Students Participate in the International Institute for Political and Economic Studies

22 October 2007

Four Bethlehem University students participated in the International Institute for Political and Economic Studies (IIPES) from 13 July to 7 August 2007 in Crete, Greece. The program included lectures in Intellectual History, Political Economy, The Good Society, and Conflict Management that were given by professors from both Georgetown and Illinois Universities. It also included meetings with some ambassadors and representatives from different international organizations, such as NATO and the European Union Parliament.

The following students were among the 85 accepted students from 300 applicants to the program; Maha Sleibi and Manal Khalil, who are both studying Computer Information Systems, Reina Hazboun, a Bethlehem University Graduate of English Literature, and Shatha Daqaq, who is studying Business Administration. They said that the program was valuable in terms of academic, cultural, and social affairs. “It was one of the richest experiences in my life”, Shatha said. Maha agreed and added, “It made me realize that Palestinians are not the only people who are suffering in the world”. The students expressed their gratitude to Mr Raed Shomaly, an instructor in the Department of Business Administration at Bethlehem University, for telling them about the program and giving them his full support. Upon completion of the program, the students were granted a certificate of three credit hours from Georgetown University.

It is important to note that this is not the first time that Bethlehem University students participated in the IIPES program. Raneen Al-Arja and Samar Khalil, both studying Business Administration, participated last year.

The IIPES is an academic program that explores major political, economic and cultural issues important to the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) and The Greek Association for Atlantic and European Cooperation (GAAEC) in cooperation with Georgetown University are responsible for organizing this program while the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICh) helped by offering its campus for holding the program.