Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program:
Direct Access to the Muslim World

Fulbright recently awarded the Office of International Programs at James Madison University a grant under the "Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World."  This program provides for the visit of a scholar on a short-term basis to JMU,  and it requires oIP to partner with other institutions in the community to host the scholar.  We have partnered with  Community Mennonite Church, the Islamic Association of the Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Mennonite University Conflict Transformation Program to develop this proposal and carry out this project. 

A scholar from Pakistan, Dr. Safir Akhtar, has accepted our offer to visit JMU this fall 2005 for six weeks.  Dr. Akhtar earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of York, and he spent a Fulbright year at University of Pennsylvania.  While here, he will work with Dr. Bill Hawk and Dr. Shah Hanifi, he will be available to guest lecture in classes at JMU and EMU, and he will deliver several public lectures or panel discussions at JMU, EMU, Community Mennonite, IASV and in the community at large.

For more information on this program or to involve Dr. Akhtar in a class or program, please contact the Project Director, Lorie Merrow in the Office of International Programs.