Palestinian Faculty Development Program / Palestinian Rule of Law Program Spring Conference

The Palestinian Faculty Development Program and Palestinian Rule of Law Program grantees gathered together for the annual spring conference, held for the first time at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Guests from the university, OSI, AMIDEAST and Connexions gathered for the event.

In addition to the networking and active scholarly participation at the conference, the schedule incorporated diverse and topical lectures on religion, the environment, urban planning, and education.

Summary

The following is a brief summary of the Palestinian Faculty Development Program and Palestinian Rule of Law Program 2009 springer conference.

Under southern skies, the Palestinian Faculty Development Program and Palestinian Rule of Law Program grantees gathered for the annual spring conference, held at the University of Florida.

Hosted at the J. Wayne Reitz Union and the College of Design, Construction and Planning, grantees had an open and informal space to network with their fellow colleagues, as well as receiving greetings from Chris Shinn, AMIDEAST Coordinator; George Laudato, Special Assistant to the Administrator on the Middle East, USAID; and Martha Loerke, Scholarship Program Director, OSI.

In addition to the networking and active scholar participation angle to the conference, the schedule incorporated diverse and highly topical lectures from the arenas of religion, the environment, urban planning and education.

Kenneth Wald, professor of political science at the University of Florida, discussed the significance of religion during the presidential election, whilst Ruth Steiner gave insight into issues of urban planning on student transport options to school.  Dr. Steiner’s project holds special significance for PFDP grantee Abdulnaser Amin Arafat, who is currently collaborating on the project as part of his PhD in Florida.

Those scholars pursuing LLM degrees at American University, Duke University, Georgetown and Wake Forest Universities and the University of Michigan were also treated to a separate lecture from Patricia Woods, assistant professor of political science, who addressed judicial communities in Israel and the impact of politics, as well as an informal roundtable with leaders of  the Florida Coalition of Muslim, Jewish and International Student Organizations Formed to Raise Awareness of the Situation in Gaza.

The temperate climate provided many opportunities to head outside to view one of the more innovative and practical projects currently underway at the University.  The Perry Construction Yard "Green Roof" was presented during a lunchtime lecture, where a water harvesting system sustains flora using rainwater only.  The system was presented as a sustainable project which could be adopted back in Palestine.

In addition to a useful session by Mr. Shinn and OSI PFDP/PROL staff Joe Glicksberg and Patrick Hynes on civic engagement in Palestine after the scholarship period, grantees participated in workshops, in which the work of their peers in a similar field was presented and constructively critiqued.

The informal outings to St. Augustine, the oldest town in the U.S., as well as evening meals in hospitable Gainesville gave the group ample time to reconnect and forge new ties.