http://farescenter.tufts.edu

The mission of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Tufts University is to create an academic environment for the promotion of greater understanding of the rich heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean, and of the significant challenges that this region faces at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

The Center Fares established acts as a major focus for cross-regional and cross-cultural analysis, providing a forum for the articulation of a rich diversity of viewpoints in the belief that this will serve as an effective means of conflict resolution.

The main countries concerned are Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and the neighboring countries of Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Turkey, together with any other country or region of the world whose history and politics affects them. The region’s history and its pivotal role in world politics have attracted the interest of scholars concerned with fields as diverse as the origins of writing and the beginnings of modern science.

In focusing on the Eastern Mediterranean by organizing and sponsoring a significant number of roundtables, public lectures, and conferences, the Fares Center is a rich source of current information and data on the area, encouraging the consideration of policy issues from an international perspective.

The great needs of Lebanon after the war have prompted Fares to concentrate his efforts on the democratization and reconstruction of Lebanon, on improving Lebanon’s relations with the international community, and on working with all concerned for a just and stable peace in the region.