Metro
Trans-Atlantic Academics
Wayne State delegation reaches out in the Middle East.
Wayne State representatives sign agreements with colleagues at several Israeli universities, including Hebrew University: from left, Yaacov Schul, HU professor and vice
rector; Eyal Ginio, HU professor of humanities; Ronald Brown, WSU provost; Miriam Greenberg, associate dean, WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Robert
Thomas, dean of the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Matt Lockwood
Special to the Jewish News
A
delegation of Wayne State
University representatives visited
Israel and the West Bank for five
days in November to establish new and
strengthen existing partnerships with uni-
versities and hospitals in the region.
It was the third trip to the Middle East
for Wayne State staff in just over a year. The
delegation, including Provost Ron Brown,
the university's chief academic officer,
returned with commitments from several
institutions to establish programs with
Wayne State.
"Wayne State University's mission
includes preparing students to excel in
an increasingly advanced and intercon-
nected global society,' said Brown. "We also
possess expertise that can benefit others
around the world. This trip advanced our
efforts in both regards"
The visiting team was from the Wayne
State University School of Medicine: Drs.
Valerie Parisi, dean; Maryjean Schenk, vice
dean for medical education; and William
Lyman, professor and associate chairman
of pediatrics and director of the Children's
Research Center of Michigan. It secured
memorandums of understanding (MOU)
with three institutions to implement
exchange programs for medical students,
14 December 2 • 2010
residents, fellows, graduate students and
faculty.
"The opportunity to study diseases,
treatment modalities and medical delivery
systems in the Middle East can translate
into enhanced understanding of medical,
cultural and social issues that ultimately
will help School of Medicine students and
faculty to develop and provide more holis-
tic care for our local Jewish and Arab popu-
lations:' Parisi said.
For example, Familial Mediterranean
Fever affects groups of people originating
around the Mediterranean Sea, so it is also
prevalent in the Detroit area because of the
city's large population with roots in that
area. Conversely, physicians in the Detroit
area treat patients of African descent for
sickle cell anemia, which is also found in
the Bedouin population in Israel and sur-
rounding countries.
"There are certainly complimentary
issues that will make these partnerships
mutually beneficial': said Lyman. "I think
our students, in particular, will find this to
be a very enriching experience'
The MOUs were signed with the
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
and its affiliated medical center in the
Central Galilee and the Rapport Faculty of
Medicine in Haifa; the Hebrew University
medical school and its medical centers at
Hadassah Ein Kerem and Shaare Zedek in
Jerusalem; and Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev. A memorandum of understand-
ing was signed with Al Quds University in
the West Bank during last June's visit.
The goal is to begin medical student
exchanges in April.
Ultimately, Lyman, who used to live in
Israel, hopes to work with the National
Institutes of Health to establish a newborn
screening program, similar to the one in
Michigan, in the West Bank.
"This would provide critical information
for the treatment of childhood diseases
and give families information about future
pregnancies': said Lyman.
The College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, represented by Dean Robert
Thomas and Associate Dean Miriam
Greenberg, used the trip to build on an
initiative in which 15 Jewish, Muslim and
Christian Wayne State students have par-
ticipated in a Middle East study-abroad
program the past two summers.
"Our students were profoundly moved
by their experiences, largely because they
had the opportunity to interact with people
on opposite sides of the conflict;' said
Greenberg. "In the Middle East as well as
at home, when people are willing to talk to
each other, then there is hope that positive
changes can be made'
Drs. Thomas and Greenberg say they had
very good interactions on the trip and were
able to secure memorandums of under-
standing with Bethlehem, Ben-Gurion and
Hebrew universities, in addition to an exist-
ing agreement with Al Quds University.
"We also had an unplanned visit to a
smaller college, the Academic College of Tel
Aviv-Jaffa, that was quite interesting:' said
Greenberg. "The school is highly focused on
community involvement and in preparing
students for college level work. We're think-
ing about taking our students there this
summer '
The College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences' long-term goal is the creation
of an international center at Wayne State
that will bring students and faculty from
its new partner institutions to Detroit to
study topics of mutual interest, for exam-
ple the environment.
"We think that in many respects the
Detroit area shares the Middle Eastern
demographics:' Thomas said.
"With a half a million Arabs and a cor-
respondingly large Jewish population liv-
ing around our campus, our students are
representative of that part of the world. It
is important that we all view issues locally
as well as globally, and create a model for
constructive dialogue"
:
❑
Matt Lockwood is director of communications
for the Wayne State University School of
Medicine, Detroit.