Aggad Fellowship
The Omar A. Aggad Travel and Research Fellowship was established through the generous gift of a Boston College family to inspire BC graduate and undergraduate students to expand their understandings of the Arab world, and of the relationships between Arab societies and the West.
Funds are available for international travel for research, language study, and skill acquisition throughout the Middle East. Freshman and Sophomore projects should be designed to deepen knowledge in a given field related to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Junior and Senior proposals should be designed with a thesis project in mind, and can be used to gather data, conduct interviews, and for archival research. Proposals with a language component are preferred. The donors have a particular interest in helping students to understand the Palestine-Israel issue, and supporting research and activities designed to promote peace in the region.
Grants in the range of $2,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis. To apply, students submit a research project proposal, associated budget, one faculty recommendation, and transcript using the online application form. Funds may be used over the summer or during winter break. Some limited funds can be used for conference participation.
The 2016 Omar A. Aggad Fellows
Kuwait Intercultural Dialogue and Diplomacy Program
As part of the Islamic Civilization and Societies Program course ICSP245001 "Kuwait: Intercultural Dialogue and Diplomacy", ten students will be selected by competitive application to travel to Kuwait during spring break (March 2-11, 2018) to engage in dialogue and cultural diplomacy with their counterparts at Kuwait University and American University of Kuwait.
The purpose of this one-credit course is to encourage and enable Boston College students to improve their understanding of Middle Eastern cultures through face-to- face dialogue, which is an essential tool for bridge-building between people who inhabit different social and cultural environments and realities. The program will encourage and facilitate inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and social encounters that would lead to better mutual understanding. The planned activities and conversations will attempt to address the challenges faced by each side in dealing with issues of citizenship, religion in public life, pluralism, peace, poverty, protection of the natural environment, and security.
Site visits will include the U.S. Embassy, The Embassy of Bhutan, Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, the Grand Mosque, Kuwait Investment Authority, Kuwait National Assembly, as well as several cultural and historical sites.
Participants are required to meet several times before departure and after returning from Kuwait to discuss assigned readings, and to prepare for Kuwaiti students reciprocal visit.
All expenses are paid through the Omar Aggad Fellowship Program.
Application Deadline: January 1, 2018
If you have questions about the application, please contact Professor Kathleen Bailey, Islamic Civilization and Societies Program, Political Science Department: kathleen.bailey@bc.edu
Mizna Fellowship
The Mizna Fellowship Fund was established through the generous gift of one of BC’s alumni to create new opportunities for BC undergraduates for international travel for research, language study, internships and service learning initiatives throughout the Islamic world.
Deadlines:
Academic Year: October 1
Summer: February 5