Amid Conflicts, Al-Quds Bard Civic Engagement and Invisible University for Ukraine Win 2024 MacJannet Prizes
Students from Al-Quds Bard Civic Engagement Program in Palestine and from the Invisible University for Ukraine at Central European University pose for group portraits.
Al-Quds Bard Civic Engagement Program, the First Place Winner of the MacJannet Prize, considers civic engagement a fundamental and inseparable part of a liberal arts education. The AQB Civic Engagement Program aims to increase the college’s capacity to operate in the public interest by supporting faculty and students to link classroom and community. The program imbues students with the theory and skills needed to be civically engaged so they can develop and organize projects that bring about meaningful social change. Students are supported so they can realize their full potential as community actors and educators in shaping their future, the future of Palestine, and the world.
Despite ongoing political violence in Palestine, the college was determined to maintain a lively Civic Engagement Program throughout 2024, and after several pilot activities, took steps to respond to the crisis by developing a Student Network for Civic Engagement. The network launched in February 2024, in coordination with student leaders and the Steering Committee on Civic Engagement, as an online network coordinating in-person student work based in various cities and regions.
The Invisible University for Ukraine (IUFU), the Second-Place Prize winner of the 2024 MacJannet Prize, is a student-led hybrid academic program created in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Through accredited online courses, immersive in-person seminars, and a vibrant peer learning community, IUFU empowers Ukrainian students to continue their studies regardless of their location or circumstances. With a focus on complementing existing educational infrastructure, IUFU strengthens ties between Ukrainian institutions and global networks, countering the effects of “brain drain” and instead cultivating academic excellence as it develops future leaders in the face of adversity.
IUFU emerged as a collaborative effort among scholars, aiming to extend Central European University’s academic environment to Ukrainian students and scholars following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Recognizing the importance of involving Ukrainian experts, the program seeks to establish a global platform for scholarly dialogue amid the ongoing conflict. With a distinct student-oriented approach, IUFU incorporates active students into coordination roles that have allowed them to develop six new courses.
Post Date: 06-11-2024