ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – On Wednesday, August 12, the Al-Quds Bard Partnership was featured on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS. Al-Quds Bard, a groundbreaking collaboration in Jerusalem between Bard College and Al-Quds University, was established in 2008 to improve the Palestinian education system. It represents the first dual-degree collaboration between a Palestinian University and an American institution of higher education. On Wednesday, Rose interviewed Bard College President Leon Botstein and Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh about the genesis of the partnership, the challenges it faces, and its potential implications for the region. To view the show, visit www.bard.edu/news/press/botstein-rose8-12-09.

Opening in phases over the course of 2009–10, Al-Quds Bard is centered on three major initiatives: the Honors College for Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, and the Model School, each tackling a separate but related element of the education process.

The Honors College for Liberal Arts and Sciences, located in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Dies, offers a globally competitive education that is rooted in the best of progressive and classical educational traditions. The liberal arts curriculum and approach to learning equips students with the tools to forge a successful career in diverse fields and to engage creatively with questions relevant to their own lives. The Honors College will offer a dual bachelor of arts degree from Bard College and Al-Quds University and will open in fall 2009.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, located in the same premises as The Honors College, offers a singular approach to teacher education based on the idea that teachers should not only be experts in the academic fields they teach, but should also engage in teaching as a clinical profession. The MAT prepares teachers through a two-year program of graduate study in an academic field and key areas of education, closely integrated with experiences in classrooms. The MAT Program will offer a dual master’s degree from Bard College and Al-Quds University and will open in fall 2009.

Beginning in 2010, the Al-Quds Bard Partnership will launch the final element in its comprehensive plan: a Model School for Palestinian students in grades 5-12. The MAT program will be integrated with the daily operations of this model school. Public school teachers and students and graduate faculty and students will work side-by-side, developing models of educational practice and creating a regional center for professional development.

 For more information on Al-Quds Bard, please visit www.alqudsbard.org.

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(8-13-09)