Baker Institute students conduct public diplomacy on Cairo trip

BY FRANZ BROTZEN
Rice News staff

Looking to change the way Egyptians view the United States — and how Americans view the Arab world — 10 Rice students and recent graduates organized a trip to Cairo last month that put the idea of public diplomacy to the test.

The Cairo colloquium was part of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy’s new Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking Program.

	A group of Rice students visited Egypt in June as part of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy’s new Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking Program.

Citing Ambassador Edward Djerejian, the founding director of the Baker Institute, as inspiration, group leader Sean Graham ’10 explained the mission as promoting the national interest “by first listening and understanding and then informing, engaging and influencing people around the world.”

Graham pointed to a 2003 report Djerejian authored, titled “Changing Minds, Winning Peace: A New Strategic Direction for U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim World,” that stated, “Exchange programs are the single most effective means to improve attitudes toward the United States.”

Chosen by an advisory committee for their diverse range of cultures, backgrounds and academic interests, as well as their demonstrated interest in pursuing a policy-driven dialogue with Egyptians, the 10 students and two staff advisers, Maher Awad, senior lecturer of Arabic, and Jay Vinekar, assistant director of international programs, left Houston June 4. Shamoor Anis ’10, Lovett College senior Thomas Campbell, Michael Feldman ’10, Wiess College senior Robin Richards, McMurtry College sophomore Anastazija Ristovska, Jones College sophomore Marc Sabbagh, Martel College senior David Sorge, Sid Rich junior Graham West, Susan Wu ’10 and Graham spent seven days with counterparts from the prestigious American University in Cairo (AUC).

Before they left, they prepared research briefs and agreed on five areas of discussion: understanding and overcoming misconceptions; religion, secularism and interfaith dialogue; media policy: bias, censorship and new technology; social life: women, family and education; and Egypt and America in 2050: Where do we go and how do we get there together?

“From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with humor and respect,” Graham said. “While all the students from AUC were Egyptian, they came from diverse walks of life. Just as with the Rice delegation, our Egyptian counterparts were students from various socioeconomic backgrounds, from rural and suburban areas, with different religious and political perspectives, academic majors and personalities.

“In one way or another, all of them have worked with the Center for American Studies and Research at AUC, which speaks to their genuine interest in learning about the American way of life,” Graham said. “Just as the AUC students spoke English fluently and enthusiastically in their interactions with us, they were equally sincere in their desire to educate us about Egyptian culture. Many of the students plan to keep in touch, and we are working to create more opportunities for collaboration in the future.”

In addition to meetings with students and academics at the American University in Cairo, the Rice delegation traveled to the port of Alexandria, where they posed at the Citadel of Qaitbay.

Graham praised “the uncanny level of comfort we all had with each other.” As soon as they arrived in Cairo, Jerry Leach, director of the Center for American Studies and Research and the group’s main contact and coordinator at the AUC, told them they should approach the week with the perspective that “no topic is taboo.”

In addition to the discussion sessions, the students took time to immerse themselves in the Egyptian culture. The visited the pyramids of Giza, the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The group spent time in one of the oldest parts of Cairo, Coptic Cairo, which Graham described as ”a clear representation of Egypt’s long history as a crossroads for world religions and cultures.”

They also met with a wide array of experts and officials outside of the AUC. Hilda Arellano, director of USAID/Egypt, explained the history and nature of U.S. aid to Egypt. Maj. Gen. Floyd Williams, chief of the Office of Military Cooperation and defense attaché of the U.S. Central Command in Cairo, spoke openly on the role of U.S. military cooperation in Egypt and the greater Middle East. Nabil Fahmy, former Egyptian ambassador to the United States and now the dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at AUC, described the U.S.-Egyptian relationship as a “mature marriage” that must continue to be nurtured.

AUC President David Arnold, who has overseen and led the university for nearly seven years, told the Rice delegation that “educational institutions are not only integral to studying and understanding international relations but are also among the most effective mediums for intercultural dialogue and exchange,” Graham said.

One of the biggest lessons he learned from the experience, Graham said, is “it’s not just what our governments do at home or abroad that affects global relations, but what we all do, whether in business, government or as an individual. What our program demonstrates is just one way that universities and educational institutions can play a productive role in increasing mutual understanding between peoples of the world.”

Made possible by the support of Michael and Laura Shannon and Rice alumni Burt and Deedee McMurtry, both class of ’56, these are just the first year’s results for the Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking program. Next year the students hope to host their Egyptian counterparts at Rice for a similar colloquium, build upon this year’s work and expand the program’s initiatives. The students are working on a report on the Cairo trip that will be drafted jointly and authored by the Rice delegation. They plan to publish it early this fall through the Baker Institute.

For more on the Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking program and updates about the program’s activities, go to http://www.bakerinstitute.org/pdgp.