Palestinian-US venture a study in contrasts

[Violet_Crumble]

Ethan Bronner Jerusalem
February 16, 2009

IT WOULD be hard to find two institutions of higher learning that seem more different than Bard College in New York state and al-Quds University, a struggling Palestinian institution in and near Jerusalem.

Yet the schools have decided to join forces in a venture aimed at injecting US educational values and expertise into Palestinian society.

The plan includes a liberal arts honours college and a masters degree program in teaching, both at al-Quds and granting joint degrees. The plan also includes a high school.

Bard anticipates complaints from some American Jews unhappy because al-Quds is a Palestinian institution partly in Jerusalem — which many Jews consider the indivisible capital of Israel — and because al-Quds is no stranger to radical Palestinian politics.

Meanwhile, al-Quds expects some Palestinians to resent the endeavour as vaguely colonialist. And the collaboration is bound to be complicated.

<snip>

The university's main campus is in Abu Dis, a village just east of Jerusalem. But because other parts of the university are within Jerusalem, Israeli educational authorities do not recognise its degrees.

The Bard program would change that, as the joint degree would carry accreditation in New York state and thereby receive recognition in Israel.

http://www.theage.com.au/world/palestinianus-venture-a-study-in-contrasts-20090215-884y.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Excellent! There need to be more initiatives like this.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Agreed. Sadly things like this seem few and far between n/t