UNIVERSITY NEWS - JULY 2003

MEDIA CONTACT: Terry Gearing
561-799-8026, gearing@fau.edu

FAU Honors College Welcomes Fulbright Scholar

JUPITER, FL (July 20, 2003) - The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College has been awarded funding by the U.S. Department of State for a Fulbright Scholar in Residence for 2003-2004. Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway will join the Honors College for the 2003-04 academic year.

"Dr. Abu Sway adds to our diversity and strengthens our international studies program," said Dr. William Mech, dean of the Honors College." His arrival is the realization of the vision and hard work of our faculty that already includes six Fulbright Scholars. We believe that our students, our faculty and the community will all benefit from this experience."

Abu Sway is a citizen of Jordan and resides in East Jerusalem, where he is an associate professor at the Islamic Research Center at Al-Quds University. Dr. Abu Sway received his B.A. at Bethlehem University in the West Bank, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy at Boston College. He was the 2002 recipient of the Science and Religion Course Award from the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California. Abu Sway will teach an introduction to Islam, as well as courses in Islamic philosophy and politics for the Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Worldwide Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program brings visiting scholars and professionals from abroad to lecture at U.S. colleges and universities for one semester or one academic year. Fulbright Scholars-in-Residence can have a significant impact on U.S. colleges and universities. In addition to teaching courses, scholars give campus-wide and community lectures, help initiate international programs and contribute to curriculum development. The Fulbright program was established in 1946, and was designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In its proposal the Wilkes Honors College cited its goal of offering its students and the community a better understanding of Islamic culture, to help shed prejudices and stereotypes and better appreciate the complex roots of recent international conflicts.
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