- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Professor Travels to Oman to Study Middle Eastern Food Security and Environmental Sustainability

John Hill — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 13:22:52 +0000

Dr. Rebecca Glazier, a professor in the School of Public Affairs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, spent two weeks in January studying food security and environmental sustainability in Oman, a small county on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Now she’s bringing what she learned back to the classroom to teach ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students about Oman’s efforts to improve environmental sustainability and food security, problems that are among the world’s most urgent concerns. “We met with government officials that are running innovative programs in water desalination, starting camel milk collectives with local farmers, and planting a million date palms across the country to increase local food production,” Glazier said. “We were also lucky enough to connect with local people and to share meals with families in the mountains and in the desert, to learn more about their lives, what they eat, and how they live.” Glazier took the study abroad trip with faculty members and students from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. Dr. Marie Curtis, associate professor of anthropology and cross-cultural studies, was awarded a grant for a that aligned with U.S. State Department areas of concern around food security and environmental sustainability. “There are not as many study-abroad options in the Arab world, and the State Department encourages programming that offer students a diverse set of options,” Curtis said. “Food security and environmental sustainability are of global concern, and because I developed this program to cover those topics as they relate in the Arab world, our proposal stood out.” The group traveled to from Jan. 3-16, where they visited with professors, governmental officials, scientists as well as visited a number of cultural and historic sites.

The group visits Al Misfah village on a hillside in Oman.

“Oman is a beautiful country with a rich history and culture,” Glazier said. “I had so many incredible experiences there. I got to sleep in a 200-year-old home in the mountains, which was only reachable by a stone footpath. I hiked to the top of a dune in the desert to catch the sunrise and got to ride a camel through the desert at sunset. Visiting the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the capital of Muscat was an amazing experience. It is really beautiful and is the spiritual heart of the city.” Glazier also teaches in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Middle Eastern Studies program and leads the university’s Model Arab League course. Glazier said her experiences will help prepare students who participate in Model Arab League, a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. “My students are researching a number of topics for their Model Arab League class this spring, including issues of food security in the Arab world and environmental challenges like water scarcity,” Glazier said. “Some of the solutions that Oman is implementing are innovative, and I am excited to talk with my students about them. Being able to share pictures and stories about Arabic culture and my travel experiences also brings things alive for students in a way that regular lecture doesn’t.” In addition, Glazier is hoping to use this experience to plan a future study abroad course to Oman for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. “Dr. Curtis worked so hard to design an innovative course and to give students the opportunity to study abroad in a place where students may not typically choose to go,” Glazier said. “I hope to be able to design a similar course for our students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Oman is a safe country, with very few COVID cases and no terrorism. For our students who are interested in Middle Eastern Studies, it is a great country to visit.”

Film animation, history and culture featured in thought-provoking spring film series lineup at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

John Hill — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:45:20 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies program will host a free spring film series focused on how animation as a medium illuminates timeless themes. The film, “,” will be shown at 6 p.m. Monday, March 16. All films are free and open to the public and will be followed by a discussion. “Tehran Taboo” is an award-winning rotoscope animation drama by expat Iranian filmmaker Ali Soozandeh. The film’s characters desperately search for freedom and happiness, and in doing so are forced to break the taboos of a restrictive, Islamic society. Their stories reveal the contradictions of modern Iranian life, where sex, drugs, and corruption coexist with strict religious law. “We wanted to share powerful films with the community that use animation to address important issues like the guilt and trauma that comes from conflict, and the struggles between tradition and modernity,” said Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, associate professor and Middle Eastern Studies program coordinator. “These stories are set in the Middle East, but these are human stories that address themes that resonate with every society.” The final film, “,” will be shown at 6 p.m. Monday, April 6. “Persepolis” is an animated biographical drama of a precocious and outspoken Iranian girl who grows up during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. She comes to view the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, as resembling the repressive tyranny that had just been overthrown. When she refuses to remain silent about the injustice she perceives, the girl’s parents send her abroad to Vienna to study and to seek a better life. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies Program fosters knowledge of the Middle East among the university campus community, the community of Little Rock, and the state of Arkansas. For more information about the program or the spring 2020 film series, contact Wiebelhaus-Brahm at ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu.

Libya to be subject of next ‘Evenings with History’ lecture series

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:21:21 +0000

Dr. Katrina Yeaw, assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will give the talk, “Beyond Benghazi: A Brief History of Modern Libya,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Historic Arkansas Museum. Yeaw will summarize modern Libyan history with particular emphasis on the colonial period, the founding of Libya as a modern nation state, and the more recent Arab Spring. “In September 2012, members of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia, carried out coordinated attacks against the American diplomatic compound and another government facility in Benghazi, Libya, resulting in the deaths of four Americans,” Yeaw said. “This tragedy has become central to American understanding of contemporary Libya, as well as influential to American politics.” Parking is available at the Historic Arkansas Museum parking lot at Third and Cumberland streets. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m., followed by the talk at 7:30 p.m. The event is part of the University History Institute’s Evenings with History lecture series.

Yale professor to present lecture on conflict in the Middle East

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:56:12 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies Program will present a lecture on Thursday, March 28, that will challenge the prevailing wisdom that European meddling in the Middle East a century ago is the root cause of the region’s current instability. Dr. Jonathan Wyrtzen, Associate Professor of Sociology, History, and International Affairs at Yale University, will give his talk, “Reimagining the Middle East: Jihads, Empires, and the Long Great War,” beginning at 7 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center Room 214A. The event is free and open to the public. Many scholars believe that the new boundaries imposed in the Middle East region after the 1919 Paris Peace Conference are responsible for a century of conflict in the region. Wyrtzen will present a more complicated and violent story by shifting the focus from the Great War and expanding the geographic scope to stretch from Morocco to Iran after the Paris Peace Conference. During the 1920s and 1930s, the modern Middle East was reshaped as a result of clashing local and colonial projects. Many of these clashes continue to affect the future of political order in the Middle East. For more information, contact Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs, at ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student visits Qatar on international fellowship

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:01:52 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student will share her knowledge of the government and culture of the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar after being selected for a prestigious international fellowship that included a diplomatic visit to Qatar. Mariam Bouzihay, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock junior psychology student from Jonesboro, was one of 10 U.S. college students selected for the Joseph J. Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies cultural immersion program to Qatar, a peninsula nation with a population of 2.6 million that borders Saudi Arabia to the south and is surrounded by the Persian Gulf on all other sides. “The whole point of the program is to expose people to different countries,” Bouzihay said. “There are many stereotypes about the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. Last spring, I got to represent Qatar in the Model Arab League, and then I got to experience Qatar in real life. It was an amazing experience.” Since 1984, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations has provided American professionals in academia, government, and business educational experiences in the Arab world through the fellowship, which places its participants into the dynamics of Arab-U.S. relations and provides first-hand exposure to the region’s cultural, economic, political, and social diversity pursuant to increased knowledge and understanding. After an orientation in Washington, D.C., Bouzihay traveled to Qatar from Nov. 16-23, 2018, with the other fellows and five professors to learn about the country’s culture, society, and economics, as well as government priorities, concerns, and needs as pertaining to Qatari-U.S. relations. Qatar is quite different than most people would expect, Bouzihay said. Its economy was largely based on the pearl industry. Now, Qatar is a high-income economy backed by the world’s third-largest natural gas and oil reserves and has the highest per-capita income in the world. The United Nations has classified Qatar as a county of high human development, and it is widely regarded as the most advanced Arab state for human development. Since 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates have embargoed Qatar, breaking off economic and diplomatic ties. “It’s been interesting to see how Qatar has rose up after the blockade began,” Bouzihay said. “A lot of people expected Qatar to fall, but the country fought back and established ties with other countries, which caused Qatar to become very self-sufficient. They are even hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and they will be the first Arab country to host the event. After it’s over, Qatar plans to donate its stadiums to other countries that don’t have stadiums.” During the trip, Bouzihay’s group met with officials from the U.S. Embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of Counterterrorism, and the Ministry of Defense. The group also visited the Museum of the Islamic Art, Aljazeera, Qatar National Library, Al Udeid Base, Qatar Petroleum, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Supreme Committee. “As part of the one-year fellowship, I will implement a variety of programs, events, and outreach efforts in my home community,” Bouzihay said. “These programs aim to share my newfound knowledge of Qatar with the American public, multiplying the educational impact of the program. Many people are unaware of the true Middle Eastern and North Africa region, so it is important to spread my experience and the things I learned during that time.”

High school students to participate in Model Arab League

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 22:07:14 +0000

More than 170 Arkansas high school students will participate in an annual international leadership program that gives students a taste of life as an international diplomat. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host the High School Model Arab League conference on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23. The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. “The Middle East is an area of critical importance to international politics,” said Dr. Rebecca Glazier, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Model Arab League and associate professor in the School of Public Affairs. “Many of the issues there — from religious extremism to water shortages to gender inequality — are issues that matter for the whole world. Thinking through potential solutions to these problems is a great way for students to get engaged and feel hopeful about the future of the Middle East and the world,” she said. During the two-day event, high school students from across the state will serve as delegates on committees. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies Program donates the conference fees to help deserving high school students attend the conference. The conference will be run by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, who will chair committees, organize awards, and serve in key roles. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who are helping to organize the conference and their positions include Jonathan Nwosu, secretary general; Mariam Bouzihay, assistant secretary general; Rashad Roberts, Joint Defense Council; Nora Bouzihay, Council on Palestinian Affairs; Sarah Fulmer, Council on Political Affairs Ministers; Faith Thomas, Council on Arab Social Affairs Ministers; Julie O’Hara, Council of Arab Economic Affairs Ministers; and Leon Kockaya, Council of Arab Economic Affairs Ministers. Participating high schools include Bryant High School, Caddo Magnet High School, Conway High School, Fayetteville High School, Haas Hall Academy, Haas Hall Rogers, Jessieville High School, Little Rock Central High School, Pulaski Academy, and Texas High School. Mariam Bouzihay, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock junior psychology student from Jonesboro, will speak at the conference’s opening session at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 22, in the Engineering and Information Technology Building Auditorium. As the recipient of the Joseph J. Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies, Bouzihay traveled to Qatar in November to learn about the country’s culture, society, and economics, as well as government priorities, concerns, and needs as pertaining to Qatari-U.S. relations. “As part of the one year fellowship, I will implement a variety of programs, events, and outreach efforts in my home community,” Bouzihay said. “These programs aim to share my newfound knowledge of Qatar with the American public, multiplying the educational impact of the program. Many people are unaware of the true Middle Eastern and North Africa region, so it is important to spread my experience and the things I learned during that time.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has hosted the Model Arab League since 2008. The event is sponsored by the, the League of Arab States Information Office, and the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. For more information, contact Dr. Rebecca Glazier, raglazier@ualr.edu, or visit the Model Arab League.

Lecture to explore the connections between Islam and political violence

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 16:20:13 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 20, about connections between Islam and political violence. Dr. Suveyda Karakaya, an adjunct faculty member at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Clinton School of Public Service, and Philander Smith College, will give her talk, “Islam and Political Violence: Is There a Connection,” at 7 p.m. in Donaghey Student Center Room 205D. Since the 9/11 attacks against the United States, the idea that the religion of Islam is associated with political violence and terrorism has continued to grow. Among all religions, Islam is the most commonly associated with political violence. The spread of civil wars in the Muslim world and the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) contribute to the association of Islam and political violence. While some argue that unfavorable socio-economic and political conditions are driving violence in the Muslim world, others emphasize the influence of religion in fostering violence. The lecture will review competing explanations and empirical findings on Islam and political violence as well as explore the prevalence of political violence in the Muslim world and the extent that religion plays a role in promoting violence. Karakaya holds a Ph.D. in political science with a concentration in international relations and comparative politics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research involves the substantive themes of religion and political violence, nonviolent resistance, globalization, and protest participation with a specific geographical focus on the Middle East and North Africa. For more information, contact Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, coordinator of the Middle Eastern Studies Program, at ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu.

Middle Eastern Film Series continues with “A Separation”

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 15:24:58 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Middle Eastern Studies Program Film Series continues Monday, Nov. 5, with a screening of “A Separation.” The film follows Simin and Nader, an Iranian couple whose marriage falls apart when Simin wishes to leave Iran in order to provide a better life for their young daughter against the wishes of Nader, who feels obligated to stay and take care of his father with Alzheimer’s disease. The screening, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. in Donaghey Student Services Center Room 104 and will be followed by a discussion about the film. The film, directed by Asghar Farhadi, received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, becoming the first Iranian film to do so. The same year it also received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. For more information, contact Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm, 501-683-7029 or ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu.

Middle Eastern Studies Film Series to screen ‘Beauty and The Dogs’ Sept. 19

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 14:00:57 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies Fall Film Series will present a screening of “Beauty and The Dogs” Wednesday, Sept. 19. The screening, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. in the Student Services Center Room 104. Light refreshments will be available. A discussion will follow the film. is a 2017 French-Tunisian drama film directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. During the film, Mariam, a young Tunisian woman, leaves a party after meeting the mysterious Youssef. A long night will begin, during which Mariam will fight for her rights and her dignity. The film explores the limits of democracy and gender equality in post-revolutionary Tunisia. Contact Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm at ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu or 501-683-7029 for more information.

Middle Eastern Studies Program seeking grant applications

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 14:30:00 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock faculty, staff, and students are invited to apply for grants to support pedagogy, campus activities, student research in Middle Eastern studies. The Middle Eastern Studies Program will award faculty grants of up to $3,000; part-time faculty, up to $500; student grants, up to $2,500; and campus activity grants, up to $2,000. Applicants are encouraged to think creatively about the activities the grants could fund. Projects related to any aspect of the Middle East or Middle Eastern studies are eligible. Examples of student grants include participation in an archaeological expedition in a Middle Eastern country, historical research, summer language study program, study abroad in a Middle Eastern country, and internships. Faculty grants are intended to support the development of a course, or a course component, about the Middle East or research or creative activity related to the region. Campus activity grants will sponsor events on campus that support the mission of advancing Arkansas’s understanding of the Middle East. Events can include guest speakers, performers, and film screenings made by and/or about the Middle East or its people and cultures. The priority deadline for faculty grants is Sept. 1; campus grants, Sept. 15; and student grants, Oct. 1. The Middle Eastern Studies program will continue to accept grant applications until all available funds have been awarded. For more information, visit the Middle Eastern Studies program student grant webpage or contact Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm at 501-569-3331 or ejwiebelhaus@ualr.edu.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Professor Travels to Oman to Study Middle Eastern Food Security and Environmental Sustainability

Film animation, history and culture featured in thought-provoking spring film series lineup at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock