International Conference on: Political Socialization and Emerging Political Actors in the Middle East. Krakow, Poland, May 18-20, 2011

The School of Humanities and Global Studies in collaboration with the Jagiellonian University’s Institute of Middle and Far East (Krakow, Poland) planned and organized an international conference on Political Socialization and the Emerging Political Actors in the Middle East, in Krakow, May 18-20, 2011

Dean and Professor Hassan Nejad, Professors Ira Spar, Assistant Professor Pinar Kayaalp, and undergraduate International Studies student Valeriya Kamenova participated in this conference and presented papers on various topics related to the themes of the conference.

The meetings were held in the historic  Collegium Maius of Jagiellonian University.  Professor Leszek Korporowicz, Director of the Middle and Far East Institute, welcomed the audience and the Ramapo delegation and expressed appreciation for collaboration with Ramapo College’s School of Humanities and Global Studies.  Dean Hassan M. Nejad opened the conference with remarks on the importance of the Middle East and North Africa in world affairs and promises for collaboration between Ramapo and Jagiellonian University.  Professor Jerzy Szdanowski, Director of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Center for Studies on Non-European Countries, gave the keynote speech.

Topics of papers presented by the Ramapo faculty and Valeriya Kamenova were as follows:

-Dean Hassan M. Nejad, “Rage, Fear, and Transformation in the Middle East and North Africa”
-Assistant Professor Pinar Kayaalp, “Post-1960’s Feminist Literature in Turkey”
-Professor Ira Spar, “A Historical View of Conflicts Between Formulations of Positive and Theological Law”
-Valeriya Kamenova, “Contemporary Perspective of Islam in Politics: Iran and Turkey”

The School and the Institute have now signed a “Letter of Intent” to collaborate in planning and organizing conferences and seminars in the future.

Ramapo College-St. Petersburg International Relations Event

HGS Dean Dr. Hassan Nejad and Mr. Ben Levy from CIE welcomed 16 students and two faculty members from St. Petersburg State University’s School of International Relations to Ramapo College on July 28, 2010.

Ramapo College-St. Petersburg Affiliation Agreement

Ramapo College has entered into an affiliation agreement with the School of International Relations of St. Petersburg University with opportunities to pursue joint activities with other schools and programs. HGS Dean Hassan Nejad, Professor Jennefer Mazza, and retired Professor Tom Heed traveled to St. Petersburg in September 2008 to negotiate this agreement on behalf of President Mercer and Provost/VPAA Beth Barnett. The affiliation agreement was signed by President Mercer and Provost/Dean Dr. Konstantin Khudoley in December 2008.The purpose of this agreement is to enhance teaching, research, international, and cross-cultural capabilities of both institutions.The agreement provides for faculty and student exchange, joint research projects, joint courses taught on-line or through video conferencing, jointly sponsored conferences, grant proposals, and curriculum development. Professor Alexander Kubyshkin representing St. Petersburg State University’s School of International Relations visited Ramapo College from January 6 to February 9, 2009. He met with faculty, administrators, staff, and students to explore opportunities for the implementation of the agreement Founded in 1724, St. Petersburg State University is the oldest University in Russia. The University consists of over twenty schools, five thousand faculty members, and a student population of about 40,000. One of the largest and youngest schools at St. Petersburg State University is the School of International Relations. This school has about 100 faculty members and over 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

(top, l-r) Dean Hasan Nejad, Jennefer Mazza, President Peter Mercer,
Provost Beth Barnett; (bottom, l-r) Alexander Kubyshkin, Tom Heed

Initiative to Educate Afghan Women Coalition

Shaima Khinjani, a Ramapo alumn part of the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women Coalition, recently spoke at one of our international studies classes. An article was written about it in the Newark Star Ledger.

Affiliation Agreement with University of Deusto

During the week of November 10, Dean Hassan Nejad traveled to Bilbao, Spain to finalize the affiliation between Ramapo College of New Jersey and Universidad of Deusto (CIDE) . On November 13th, the Dean of the School of Arts and Letters at Deusto, Dr. Angel M. Omaechaea Hernaez, signed the agreement which will enable Ramapo students to study at the Bilbao campus. This agreement represents the final step of a process initiated by the Spanish faculty of HGS to expand the international opportunities available to Ramapo students in Spain. An alumnus of Deusto University, Professor Natalia Santamaria-Laorden, will be delighted to provide Ramapo faculty and students with the information they need regarding the University of Deusto.

Ramapo College and Volgograd State Pedagogical University Renew Their Partnership on September 18, 2008

In mid-September 2008, President Peter Mercer and Rector Nikolai Sergeyev decided to renew its long-standing partnership. Due to his scheduling conflict, President Mercer authorized Professor Hassan Nejad, Dean of School of Humanities and Global Studies, to travel to Russia for the purpose of concluding a new agreement with VSPU. Dean Hassan Nejad, accompanied by professors Jennefer Mazza and Thomas Heed, met with the Rector, Vice-Rector, deans, and several faculty and students of VSPU during the week of September 15th and concluded a new partnership agreement. Professors Mazza and Heed also held several meetings with faculty and students in their linked course on The American Presidential Elections. The new agreement calls for exchange of faculty and students, curriculum development, and research, all compatible with the educational goals and missions of each institution and subject to the availability of resources. Ramapo College of New Jersey and Volgograd State Pedagogical University (VSPU) entered into an educational partnership in 1990. Since then, dozens of faculty members and administrators from both institutions have visited each other’s campuses. Several linked and team-taught courses –in History, American Studies, Political Science, and Literature– were developed and offered at both institutions. Russian scholars–teaching Russian language and Russian culture and civilization courses–have regularly joined Ramapo’s faculty. Several faculty members at both institutions have done joint research and publications.

The pictures posted here represent the events related to the signing of the new agreement in Volgograd, Russia.