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SUMMARY:Imam Feisal Lectures on Moderate Islam
DESCRIPTION:Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf\, a prominent Muslim leader in the United States and Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative\, visited Qatar during a trip to the region sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. He was invited to the Georgetown University in Qatar campus on August 24\, 2010\, to talk about “Moderate Islam\, the Muslim Community in America\, and Inter-Faith Dialogue.” Mehran Kamrava\, Interim Dean of GU-Qatar\, introduced the Imam as a “peace-builder” and welcomed the audience “in the spirit of dialogue\, discussion\, and discourse;” pillars of Georgetown University’s mission in Washington\, DC\, and Qatar. \n \n \nThe Imam said that the Cordoba Initiative was a means of bridging U.S.-Muslim relations. He noted that a major initial task was to unpack these binary oppositional terms to reveal complexities at the heart of the problem between the “West” and the “Muslim world.” The “West\,” he said\, is much more than a geographical location; it is a political and ideological projection that has very real and long-lasting impacts on the world. As such\, “bridging the divide between Islam and the West involves unpacking the sources of the problem\, and looking at the opportunities that can be made.” The Imam argued that there is a misperception that Islam-West relations will take generations to fix\, but\, he said\, “I am convinced that the so-called tension and polarization between the West as the United States\, or the West at large and the Muslim world\, can be fixed in a ten-year time-span if there is the will to do it and the resources put behind it.” \n \n \nThe causes of the divide can be analyzed in different ways\, but the Imam identified four basic sources of the problem. The first of these is rooted in global political conflicts such as Israel-Palestine\, U.S.-Iran relations\, and the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The second revolves around a rapidly changing demographic occurring primarily in Europe\, where Muslim populations are rapidly increasing. Imam Feisal argued that “because the native populations are declining\, there is a sense that the identity make-up of the society is undergoing some permanent shift.” Thirdly\, there are fundamental problems that arise as a result of theological interpretation and jurisprudence\, where the West believes in secularism in direct opposition to how Muslim political communities are formed. Further\, there are fundamental differences related to gender relations. These issues present challenges in the United States as well as Europe. Fourthly\, the Imam argued that there are general misrepresentations of the ‘other.’ “The perception of each side is another issue where the media plays a profound role.” In the interest of a perceived fairness\, the media usually polarizes issues further by insisting on two opposing sides to each issue. Not only this\, the media – both the news and entertainment media – also tends to emphasize negative factors that generate equally negative reactions among audiences. \n \n \nIn conclusion\, in order to solve these divisive issues\, Imam Feisal argued that the resolutions must be “context specific” and that there is an urgent “need to look at the architecture of power” as Muslims living in the United States need to improve their understanding regarding how the country is structured. Therefore\, he argued “it is important to understand how decisions are made\, and to be engaged in that process.” \n \n \nImam Feisal is the chairman of the Cordoba Initiative\, an independent\, non-partisan and multi-national project that works with state and non-state actors to improve Muslim-West relations. In this capacity\, he directs projects that aim to heal conflict between Islamic and Western communities by developing youth leadership\, empowering women\, and engaging Islamic legal scholars in addressing the implications of contemporary Islamic governance. In 1997\, he founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA)\, the first Muslim organization committed to bringing American Muslims and non-Muslims together through programs in academia\, policy\, current affairs\, and culture. As Imam of Masjid al-Farah\, a mosque located twelve blocks from Ground Zero in New York City\, he preaches a message of understanding between people of all creeds. Additionally\, Imam Feisal sits on the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Center of New York and serves as an advisor to the Interfaith Center of New York.  \n \n \nArticle by Suzi Mirgani\, CIRS Publications Coordinator.
URL:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/event/imam-feisal-lectures-moderate-islam/
CATEGORIES:Dialogue Series,Distingushed Lectures,Race & Society,Regional Studies
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20100830T080000
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DTSTAMP:20260413T004817
CREATED:20141023T152316Z
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SUMMARY:Professor Westbrook Lectures on Education and Market Transition in Viet Nam
DESCRIPTION:On August 30\, 2010\, Daniel Westbrook\, an economics professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar\, delivered the August CIRS Monthly Dialogue lecture on the topic of “Education and Market Transition in Viet Nam.” Westbrook first traveled to Viet Nam in 1993 to spend a semester teaching at the National Economics University in Hanoi under a program sponsored by the Ford Foundation; he returned to the Ford Foundation program during the 1995–1996 academic year. Professor Westbrook also spent a year at the Fulbright Economics Training Program in Ho Chi Minh City during 2001–2002. More recently\, he worked on Viet Nam as a “case study for looking at the effects of marketization on returns to education.” This is an ongoing research project that centers on the question: “How has the payoff to education evolved during Viet Nam’s market transition?” \n \n \nTo provide context for his research\, Westbrook explained the role of education in the economic development process. “The traditional view of economic development\,” he said “describes a process where labor moves from agricultural activities to industrial activities.” Historically\, policies based on this view tended to focus on heavy industry. Westbrook also described a more modern definition of economic development which gives a central role to human capital and “acquisition of increasingly sophisticated and productive ways of competing.” This model\, he said\, “envisions a world where developing countries’ abilities to compete in world markets depend very much on their acquisition of human capital.” Westbrook cited the role education played in producing the rapid economic growth the Asian tiger economies experienced in the latter part of the 20th century. \n \n \nAt the beginning of its transition period\, Viet Nam was on the verge of starvation. Even though Viet Nam has enjoyed GDP growth rates of 7–8 % per year for over two decades\, it remains very poor and there is much room for economic development to occur. Viet Nam’s education policies have been advancing along ambitious goals to support further development. “In order for people to invest in education\,” Professor Westbrook explained\, “they have to have an incentive.” It is generally understood that “education gives you access to better jobs and higher wages\,” but this assumes the existence of labor markets sophisticated enough to compensate workers for their educational attainments. Viet Nam’s market transition experience provides an opportunity to examine the effect of improving markets on the returns to education. At the beginning of the transition period jobs were administratively allocated and market returns to education were weak. During the late 1980s\, Viet Nam began its transition to a market-oriented economy. Professor Westbrook documented the degree to which greater labor market depth generated higher returns to education. \n \n \nProfessor Westbrook’s statistical work indicates that the impact of education in Viet Nam is substantial and significant. Moreover\, the impact is larger where labor market depth is greatest. Thus\, he concluded\, “education pays off in a big way and this indicates a very strong incentive to acquire additional schooling or to invest in the schooling of one’s children.” \n \n \nDaniel Westbrook received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1978 and joined the faculty at Georgetown at that time. He joined the School of Foreign Service in Qatar in 2008. His current research interests focus on applied micro-econometrics in economic development and on Vietnam. Professor Westbrook regularly teaches micro-economic principles\, international trade\, globalization\, environmental economics\, economic statistics and econometrics.  \n \n \nArticle by Suzi Mirgani\, CIRS Publications Coordinator.  \n \n \nView the presentation from lecture below: \n \nEducation and Economic Transition in Viet Nam 1993 -2006  from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar
URL:https://cirs.qatar.georgetown.edu/event/professor-westbrook-lectures-education-and-market-transition-viet-nam/
CATEGORIES:CIRS Faculty Lectures,Dialogue Series,Race & Society
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