About the Center
Middle East Alumni Symposium | March 23, 2009
Day Trip to Petra | March 24, 2009
Travel Information
Registration
CAA in the Middle East

About the Center

One of the first in a network of global centers Columbia is launching around the world, the Columbia University Middle East Research Center (CUMERC) provides a regional base for scholarly activities in Jordan and throughout the Middle East. It will strengthen Columbia’s academic partnerships and programs in the region and offer opportunities for on-site research to faculty, for firsthand experience to students, for engagement with regional alumni and prospective students, and for sharing Columbia’s academic resources with other initiatives and efforts in Jordan and beyond.

The Center is directed by Professor Safwan Masri.
Click here for the CUMERC Web site.

Columbia University Middle East Research Center is located at
5 Moh’d Al Sa’d Al-Batayneh Street
King Hussein Park
P.O. Box 144706
Amman 11814 – Jordan

Take a virtual tour of the Center's facilities and architecture.

Middle East Alumni Symposium | March 23, 2009
11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Please stay tuned to this page for updated information on speakers and program.
RSVP required

11:30 a.m. | Registration

12 p.m. | Welcome, Global Center Comments
Safwan Masri
Director, Columbia University Middle East Research Center

12:20 p.m. | Changing Media Perspectives on the Middle East
Ethan Bronner '80SIPA, '80JRN | Jerusalem Bureau Chief, New York Times
Ipek Cem Taha '93SIPA, '93BUS | Producer and Host of Global Leaders on NTV Networks
John Coatsworth | Dean of the School of International and Public Affairs
Hassan Fattah '00JRN | Deputy Editor of The National
Rashid Khalidi | Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies and Literature

1:30 p.m. | Luncheon

2:30 p.m. | Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Resources in the Middle East
Lee C. Bollinger '71LAW | President, Columbia University in the City of New York
Jeffrey D. Sachs | Director of the Earth Institute

3:30 p.m. | Break

3:45 p.m. | "Mirror, Mirror On the Wall," Islam in the 21st Century
Peter J. Awn | Dean, School of General Studies and Director, Middle East Institute
Naif Al-Mutawa '03BUS | Creator of THE 99

4:20 p.m. | Art and Architecture in Motion
Carol Becker | Dean, School of the Arts
Mark Wigley | Dean, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation

5 p.m. | Alumni reception
Featuring the Columbia Jazz Ensemble performance with Omar Sakeeyer
CUMERC open house

Evening | Alumni dinners
Reem and Ramzi Muna '81EN will host a dinner for alumni and their guests. Please include your dinner RSVP on the registration site, or if you have already RSVP'd, please e-mail CAAInternational@columbia.edu with your intention of attending.

Day Trip to Petra | Tuesday, March 24
9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
RSVP required

An exclusive visit to the renowned archeological site that UNESCO names "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."

Bus transportation will depart from the Four Seasons Hotel at 9 a.m. sharp and return around 8 p.m.   Petra is approximately 3 hours from Amman.

Cost: $100 USD per person including transportation from Amman, lunch, and a guided tour (in English).

Travel Information

Hotels
Special rates have been confirmed with the Four Seasons, Hyatt and Intercontinental hotels in Amman. Please reference Columbia University when making reservations:
~Four Seasons: Reservations.Amm@fourseasons.com
~Hyatt: Reservations.Ammgh@hyattintl.com
~Intercontinental: Haidar.Dabaeen@icjordan.com

Shuttle Buses
There will be shuttle buses between the Hyatt, Intercontinental, and Four Seasons Hotel and the CUMERC on the day of the Symposium, and between the three hotels on the morning of the Petra trip. For more information, view the online confirmation packet.

Alumni traveling from Israel
Alumni traveling from Israel who would like to carpool or make group arrangements, please contact Dov Hoch at dovhoch@clarityholdings.com.

Visas
Citizens from Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City, and Yemen do not require a visa for entry. Most nationalities can obtain visas upon arrival. For more information, click here.

Registration Required

Alumni of all Columbia University schools are cordially invited to the events on March 23-24 with one guest. 
For express registration (log in with your UNI and password), click here.
For standard registration (sign-up without your Columbia log-in), click here.

CAA in the Middle East

There are over 2,000 alumni in the Middle East region. Be sure to update your contact information in the Alumni Directory to receive invitations and announcements about CAA in the Middle East.

In addition to the Columbia University Middle East Research Center in Amman, there are alumni clubs in Israel, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Please join a club near you and take advantage of upcoming CAA events:

March 27 | Dubai
Meet fellow UAE alumni and kick off the alumni club with a networking reception and meet-and-greet in Dubai. More

April 2 | Cairo
The Columbia University Club of Egypt holds its inaugural event with fellow alumni and special guests in Cairo. More

For inquiries, contact CAAInternational@columbia.edu.