, and official circles, 15. Business con- 80. III. Division of Extension. Reference has already been made to the signal opportunity afforded to this division of the University to cooperate with Government when the latter created a Ministry of Social Welfare. This cooperation removed many difficulties from the path of the Division of Extension during these troublous days of war when all public gatherings were viewed with a measure of anxiety, if not of suspicion. Yet, as a settled policy, so intimate an alliance might call for scrutiny, as Dr. Cleland points out, for in several cases lecturers hostile to the present administration, refused to cooperate on the ground that the University had become entangled politically and was no longer a non-partisan institution. The Division of Extension functions along four lines. First, there are the lectures which have featured the program of the Division of Extension since the beginning. Of these there were 17, with an aggregate attendance of 5752. The topics discussed included "Problems of Childhood", "Crime", "Social Reform", "Hygiene", "The Family" and kindred social topics. These lectures given by outstanding leaders have commanded national attention in the past. While the novelty of such lectures has lessened and there is increasing competition in the lecture field, these lectures constitute the backbone of our University's service to the education of the public. Next in importance may be placed the forums, of more recent development. There were 18 of these with an aggregate attendance of 3476. The average attend-ance of 193 was greater than what had been planned for or desired, for the aim was to come to closer grips with the subject presented by allowing discussion and questions. In spite of a financial charge which it was thought would limit the crowd, the attendance reached the figures mentioned. The topics discussed includ-ed the problems of youth, i.e., adolescence, puberty, emotions, marriage, reforms, politics, religious life, leisure and mental food. One meeting led by one of Egypt's most distinguished national leaders drew so many officials and the discussion of the topic, "Youth and Politics", elicited such a lively discussion that, as Dr. Cleland remarked, it seemed as if the Egyptian Parliament had adjourned to meet in Oriental Hall. The influence of both lectures and forums in educating public opinion is beyond all question and this influence is extended still farther through the re-peated appearance of these lectures both in the press and on the air