PARC Conducts Faculty Development Seminar

PARC’s inaugural Faculty Development Seminar took place from May 22-May 31, 2010 in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The dynamic new program is designed to expose U.S. professors to Palestine and Palestinian studies. The group was composed of 10 U.S. scholars from a variety of disciplines, and was led by Executive Director Penelope Mitchell and PARC’s Palestine Director Hadeel Qazzaz. During the Seminar, the group toured and met with professors and administrators at five West Bank universities and participated in presentations and discussions at several Palestinian NGOs. The group visited some of the most significant points of interest in the area, thereby witnessing everyday life in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Through their experiences, the professors became excited about the possibility of collaborating with their Palestinian colleagues and incorporating lessons learned into their scholarship and teaching. In addition to increased research collaboration with Palestinian academics, members of the group plan to publish articles about their experiences and invite Palestinian colleagues to their campuses to speak.