Panels & Speeches

The symposium featured four panel presentations

*Media's Role in Promoting Understanding between the Arab World and the US

*Education's Role in Promoting Understanding

*Promoting Understanding through Economic Relations

*Study Abroad and its Implications for Intercultural Awareness and Brain Drain.
 

Panel I:  Media's Role in Promoting Understanding between the Arab World and the US

What is the role of the media in reinforcing and/or breaking down stereotypes in the Arab world and the US? How does the European media's depiction of the Arab world compare to the American media's, and what are the factors behind the differences? What tools do we have as individuals to correct misconceptions, both in the US and the Arab world? Which forms of media are most effective in swaying public opinion?
 

Moderator:

Professor John A. Quelch: Senior Associate Dean and Lincoln Filene Professor, Business Administration at Harvard Business School
 

Panelists:

Arnaud de Borchgrave:  Editor-at-Large, United Press International

Dr. Ahmed Bouzid:  Founder and current president, Palestine Media Watch (PMWATCH)

Adib Farha: Member, Lebanon's National Media Council

Jerry Tully:  Journalist and independent documentary producer

 

Panel II: Education's Role in Promoting Understanding

What role do the US and Arab education systems play in propagating the misunderstanding between the two cultures? Is the Arab world featured proportionately in US curricula compared to other regions and cultures? Do European countries do a better job than the US in "teaching" about the Arab world? How do Arab education systems depict the US? Why are there no "American studies" programs at Arab universities?
 

Panelists:

Dr. Thomas A. Bartlett: Interim President, American University of Cairo (AUC)

Moez Doraid:  Program Advisor, Regional Bureau for Arab States of the United Nations Development Program

Mishka Moujabber Mourani: Senior Vice President,  International College in Lebanon

Audrey Shabbas: Executive Director, Arab World and Islamic Resources (AWAIR)

 

Panel III:  Promoting Understanding through Economic Relations

How can improved bilateral trade and mutual investments between the Arab World and the US promote cultural discourse? And conversely, how can improved cultural discourse promote bilateral trade and mutual investments? How have recent macroeconomic and geopolitical factors influenced the flow of investment? To what extent is the breakdown in cultural discourse responsible? What is the role of Transnational Companies (TNCs) and Multinational Companies (MNCs) in promoting intercultural understanding and in contributing to the local and global markets? How can companies be further induced to increase their efforts for promoting understanding? What is the role of governments in seeking better economic relations?
 

Moderator:

Professor Roger Owen:  A.J. Meyer Professor of Middle East History, Harvard University and the Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

Panelists:

Dr. Julia Devlin: Acting Partnership Adviser, The World Bank's MENA region

Samer Khanachet: President, United Gulf Management, Inc.  

Gassan Al-Kibsi: Associate Principal, McKinsey and Company
 

Dr. Atif A. Kubursi: Economics professor, McMaster University 

 

Panel IV: Study Abroad and its Implications for Intercultural Awareness and Brain Drain

Why do so few Arab students travel to the US to pursue higher education? What policies have other regions developed to increase the number of students studying abroad? What are the primary factors behind the brain drain problem facing the Arab world? How does the problem facing the Arab world compare to that facing other developing regions? What policies have been pursued throughout the region to alleviate the problem? What about in other regions?
 

Moderator:

Professor William Granara: Director, the Arabic language program at Harvard University

Panelists:

Dr. John Sfakianakis: Lead Manager, Brain Drain at the World Bank

Professor Henry J. Steiner: Chairman, University of the Middle East Project and Jeremiah Smith

Lucas Welch: Founder and Executive Director, Solis

Sunday Luncheon Host

Jean AbiNader has served in leadership positions in public affairs and trade organizations that focus on US-Arab relations for more than 25 years. The current Managing Director of the Arab American Institute (AAI), he is a co-founder of the AAI and the National Council on US-Arab Relations, as well as past president of the National Association of Arab Americans and the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce. He has extensive experience in the Middle East as a consultant on policy and trade initiatives that enhance US-Arab commercial relations and the development and implementation of information and advocacy projects. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, where he leads a graduate seminar on international marketing.
In this time of increasing misunderstanding between the Arab world and the United States, education and open dialogue are fundamental to break both the real and artificial barriers created by politics, language, geography, and religion. This has become even more important in light of the heightened political tension between the Arab World and the U.S.
This symposium addressed some channels through which such misperceptions can be corrected. The objective was to identify concrete methods to promote understanding through education, economic corporation, and open dialogue, and to come up with actionable next steps that allow participants to have a personal impact beyond the symposium.