Shenandoah Aims for Global Understanding at Barzinji Fall Colloquium
Leaders from two Muslim-majority countries invited to discuss higher education
Faculty and staff from Shenandoah University and Bridgewater College will host higher education representatives from two Muslim-majority countries to discuss civil discourse, diversity, race and ethnicity in higher education, as well as health care in diverse societies.
The first-ever Barzinji Fall Colloquium will be held Sept. 16-18 on the Winchester campus of Shenandoah.
The three-day event is open and free to the public with registration. Walk-in registration is also available.
Barzinji Fall Colloquium Schedule
Monday, Sept. 16
Location: Ferrari Room, Brandt Student Center
- 8 a.m. — Breakfast
- 8:45 a.m. — Prayer and welcome from Director Younus Mirza, Ph.D. and Provost Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D.
- 9 -10:30 a.m. — University of Sarajevo and International Islamic University in Malaysia (IIUM) present learning outcomes
- 10:30 -10:45 a.m. — Break
- 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. — Shenandoah University and Bridgewater College present learning outcomes
- 12:30 – 2 p.m. — Lunch, video/slideshow of trips, and prayer
Breakout Sessions:
- Track One: International Exchanges (Ferrari Room, Brandt Student Center)
- 2 – 2:45 p.m. — Ingredients to Successful Student Exchanges
- 2:45 – 3 p.m. — Break
- 3 – 3:45 p.m. — Sustaining Intercultural Exchanges
- Track Two: Interfaith and Health Care (Borden Room, Brandt Student Center)
- 2 – 2:45 p.m. — Interfaith/Interreligious Dialogue
- 2:45 – 3 p.m. — Break
- 3- 3:45 p.m.— Health Care in Diverse Societies
Tuesday, Sept. 17
Location: Ferrari Room, Brandt Student Center
- 8 – 8:45 a.m. — Breakfast
- 8:45 – 9:15 a.m. — Prayer and welcome
- 9:15 – 10:45 a.m. — Presentations by students and administrators
- 10:45 – 11 a.m. — Break
- 11 a.m. – noon — Presentation by professors
- Noon – 2:30 p.m. — Lunch and keynote speaker Ermin Sinanovic, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center for Islam in the Contemporary World
Breakout Sessions:
- Track One: Diversity, Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (Ferrari Room, Brandt Student Center)
- 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. — Education in a Diverse Society
- 3:15 – 3:30 p.m. — Break
- 3:30 – 4:40 p.m. — Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education
- Track Two: Dialogue and Discourse (Borden Room, Brandt Student Center)
- 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. — Civil Discourse Across Cultures
- 3:15 – 3:30 p.m. — Break
- 3:30 – 4:40 p.m. — Reflective Structured Dialogue
Wednesday, Sept. 18
Location: Stimpson Auditorium, Halpin-Harrison Hall
- 10 – 10:10 a.m. — Introduction
- 10:10 – 10:50 a.m. — Presentation: Global Practices of Islamic Finance: The Prospects and Challenges
- This presentation will provide an overview of special features of Islamic finance (as compared to conventional finance), the growth and potential it offers, and different countries’ approaches in adopting Islamic finance. It also covers the pertinent issues and challenges that the Islamic finance industry faces and possible ways to solve these issues.
- 10:50 – 11 a.m. — Break
- 11 – 11:50 a.m. — Presentation: What is Needed for a Successful and Sustainable Halal Industry?
- Muslims spent an estimated $2.1 trillion across the food, beverage and lifestyle sectors in 2017, and forecasts predict spending to reach $3 trillion by 2023. Getting involved in halal business has great economic opportunities for the entire halal supply chain. What are the major challenges and issues in this industry? What’s needed to be successful in the halal industry?
- Noon – 1:30 p.m. — Lunch sponsored by the Barzinji Project in Stimpson
Register Now for the Colloquium
Walk-in registration is also available.
What is the Barzinji Project?
The Barzinji Project is an initiative funded by the friends and family of Jamal Barzinji, who was a Muslim scholar with a passion for higher education. The Barzinji Project focuses on best practices in higher education.
It is important for us to think of innovation in higher education in global terms. We have a lot to learn from each other in terms of best practices and new initiatives. In particular, there are specific challenges and misunderstandings between cultures, which the colloquium seeks to mitigate through mutual understanding and learning.”
Younus Mirza, Ph.D. | Director of the Barzinji Project and scholar in residence at Shenandoah
In February 2019, school officials and students from the International Islamic University in Malaysia (IIUM) and the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia visited Shenandoah University and Bridgewater College to discuss civil discourse. In March, 12 Shenandoah University and Bridgewater College delegates, including staff, faculty and students, visited Malaysia and Bosnia to learn how higher education institutions in those countries operate and how they provide space for civil discourse.
This September, the same delegates who participated in the spring Barzinji Project will return to campus to discuss the outcomes they have witnessed since their spring visits. Participants will discuss civil discourse; diversity, race and ethnicity in higher education; and health care in diverse societies. They will also share ideas and experiences from their respective countries and discuss ways to foster civil discourse and improve the higher education experience.
This program honors the memory of Jamal Barzinji, a great intellectual, educator, and humanitarian. Dr. Barzinji promoted education as the foundation for economic development and social justice around the world. Through this project, colleges and universities in the United States and in Muslim-majority countries are working collaboratively to develop best practices around higher education and strengthen cross-cultural communication. We believe that this ongoing, focused engagement across cultures will yield positive outcomes for the individuals, the institutions, and even the broader societies involved.”
Provost Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D.
On Sept. 18, there is a special program with the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business, including the presentation “Global Practices of Islamic Finance: The Prospects and Challenges,” and the presentation “What is Needed for a Successful and Sustainable Halal Industry?”
