McDaniel College is one of 28 U.S. colleges and universities to be selected to host a Fulbright visiting specialist from one of the world’s many Muslim communities during spring semester 2006, in an effort to expand current understanding of Islamic societies and cultures both in and out of the classroom. For six weeks beginning March 19, Dr. Muslih Tayo Yahya (above) of Nigeria will teach a mini-course on Islamic culture, present public lectures and lead a faculty seminar.

Dr. Yahya is professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Jos in Nigeria.  Born in Nigeria, he earned his B.A. at the University of Damascus and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. 

A distinguished scholar and author of numerous publications in the field of Islamic studies, Dr. Yahya comes to McDaniel through the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World, an initiative sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

"At a time when the popular understanding of Islam is clouded by political rhetoric and misinformation, we are fortunate to have access to a scholar who has specialized in the study of Islamic culture,” said Thomas Falkner, College provost.

“We look forward to hosting Dr. Yahya and to providing students and faculty with an opportunity to discuss this faith tradition in depth and in its religious, historical and cultural context." 

Since the program’s launch in January of 2004, more than 100 U.S. colleges and universities have been selected to develop campus and community-based programs for three- to six-week visits by specialists from Muslim communities, or those with a large Muslim population, in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, as well as several countries in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa. The program fits within the framework of today’s global challenges as the Fulbright visiting specialists are engaging U.S. institutions that desire to enrich campus and community understanding of those who live in Muslim countries and challenge prevailing stereotypes about Islamic societies and cultures.

While in the United States, the Fulbright visiting specialists engage institutions and communities in dialogue, learning and mutual understanding, as well as the development of courses, programs, exchange activities and relationships. The specialists present lectures or short courses, team-teach with American colleagues or assist in program and curriculum development in colleges and universities, and speak to community groups, service clubs, and religious and school groups.

Two current McDaniel faculty are past recipients of Fulbright lecturing and research awards. Greg Alles, professor of philosophy and religion, spent nine months in India studying ancient Sanskrit epics, and Paul Miller, associate professor of history, who traveled to Sarajevo during the 2004-2005 academic year and taught at the university there as well as worked on curricular development with the faculty of Islamic Studies. Miller continues this year in a visiting professorship at Sarajevo.

Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since the establishment of the program, 45,400 Fulbright visiting scholars have conducted research or taught in U.S. universities and more than 43,600 Fulbright U.S. scholars have engaged in similar activities abroad.

Currently, the program operates in 140 countries worldwide in order to promote “mutual understanding between people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world.” The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), which is a division of the Institute of International Education (IIE), on behalf of the United States Department of State.