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ABOUT MEEI

Mar Elias University

Mar Elias University Project: This year has seen very gratifying progress in realizing the dream to establish a Christian Arab Israeli University that will be open to all students of all religious affiliations and inclusive of all peoples. This university will be a beacon of hope for the future of coexistence and peace in Israel, ensuring excellent tertiary education and enhancing employment opportunities for both Arab and Jewish graduates. MEU will seek to offer programs that are responsive to the unique social, political and economic needs of the society it seeks to serve. It is intended that MEU, in the tradition of MEEI will be an integral part of the educational and cultural life of the Galilee.

The MEU Project has received accreditation from the NCA in the USA as an affiliated branch campus of the University of Indianapolis. The partnership with Uindy allows access to their full range of resources and library facilities. Exchange of faculty at the administrative and departmental level will facilitate initial phases of development and collaboration in research will enhance the programs of both universities.

The MEU Project has also passed the first phase in accreditation by the Committee for Higher Education in Israel and has received ratification of its initial three programs: Communication Studies, Computing Science, Environmental Science. Preparation has already begun for the next 6 academic programs: Arab language, Nursing, Physics, Speech Therapy, Special Education and Business Administration.

Initially the university will share the MEEI campus and as funds are raised a new campus will be developed on 170 dunums of land purchased recently at Ma'liya. Already there has been initial commitment from 90 academic professionals among whom are 7 professors currently employed in Israeli universities.

Research will be a flagship of the new university and already a solid base is being formed for MEU's credibility and standing among the higher academic institutions. Programs undertaken or continued in 2001.2002 include:
Ø A project with the French Hospital Nazareth exploring and documenting the physiological development of premature infants.
Ø At Mariam Bawardi Kindergarten research is being conducted into the effectiveness of the use of a multi-intelligence approach as a basis for developing technical skills.
Ø Documenting the development of awareness, attitudes towards environmental concerns and skills in utilizing information technology among a group of Arab and Jewish middle school students. Encounters between students were hosted at Shefaram and Rubin School, Tel Aviv in preparation for field studies and research.
The "Man and Vulture" project provides a basis for ongoing positive relationships and development of mutual understanding between participants, teachers and parents.

Alliances have been formed in preparation for the future need for advanced technological resources in the university. We have already cited the Cisco/MEC partnership of which Mar Elias University will also be a key partner. Currently a certificate course is being developed in Communication and Networking. A second alliance with the global technology organization of Intel will provide for development of the infrastructure for a computer laboratory to be used in the Communications and Computing Science programs. Intel and MEU will collaborate in preparing the academic programs.

As part of the MEU project MEEI are pioneering the establishment of a Department of Theology and Holy Land Studies. The inaugural course in the program leading to a Higher Diploma in Theology has been accepted by the Assembly of Bishops and will begin in October 2002. There is currently no accredited comprehensive course in Theological studies offered at the level of higher education in Israel.

© 2002 by Mar Elias Educational Institutions