By the Numbers
Thus far, the partnership has directly engaged more than 200 faculty, students, and administrators from both universities, and countless more have attended workshops, meetings, and events. Since 2003, more than 25 exchange visits have occurred in each direction, producing over 15 reports, curriculum guides, workshops, and collaborative resources.
About the Partnership
Al-Quds University and Brandeis University are engaged in a unique intercultural partnership that links an Arab institution in Jerusalem and a Jewish-sponsored institution in the United States in an exchange designed to build a Palestinian civic institution, provide education opportunities for students, factulty, and staff and foster cultural understanding.
Unlike traditional academic exchange programs that focus on students and faculty, the Al-Quds/Brandeis relationship has three holistic goals:
- improve the administrative and infrastructure capacities at Al-Quds, one of Palestine's nascent civic institutions;
- strengthen academics and offer opportunities for faculty, staff and students at both institutions;
- educate the campuses about the advantages of cooperation, goodwill and understanding.
The multi-year partnership has been supported in its early phases by nearly $1 million in funding from the Ford Foundation. The project has its roots in a week-long visit by Al-Quds President Sari Nusseibeh to Brandeis in 1997.
"This is an exciting partnership like no other in the world of academia," Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz said. "Through higher education, Al-Quds and Brandeis are working to bridge cultural divides that will make the world a better place. In forming a mutually beneficial working relationship, Al-Quds and Brandeis are modeling the kind of intercultural communication and cooperation that is vital to the success of any heterogeneous society, whether it be a university, city or nation."
After an initial planning phase, projects undertaken have included administrative exchanges, academic exchanges, and partnership documentation.
The administrative exchanges, which are designed to strengthen the Al-Quds infrastructure, focus on administration and finance, teaching and evaluation, and communications. In one example of an administrative exchange, Imad Abu Kishek, vice president for administrative and financial affairs at Al-Quds University, spent two years at Brandeis to develop a strategic plan for Al-Quds. Abu Kishek is now in the process of implementing the strategic plan with further consultation from Brandeis administrators.
The academic exchanges allow faculty to conduct joint research projects and conferences and offer students the chance to join together and visit the other institution. As part of the academic exchange portion of the partnership, Brandeis hosted four second-year master's students from the American studies program at Al-Quds University for two weeks in March 2006. In addition, eight Brandeis undergraduates joined with seven Al-Quds students for a Summer Institute in Turkey for 10 days in August 2007. A second undergraduate exchange took place in August 2008.
Brandeis and Al-Quds are jointly documenting the partnership's progress and outcomes through publications, video, and still images. This documentation will help to educate the campuses and the broader communities about the partnership and its benefits.
More recently, partnership activity has focused on effective teaching and learning projects, led by a team of Brandeis and Al-Quds faculty from across disciplines. Brandeis and Al-Quds University faculty are working together on issues of assessment, pedagogy and curriculum development. A joint academic conference on "Women, Leadership, State, and Society" is also being planned for May 2009.