Panel V – May 9, 2011  
   


“Tolerance and Cultures”

The Office of the Vice President for Sponsored Research and Development and the Organizing Committee of the Panel Series, “Common Platforms for Bridging Cultures” at Notre Dame University-Louaize, invite NDU and other local universities’ faculty members as well as graduate and undergraduate students, in various disciplines, i.e. humanities, business, political science, arts, engineering, natural and applied sciences, etc. to give 20 minute presentations on May 9, 2011, at Friends’ Hall, NDU.

Subthemes in the Humanities may include but are not limited to:

  1. Tolerance in religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.
  2. Tolerance in world literatures: literary writers advancing brotherhood, universal love, forgiveness, etc. Tagore, Rihani, Gibran, Goethe, the Romantics, the Sufi poets, etc.
  3. Tolerance in world social orders and systems.
  4. Tolerance in world philosophical thought.
  5. Tolerance in the media: TV, Radio, Journalism, etc.
  6. Tolerance in educational methodologies.

Subthemes in Social Sciences may include but are not limited to:

  1. Acceptance and interaction between secularist and faith-based world views.
  2. Dialogue between diverse religions/confessions, concerning their societal roles.
  3. Expressions of tolerance in the public sphere, e.g. common holidays, cultural events.
  4. Open and honest dealing with the European colonial past and its legacy today.
  5. Impact of “Orientalism” on social science research in the West and MENA region.
  6. Tolerance on the macro (politics, business, civil society) and micro (personal, family) fronts.
  7. Debate on authoritarian trends in politics, religion, and education, highlighting benchmark counter-hegemonic examples, e.g. Paulo Freire.
  8. The relationship between oppression and victimhood, focusing on conflict transformation and forgiveness.
  9. Social science research methods developments that make true dialogue and tolerance between cultures possible.

Subthemes in Engineering may include but are not limited to:

  1. Ethical engineering versus tolerance in design.
  2. Tolerance in the engineering curriculum with ABET accreditation.
  3. Rigorous responsible design contradicted by tolerance in engineering education.
  4. Tolerance and our potable water standards.
  5. Unsustainable development, the result of a tolerant education.
  6. Engineering professional practices in the Middle East: too tolerant with respect to moral issues?

Subthemes in Business may include but are not limited to:

  1. Ethics in global business.
  2. The role of cultures in managing ethics.
  3. A value-based framework for understanding managerial tolerance.
  4. The effect of cultural values on businesses.
  5. Ethical ideologies across cultures.
  6. Cultural differences and shareholder value in mergers.

Subthemes in Arts and Design may include but are not limited to:

  1. Architecture is enriched by the increased inter-connectedness among people and has a unique role to play in encouraging tolerance and inter-cultural dialogue among different cultures.
  2. Fashion Design could be classified as cultural sensitive and show respect for diversity, and be supportive and inclusive in its various expressions.
  3. In order to promote and encourage tolerance, dialogue and interaction for people of various cultures, ages, religions, etc., public/urban/built spaces can be designed to reflect the various needs, including special needs such as handicaps and wheelchair facilities.
  4. Visual Communication can be instrumental in promoting tolerance in all aspects—be it politically, socially, religiously—by giving communities a voice, sensitive to the fact that it always carries a message whether this is recognized or not.

Subthemes in Natural and Applied Sciences may include but are not limited to:

  1. Discrimination, intolerance, and poor health (or discrimination, intolerance, and access to healthcare services).
  2. Tolerance and mental health.
  3. Intolerance and access to HIV/ prevention and treatment.
  4. Tolerance on size differences.
  5. Cultural competence among healthcare providers (or Cultural sensitivity among healthcare providers and health outcomes).
  6. Stereotypes, intolerance, and science.
  7. The role of scientists in promoting tolerance.
  8. Origin of intolerance: biological or social?
  9. Science, religion, and tolerance.

For Students: Abstracts of about 300 words and a letter of recommendation from a perspective faculty member may be sent to Prof. Naji Oueijan at noueijan@ndu.edu.lb before April 1, 2011.

For Faculty Members: Abstracts of about 300 words may be sent to Prof. Naji Oueijan at noueijan@ndu.edu.lb before April 1, 2011.

NB-Selected refereed presentations will be published in a special NDU volume.