McDaniel and Center for Naval Analyses host North Africa conference

Twelve McDaniel students had a front row seat at “North Africa and the Sahel: Implications of the Arab Awakening,” a major conference on the Arab Spring organized by the college’s Political Science and International Studies department partnered with the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

Keynote speaker at the conference held at CNA headquarters in Alexandria, Va., was Ray Maxwell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Sessions were led by three McDaniel professors, representatives from universities such as Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Northwestern and Fordham, and organizations such as CNA, U.S. Peace Institute and others. McDaniel professors who led sessions are Anouar Boukhars and Christianna Leahy from Political Science and International Affairs and Naïma Hachad from Foreign Languages.

After the sessions, the CNA offered career mentoring to McDaniel’s students. Students who attended the conference are Mathew Berube ’12 of Glenmoore, Pa., Israel De La Cruz, Maria Faucounet ’13 of Pasadena, Md., Catherine Gill ’12 of Catonsville, Md., Christian Hall ’12 of New Windsor, Md., Alan Lyons ’14 of Westminster, Md., Michael Marks ’13 of Ellicott City, Md., Gary McKenna ’13 of Dix Hills, N.Y., Thomas Nelson ’12 of Reading, Mass., Megan Rogers ’13 of Ellicott City, Md., Allison Short ’12 of Baltimore, Md., and Madeline Streiff ’15 of Owings Mills, Md.

Attendees explored “the range and scale of challenges that confront the states of North Africa and the Sahel and to identify options for U.S. policy in the future. The countries of North Africa have experienced considerable political and social upheaval over the past year. In addition, violent extremist networks and criminal organizations continue to operate throughout the region,” according to the conference agenda.