Alumni, Parents, and Friends Establish the Mahmoud Darwish Professorship in Palestinian Studies

When the Brown Corporation announced in May that it had approved the establishment of the Mahmoud Darwish Professorship in Palestinian Studies and appointed Professor Beshara Doumani as the inaugural chairholder, congratulatory emails flowed into Providence from both donors to the professorship and supporters of Palestinian studies around the world. Omar M. Masri, a director of the Munib & Angela Masri Foundation which is supporting the professorship, wrote: “For many reasons, Brown is the ideal home for this professorship, and we look forward to seeing the professorship prosper and contribute meaningfully to Palestinian knowledge production on a national and international scale.” His words encapsulate the goal of nine different donors who came together to fund an endowed professorship in Palestinian Studies at Brown: to produce knowledge about the culture, history, and daily realities of the Palestinian people, whether they remain in the region or are part of the diaspora beyond the Middle East. “The most important thing about the chair is that the holder puts Palestinians at the center of their research, regardless of their geographical location,” says Professor Doumani. “I am very proud of Brown University for taking the lead in institutionalizing a field of study that recognizes the global importance of the Palestinian experience.” Creating an ecosystem for Palestinian studies Prior to 2012, Brown University offered internationally recognized programs in ancient Middle East studies fostered by a number of academic departments, including the Joukowsky Institute for Archeology and the Ancient World and the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. When Professor Doumani arrived in Providence, he helped the University build expertise in contemporary Middle Eastern and Islamic studies. This plan included fundraising for a permanent endowment for the program and for a cluster of three additional faculty positions in the field. The Mahmoud Darwish Professorship in Palestinian Studies is the third of these to be established at Brown, following the Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Humanities and the Stephen Robert Professor of Middle East Studies. Brown also established a Middle East Studies Advisory Council, whose membership consists of a global group of alumni, parents and friends with an interest in supporting Middle East studies. Together, these relationships became the foundation for support of Professor Doumani’s vision to create a robust intellectual program specific to Palestinian studies. “I wanted to start a Palestinian studies program here because their history, experiences, and voices are often marginalized in academic research about them,” he says. “But it has been a growing field of study in the last 15 years, and this was an opportune moment to take stock of the field and help shape its research agenda.” E. Paul Sorensen ’71 ScM’75 PhD’77 LHD’19 hon., P’06, P’06, a longtime member of the Middle East Studies Advisory Council and a donor to the Mahmoud Darwish Professorship agrees. “I just do not see how any school can have Middle East studies without having Palestinian studies. Palestinians are an integral part of the history and culture of the region.” Sorensen and his wife Joan Wernig Sorensen ’72 LHD’19 hon., P’06, P’06 began by supporting a graduate stipend in Palestinian Studies at Brown, which has since become an endowed postdoctoral fellowship. Their interest was sparked after their son Christian ’06 spent time teaching English at a Palestinian school in the West Bank. “Learning from him about the area and local living conditions taught us that scant reliable information is available via normal channels,” says Mr. Sorensen. “Supporting an area of study focused on Palestine and Palestinians at a U.S. institution is one avenue to expand sources of reliable information.” Building a coalition of support for an endowed professorship It is unusual to have nine different donors come together to endow a professorship. But, when Professor Doumani, Sorensen, and others began reaching out to alumni about supporting Palestinian studies at the University, they found a great deal of interest. Basem Salfiti ’93, whose parents were born in Jaffa, Palestine and were part of the first wave of Palestinians to move to Jordan due to conflict in the region, was among the first to lend his support. “I think all of the donors involved like the approach of New Directions in Palestinian Studies at Brown,” he says. “It’s more holistic. It’s not just focused on politics. It concerns culture and history. It can go in so many different directions, and that’s what you want. You want to be able to document and drive research around all these issues.” Given the unique opportunity to establish the first professorship in Palestinian studies at a major U.S. research university, interest in supporting the position soon expanded beyond Brown alumni to include prominent Palestinians with no previous ties to Brown, including the Masri and Abu Ghazaleh families, among others. “When this conversation started, it took a lot of people. But it was a typical Brown project,” says Salfiti. “It wouldn’t have happened like this in other places. People were interested because it was such a unique program, but it also fit right in with what they were doing philanthropically already.” Many of the donors pointed to the “multiplier effect” they feel the Mahmoud Darwish Professorship will have at Brown and in the wider world. Rasha Abu Ghazaleh Farouki remarked, “When we heard about the establishment of Palestinian Studies at Brown, we were incredibly excited about the precedent that would be set. Our conversations with Professor Doumani ...

July 19, 2020

Munib & Angela Masri Foundation sponsored a concert titled ” Talent Despite Disability”

The Munib & Angela Masri Foundation sponsored a  concert in July 2013 in Ramallah titled ” Talent Despite Disability” for people with disabilities. These artists and musicians came from various parts of the country, including Jerusalem, the West Bank and the north, close to Nazareth. The evening performances included singing,  poetry reading, and a play. The MDF is proud to have sponsored this event as it is in the Foundation’s objectives to support people with special needs. ...

July 1, 2013

MDF Replaces Farmer’s Horse Killed by Settlers with a New Tractor

Hamid Daraghmeh, a farmer from a village outside Nablus, recently lost his horse to settler aggression and violence. The settlers killed Daragmeh’s plow horse in an unprovoked attack on his farm land adjacent to his family home. The perpetrators from a neighboring settlement have not been charged with any crime by the Israeli police, although their identities are known. Without the plow horse, Daragmeh cannot perform the daily critical tasks of turning and clearing the heavy soil of the farm, or transporting crops to market. Daragmeh is a subsistence farmer, able to provide for his family’s needs but without financial reserves or access to supplemental resources. The MDF, learning of the crime and the vulnerability of the Daragmeh family, stepped in and replaced the horse with a new tractor, which will enable Daragmeh to farm his land quickly, efficiently and more profitably. The story was covered extensively in the local Arabic press. ...

April 15, 2013

Mr. Munib R. Masri visits Ibn Sina Hospital Project in Jenin

Mr. Masri, accompanied by his grandchildren, visited Ibn Sina     Hospital in the City of Jenin. This hospital will provide quality medical services and the best care to patients in the northern areas of Palestine. Mr. Masri’s visit was an exploratory one and also aimed at attracting more investors to participate. The presence of this hospital will not only provide reliable services in an underdeveloped health sector, but  will also be an economically feasible project for investors. Azzam Al Ahmad, a member of the Legislative Council, accompanying Mr. Masri , agreed and stressed the importance  of organizing such visits and briefing investors on the progress of the hospital. From his side, Mr. Masri called upon the management of the project and  continue contacting investors as it will contribute in building trust and mobilizing more people to invest in this vital project.  He also promised to raise MDF’s contribution in this project as he is confident that this hospital is a viable national project- par excellence. ...

March 17, 2013

The Role of Natural Gas in Lebanon’s Future Energy Mix

Organized by AUB's Munib and Angela Masri Institute of Energy and Natural Resources, under the patronage and with the participation of the Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water, H.E. Gebran Bassil, the one-day workshop addressed the topic, "The Role of Natural Gas in Lebanon's Future Energy Mix." It also included Arab and international energy experts who discussed how to prepare for the "hydrocarbon era." This international workshop on natural gas took place at AUB in Beirut on April 27, 2012. Trustee Emeritus Munib Masri, after whom the institute was named, said that the institute was created to ensure that energy projects will be developed with sustainability, excellence, and innovation in mind. "AUB, with its ideal geographical location and as a regional knowledge center is best equipped to ensure the success of our mission," said Masri. ...

April 27, 2012

Arab Capital Meets in Support of the Nazareth Academic Institute and Honors Palestinian Businessman Munib R. Masri

At an unprecedented evening in the history of Nazareth and in a luxurious atmosphere in which hundreds of invited Arab owners of capital attended atmospherea charitable dinner event on February 9, 2012 at the Golden Crown Nazareth Hotel. .  The dinner was jointly organized by the Nazareth Municipality, Nazareth Fund and Nazareth Academic Institute in support of the Nazareth Academic Institute- the first Arab academic institute that offers students a bachelor’s degree in the subjects of media and physics with official recognition from the Higher Education Council in Israel. The event program was as follows: A performance by the Oud An-Ned choir led by musician Katie Jarjurah,  a speech delivered by the mayor of Nazareth, Mr. Ramez Jaraiseh - a Samih Al-Qasim poem recited by the poet Marwan Makhoul in honor of Samih Al-Qasim, who apologized for not being able to attend due to health reasons, a performance by the Al-Masiyyah “Diamond” band led by the musician Kamil Shahrawi along with the guest of honor, Nadine Khatib, a standup comedy performance by Odai Khalifeh, a performance by the Nabil Abboud classic trio band (violin, cello, piano), a screening of a film  entitled “The Identity of the Academy” and produced the Nazareth Academic Institute students, a speech delivered by Mr. Ahmad ‘Afifi, Chairman of the Nazareth Fund, a speech by Mr. Beshara Kattuf, chairman of the Fund’s administrative Board, and a  speech expressing gratitude by Mr. George Kanaze’. During the ceremony that was directed by Fou’ad ‘Awad and in which Iman Bassiouni was the emcee, an auction was held where a poem personally hand-written by the poet Samih Al-Qasim and entitled “I walk upright” was bought by Michel Zaher for USD 10,000.  Also a painting made by the artist Suleiman Mansour was bought by Ahmad Afifi for USD 21,000 and a gold jewelry item designed by Kattouf Jewelry was bought by lawyer Mazen Qobti for USD 10,000. Furthermore, a bronze statue sculpted by the artist Sana’ Beshara was bought by Omar M. Masri for USD 7,000. Mr. Ghasoub Sarhan, a cloths designer, emceed the auction. During the event, Mr. Munib R. Masri was honored for the generous and persistent support he offers to the project of constructing a university in Nazareth. He has donated USD five million for the project, and promised to raise more funds for this purpose. Masri delivered a speech and conveyed the best wishes of His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas to the residents of Nazareth and those overseeing the university project.  During his speech, tears were streaming down Masri’s cheeks due to his hearty support for this project that is vital for Nazareth and the Palestinian people. ...

February 9, 2012