Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies

The Ibrahim Abu Lughod Institute of International Studies, previously known as The Graduate Institute of International Studies, was re-named in honor of Dr. Abu-Lughod, the late professor of international studies, under whose leadership the Institute was established in 1998.

The Ibrahim Abu Lughod Institute of International Studies (IALIIS), offers an interdisciplinary Master degree, which is earned through the study of its four cognate fields of international history, politics, economics and law. The degree program is an academically unified one, and it is also timely, targeting professionals and others interested in addressing Palestine's evolving relationship with the international system. This improves their individual perspectives and those of the nation that they are serving, enabling these individuals to pursue careers with a broader perspective, and a greater mastery of their working environment. Alternatively, graduates of the program are competitive candidates for PhD programs in a range of fields at universities abroad. Teaching in the IALIIS is done by the foremost scholars in the field living in Palestine; this is one of the reasons why demand for admission to the Master's program in International Studies always far exceeds the number of places available.

The staff, alumni, and students of the IALIIS have together created Birzeit's International Students Association, which is devoted to the discussion of significant international issues and the formation of policy critiques and proposals. In addition to its academic program, the IALIIS organizes three yearly conferences: two international academic conferences, of which one addresses theoretical and methodological issues facing the international system, and one which deals with questions on the political agenda of Palestine and the region. The third conference is a simulated conference in which staff and students participate, and which deals in real time with a given international dilemma, usually one which is under consideration by the United Nations or one of its regional constituent bodies. The Institute likewise organizes a variety of training courses for its students, locally and abroad, all of them intended to strengthen their understanding of and capacity to deal with one or another facet of international society. The IALIIS maintains ongoing academic relations with sister institutions in the Arab world and Europe.

For more information, please visit the IALIIS web site.