JACKSON, Tenn. — April 24, 2009 — 51社区 political science professor Kevin Cooney will spend 10 days in the Middle East studying terrorism and its threat to democracy.
The opportunity for Cooney comes from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington, D.C. based think tank, which named him to its Academic Fellows Program after a competitive application process.
The course of study will take place both in the classroom at Tel Aviv University and in the field, with lectures by academics, diplomats, military and intelligence officials and politicians from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey and the United States. It also features visits to military bases, border zones and other security installations to learn the practical side of deterring terrorist attacks.
鈥淚 wanted to enhance my knowledge of security and terrorism so I could provide a better first hand experience for my students in the classroom,鈥� Cooney said. 鈥淪tudents really appreciate it when their professors speak to them from real world experience and not just book knowledge.In the political science department at Union, we try to make it a priority that our students understand the real world applications of what they are learning.鈥�
The program runs May 30-June 10, with all expenses paid by the Foundation.