Public Archives - Georgetown

American Odyssey: Past, Present, and Future of International Education and Exchange

October 26, 2026

Written partly in Doha, Dr. Goodman's 20th book tells the story of nearly 400 years of international education in American higher education. He explains why the arc of this history bends toward keeping America's doors open to international students and scholars, how to think and plan for the decade ahead, and the role that branch campuses are playing in shaping the future. Dr. Goodman helped to found the WISE summit on education and has just completed ten years of service on the board of the Education Above All Foundation.

Heritage Internationalism and Nation-Building in Qatar

October 7, 2026

Professor Trinidad Rico, Professor and Director of Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies at Rutgers University, will visit GU-Q as the inaugural guest speaker of the new Arts, Heritage, and Cultural Diplomacy minor. On Wednesday, October 7, she will deliver a public lunchtime lecture titled “Heritage Internationalism and Nation-Building in Qatar,” drawing on her recent book The Heritage State: Religion and Preservation in Contemporary Qatar. The talk will examine how Qatar has developed locally grounded heritage traditions while simultaneously participating in international heritage preservation and safeguarding initiatives, with particular attention to heritage expertise, nation-building, cultural authority, and global heritage agendas. Professor Rico will also lead a guest teaching session in Art, Heritage, and Identity, one of the minor’s core courses.

GCC Security: Alliances, Threats, and Strategic Choices

October 5, 2026

H.E. Dr. Majed Al-Ansari will join Dr. Gerd Nonneman for a moderated discussion on the evolving security landscape of the Gulf region. This conversation comes at a critical juncture: the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has underscored the fragility of the region’s security architecture and prompted calls for tighter Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) coordination. This event offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into current regional dynamics and their implications.

Israel’s Death Penalty: A New Law Targeting Palestinians

September 27, 2026

This year, Israel adopted a new death penalty law that applies only to Palestinians. In this event, Professor Ralph Wilde will explain what the new offences are and how they seriously violate fundamental rules of international law. Professor Diana Buttu will discuss the long history of Israel’s attempts to pass this law and implications for the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza. Professor Noha Aboueldahab will moderate a discussion between Professors Buttu and Wilde.

Oxford Maqam in Concert

September 29, 2026

Experience Egyptian musical styles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, brought back to life by the pioneering ensemble Oxford Maqam. Featuring selected works from this period, the concert offers a rare opportunity to experience this music performed live.

Echoes of Cairo: Reviving Egyptian Music from 1900

September 28, 2026

Explore Egyptian musical styles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries with pioneering ensemble Oxford Maqam. This conversation reveals how historical Arabic musical traditions are being rediscovered, reinterpreted, and kept alive for new generations. It will be followed the next day by a live concert featuring selected works innovatively revived from this period.

From Vision To Practice: Heenat Salma, Sustainability, and Heritage

September 22, 2026

The Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series returns this fall with Ambassador Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah. Ambassador Al-Attiyah previously led Qatar’s National Food Security Programme before serving as Qatar’s Ambassador to Russia and then the United Kingdom. He is also the founder and owner of Caravane Earth and Heenat Salma Farm. Drawing on that experience, Ambassador Al-Attiyah will talk about how Heenat Salma Farm came to be, what he has learned from building it, and how its work connects sustainability with Qatar’s cultural heritage. The conversation will also consider what those lessons might mean for Qatar’s future. Professor Patrick Laude will moderate.

Book Launch: Syria: The Fall of Eternity with Ghada Alatrash

September 30, 2026

It is no easy task to tell the Syrian tale, one that is written—and still being written—in the midst of both darkness and light. Yet, Syrian literature and art have taken up this task: not only to record events threatened by historical erasure, but to transform a time stained with blood into an anthem of resistance.

Poster for a public lecture titled Nationalism in Transition with Dr. Zarqa Parvez, moderated by Gerd Nonneman, featuring event details, photos of speakers, a world map background, and a QR code for more information.

Postdoctoral Lecture with Zarqa Parvez | Nationalism in Transition: From the Regional to the Local

September 9, 2026

How do we understand nationalism as it actually functions, changing, remerging, reappearing, beyond just a fixed category? This talk explores how nationalism and national identity in the region is being reshaped by several factors: migration, economic change, and generational shift. This event will be followed by a reception.

Futures for Hope in a Broken World

March 28, 2026

Our global future looks bleak. Existential threats crowd the horizon, from climate disaster and pandemics to runaway AI and nuclear annihilation. Failing domestic politics and international diplomacy, driven by destructive power politics, are not meeting our shared global challenges. Without a change of direction we may face a future of environmental collapse, public health crises, technological dystopia, and cataclysmic war.

Audience: Public