Hossam El Deen Yasseen Elouan, a filmmaker and screen writer from Egypt, will visit the Mount for six weeks during the upcoming spring semester, and team teach a course on Middle Eastern politics.

“Our students in particular benefit immensely from exposures to a wide range of perspectives on international issues,” says David Rehm, dean for academic affairs. Elouan’s visit is part of the Fulbright “Visiting Specialist from the Middle East” program. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Scholar Program’s purpose is to build mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries. It is America’s flagship international educational exchange activity and thousands of faculty from the U.S. and other countries have studied, taught or conducted research abroad through its program.

Elouan worked as a Fulbright scholar at UCLA. He is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Cinema, Cairo. He currently has a position with Egyptian State T.V. He has published numerous articles on cinema in the Middle East and has been invited to speak to community groups. “Mount St. Mary’s is especially enthusiastic about this opportunity to welcome an internationally reputed specialist from the Middle East at this time when a mutual understanding between western and Middle Eastern Islamic cultures is of utmost importance for world peace,” says Indrani Mitra, associate professor of English. Campus events such as a Middle Eastern film series are being planned for Elouan’s time here.