Educational Model of Makhtutat Philology at Cairo’s Institute of Arabic Manuscripts: Curriculum, Implementation, and Implications

This research addresses the lack of empirical-academic description concerning the learning model of Makhtutat Philology (ancient manuscripts) at the foremost institution for Arabic-Islamic manuscript education, specifically the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts in Cairo, Egypt. This is significant because the institution serves as a crucial pillar in the preservation and education of Islamic classical manuscript philology through modern management. The research objective is to describe the learning model of makhtutat philology focusing on the teaching curriculum, implementation, and educational implications at this institution. The methodology employed is a combination of qualitative descriptive and philological methods, integrated with a participatory research approach to obtain direct data from the learning actors. Furthermore, the CIPP educational evaluation model (Context, Input, Process, Product) by Daniel Stufflebeam is utilized to analyze the effectiveness and completeness of the learning model. Data collection techniques include interviews, participatory observation, and document studies of manuscripts and learning materials. The results indicate that the Manuscript Tahqiq (critical editing) Curriculum is highly comprehensive (Context/Design), systematically structured starting from fundamental knowledge of the manuscript as a physical object (Codicology/Palaeography), followed by theory, and culminating in textual criticism practice. The Implementation is highly practical (Implementation), focusing on hands-on training in comparing, correcting, and editing manuscripts. The objective is to produce graduates competent in generating complete critical editions that meet scholarly standards (Implications), thereby enhancing the quality of scientific publications of makhtutat and Islamic turath texts.