Al-Quds Bard Civic Engagement and Invisible University for Ukraine Win 2024 MacJannet Prizes

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.— Al-Quds Bard Civic Engagement Program at Al-Quds Bard College in Palestine won first place for $10,000 in the 2024 MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship, and Invisible University for Ukraine at Central European University in Austria won second place for $7,500. Established by the Talloires Network and the MacJannet Foundation, the prizes recognize exceptional student community engagement initiatives at Talloires Network member universities and financially support their ongoing public service efforts.

“At a moment of intense challenge for the Palestinian people, Al-Quds Bard students have risen to the occasion and renewed their longtime commitment to civic engagement,” said Daniel Terris, dean of Al-Quds Bard College.  “I am proud that the MacJannet Prize has honored our students’ steadfast commitment to principled action on behalf of their besieged communities.” 

Al-Quds Bard (AQB) Civic Engagement Program considers civic engagement a fundamental and inseparable part of a liberal arts education. The AQB Civic Engagement Program aims to increase the capacity of the College to operate in the public interest by supporting faculty and students to link classroom and community, and enabling students with the theory and skills to be civically engaged, to develop and organize projects to bring about meaningful and positive changes in society, and to and realize their full potential as community actors and educators in shaping their future, the future of Palestine, and the world.

Despite the difficulty of the political developments in Palestine, the College was determined to maintain a lively civic engagement program, and after several pilot activities, took steps to respond to the crisis by developing a Student Network for Civic Engagement, launched in February 2024 in coordination with the student leaders and the Steering Committee on Civic Engagement, as an online network to coordinate between in-person student work based in various regions and cities.

The Invisible University for Ukraine (IUFU) at Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, Austria, which won second place, is a student-led hybrid academic program in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Through accredited online courses, immersive in-person seminars, and a vibrant peer learning community, IUFU empowers Ukrainian students to continue their studies and pursue their aspirations, regardless of their location or circumstances. IUFU emerged as a collaborative effort among scholars, aiming to extend the university’s academic environment to Ukrainian students and scholars following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Recognizing the importance of involving Ukrainian experts, the program seeks to establish a global platform for scholarly dialogue amidst the ongoing conflict.

Read more about the 2024 MacJannet Prize Winners here.
About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place and Massena properties, Bard’s campus consists of more than 1,200 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; advanced degrees through 13 graduate programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 164-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at the main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.

Website: https://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/about-the-macjannet-prize/2024-macjannet-prize-winners/

This event was last updated on 06-17-2024

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