About a year after Sept. 11, 2001, Professor of Astronomy Bruce Partridge was meeting with close friend and Haverford alumnus Jim Kinsella ‘82 in London. Both bemoaned the poor relations between the Islamic and Western worlds—particularly the United States—and wondered what Haverford might do to help counteract the growing hostilities. They came up with the idea of a scholarship that would bring Islamic students to Haverford, where they would see a different, more positive side of America.

The result of this brainstorm is the Islamic Scholars program, which provides a year of additional education for recently graduated students from a college or university in an Islamic country. All expenses are paid, thanks to a generous donation from Kinsella:“The students, Haverford community and I are so grateful to him for all he's done,” says Partridge.

In addition to allowing the scholars to take classes at Haverford, the program also pays for any English lessons they may need and encourages them to attend graduate school in the United States.“We wanted to make it easier for them to continue their education here,” says Partridge.“It's very hard to apply to school in the United States from many foreign countries, especially ones in the Middle East.”

Partridge worked with resident Middle East experts Doug Davis, professor of psychology, and Michael Sells, former professor of religion, to craft a proposal that was submitted in the fall of 2004. In the first year the College used Davis' contacts in Morocco (he and his wife, Susan, once taught at Al Akhawayn University in the city of Ifrane) to promote the scholarship. In the second year, Sells' connections in Syria were used to advertise the program, and Partridge also contacted Iraqi professors in exile, asking them to locate potential scholars in their home country. In the fall of 2005, Moussa Taifi from Al Akhawayn arrived on campus as the first recipient of the scholarship.

Although the program had originally been intended to fund one student per year, two Islamic Scholars were selected for 2006-2007: Siham El Bouaychi from Al Akhawayn and Nora Hussein from the University of Technology in Baghdad, Iraq.“We need to do as much as we can to build bridges with the Islamic world, and we were glad to get a green light from [President] Tom Tritton to admit both students,” says Partridge.

The scholars are chosen, he adds, based on their ability to“do work at Haverford at a high level, as well as on the fit between their interests and what we offer.” The selection committee includes Partridge, Dean of Admissions Jess Lord, and Donna Mancini, associate dean of the College and dean of international programs, who serves as the scholars' dean throughout the year.

“They certainly enrich our community,” says Mancini.“We're so delighted they're here.”

The Islamic Scholars program continues a Haverford tradition of reaching out to students in global areas of warfare and political turmoil. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, students from South Africa came to study at the College (one of these pupils is now a high-ranking government official in his home country) and in the mid-90s, Michael Sells helped bring scholars from Bosnia to campus. In the future, Partridge hopes to see more international students from countries like Iran, Turkey, or Indonesia, alternatives to what he calls the“usual suspects” of Western Europe, China, and Japan.

Regarding the Islamic Scholars program, Partridge sees positive repercussions not only for the scholars themselves, but also for the Haverford community. With ever-increasing tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic world, it's useful for students from the Middle East to act as ambassadors for their countries and answer any questions members of the Haverford community may have.

“It also gives Haverford students the chance to be ambassadors themselves,” he says.

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Moussa Taifi, the first recipient of the scholarship, studied computer science at Haverford and remembers his professors as much more than teachers.“In fact, some of them should really consider the entertainment or political scene,” he says.“They made me love the subjects I was taking, and doing the homework or the projects became internal challenges.”

Taifi was delighted with the students' warm interest in Moroccan culture:“I had a wonderful time explaining that ‘tagine' is more the name of a Moroccan cooking utensil than a meal in itself.” He dined often at the homes of many students and faculty members—he is particularly grateful to his faculty advisor Doug Davis, who with his wife, Susan, prepared for him several Moroccan meals. These dinner visits, he says, gave him a better understanding of“the way families are structured and the myriad differences that exist in every home.”

He was active in campus extracurricular life, singing with both the Haverford Chorale and the Chamber Singers and planning cultural events with the International Students Association.“The ISA created an ambience of camaraderie,” he says.“We shared the same concerns and we helped each other get the best of our time at Haverford.”

Currently, Taifi is pursuing an international master's degree in information technology at Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland, and reflecting on the rewards of his year at Haverford.“I learned optimism, goal-setting, self-confidence, superior spoken English, and social and intellectual skills that are priceless for me,” he says.“My future is brighter, and I know I can make it the way I want it to be.”

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Siham El Bouaychi's culture shock was not as severe as it could have been when she arrived on campus in August; the system at her Moroccan University is similar to that of the United States. New to her, however, were the numerous student helpers—resource representatives, Customs leaders, Honor Code Orienteers—on hand to make her Haverford experience more amenable.“It's impressive, all of these people here to take care of us,” she says.“It makes it much easier to adapt.”

She's learned to burn the midnight oil like a good ‘Ford, balancing a heavy course load that includes several in her major, political science: Global Civil Society, Comparative Democratization, and The Idea of Self-Reliance in America. Back at Al Akhawayn University, she studied political science with a concentration in American politics and a minor in communication studies. Her academic field was a recent addition to her school's curriculum.“We were told that people who studied it would be privileged in the job market,” she says. But she found herself passionate about the subject and the issues it raised:“You never feel that you've learned everything there is to know about political science. You can always study more.” El Bouaychi's faculty advisor, Professor of History Emma Lapsansky, was instrumental in helping her choose the right academic path to prepare her for the future, which she hopes will include work with international organizations like USAID, groups that deal with politics and human rights.

This is El Bouaychi's first visit to the United States. Though she had befriended American exchange students in Morocco, she worried about her reception here:“I was afraid that as an Arab person, I'd find difficulties and harassment.” She couldn't be happier to find exactly the opposite at Haverford.

“People here—it doesn't matter to them where I'm from,” she says.

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Now that Iraq is open to the rest of the world after so many years of sanctions, it's been possible for people like Nora Hussein to pursue educational and professional opportunities in other countries.“So many talented people who wanted to improve themselves were not able to study abroad,” she says.“Now they have more communication with the world, and are more ambitious.”

At Haverford, Hussein is continuing her studies of architecture, hoping to someday apply her training and skills to the rebuilding of Baghdad and teach at the city's universities. Before returning home, though, she wants to try practicing her craft in the U.S., to build on what she's learned in her undergraduate and post-graduate coursework.“I want to prove myself here and develop my abilities,” she says,“and have good knowledge and experience to bring back with me.” With the guidance of advisor and Professor of Anthropology Laurie Kain Hart (herself an architect), Hussein is taking classes at both Haverford and Bryn Mawr, including Techniques of Smart Growth Cities, Environment and Society, Techniques and Materials in Sculpture, and Documentary Film.

The freedom to choose any classes she likes is a departure from her college experience back home at Baghdad's University of Technology.“The courses were chosen for you,” she says.“In architecture, you had to take all of the major classes, no skipping or dropping.” She balanced 10 classes a semester for five years, the average amount of time needed to earn a bachelor's degree at her school, and graduated fourth in her class.

Aside from adjusting to academic differences and missing her family back home, Hussein loves her time in the United States and at Haverford:“It's like a little family here, and it makes being away from home easier.” She plans to study as much as she can, meet prominent people in her field, and visit some of the country's famed architectural wonders.

“I want this to be a rich year for me,” she says.

— Brenna McBride