With a $1,000,000 endowment provided by the AAEF, a Chair of Arab Studies was established within the history department of Rice University, one of the most selective and distinguished private institutions of higher learning in the United States. Since August 1997, Dr. Ussama Makdisi, a leading expert on modern Arab history, has held this chair. Dr. Makdisi received his bachelors' degree from Wesleyan University in 1990, and his masters and doctorate degrees from Princeton University in 1997. Dr. Makdisi has given lectures on various topics including "The Case of Lebanon – the Question of Muslim-Christian Dialogue," "Arab American Relations – 1990 to 2002," and "Violence and Reconciliation." He is also the author of various books and publications on issues pertaining to the Modern Middle East and Ottoman History.
©Copyright 2003 AAEF