Doha: Respected political analyst and internationally syndicated journalist, Rami Khouri (pictured), who is also a member of Northwestern University in Qatar’s Advisory Board, visited NU-Q and held several forums with students, faculty, and staff.
In a series of community meetings, Khouri, with nearly 50 years of experience reporting on Middle Eastern affairs, politics, and public policy, addressed critical themes that continue to cause turmoil in the Middle East, as well as precursors that determined the region’s current fate. The first one was titled “The Ten Different Wars in Syria and the Traumas of the Modern Middle East” and the other, “Understanding the real threat of ISIS: Dysfunctional Arab statehood and millions of desperate people seeking citizenship.”
“As one of the leading voices interpreting the Middle East to the West and the West to the Middle East, Khouri’s visits to NU-Q provide students and faculty with a unique opportunity to engage in discussions concerning the region with one of the leading voices in journalism in the Middle East. His understanding and breadth of knowledge on the world’s most discussed issues, Syria and the rise of ISIS, helps our faculty and students to develop a clearer understanding of the complexity surrounding such tragedies,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO.
In two lively sessions at NU-Q, students, staff, and faculty gathered to listen and discuss Khouri’s findings and evaluation of the region’s most prominent issues. The first session, which discussed Syria’s traumatic civil and international war, saw Khouri break down the events into differently weighted conflicts and battles.
“It is the greatest proxy war in the Middle East,” said Khouri, “Syria’s situation clarifies most of the conflicts in the region, as well as modern ways of political engagement and manifestation.” He added that the war will not be resolved unless one side wins, or the country suffers massive fatigue, that in turn leaves people with no option but to settle for a short-term solution.
In his talk, Khouri also addressed NU-Q’s biggest challenge as a journalism school, which he said is to teach students how to approach such politically and socially convoluted issues, by teaching them how to accurately analyse and understand them.
“Two important components of good journalism are research and analysis. Equipping students with the knowhows of gathering valid information will help them to make the best judgement when reporting on politics and public policy,” he said.
In an open-floor discussion, moderated by NU-Q’s Zachary Wright, Associate Professor in Residence in the Liberal Arts Programme, students and faculty raised questions on Syria and the importance of media in reporting on such events.
In a second discussion, moderated by NU-Q’s Khaled AL-Hroub, professor in residence in the liberal arts programme, Khouri discussed how issues in the region created chaos and instability, allowing groups like ISIS to flourish.
Khouri also emphasised the need to resolve deeply-rooted problems in the region — including democracy, education, labour issues, national identity, and others.
