International Faculty Development Seminar

 Seminar Site: Jordan
Dates: June 8 - June 15
# of Participants: 11 (13 with 2 cancellations)
Faculty Leader: Allison Hodgkins and Mohammad Mommani

During the week of June 8-14 2008, the Council on International Educational Exchange, in conjunction with the Regional Human Security Center, hosted esteemed members of academia from across the United States. The goal of the event was to provide understanding of the unique dynamics of the region from the unfiltered perspective of actors involved. Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, Director of the Regional Human Security Centre delivered the introductory address on June 9th and the closing session on June 14^th, and as a host institution both in logistical and thematic terms, RHSC helped contacting the speakers. He detailing the regional workings and players in the area and why the Middle East is so important to the world. The opening address also covered the general sources of conflict in the region and then presented mechanisms in place to manage these conflicts..

The whole seminar was divided between Jordan and Jerusalem. The main issues that were highlighted were economic cooperation and interfaith dialogue, as well as cooperation on the environment. Seminar participants spent 3 days in Jordan and 3 days in Jerusalem, with a total of 5 nights in Jordan and 2 in Jerusalem. There were 9 official meetings, 4 site visits, 3 dinners and one debriefing session. To introduce the faculty to as many different perspectives as possible, there were speakers from different national, ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as a mix between official and grassroots.

A critical element of the week was the inclusion of expert dialogues, on site visits, and a two-day trip into Israel and the West Bank. Notable experts included Abdesalam Majali, Munther Haddaien, Youseff Mansour, and Mahadi Abdel-Hadi and visits to ACOR, UNWRA, and the Daniel Rossing Tour.