Photo of the Week: New Beginnings
Posted by Mark Lenhart, Director of CET Academic Programs
Pictured here are Dr. Elias Samo (Professor of International Relations), Dr. Assem Faress (CET Aleppo’s Academic Director), Dr. Sara Dumont (Director, AU Abroad), and Mark Hayes (Associate Director, AU Abroad). This week I had the pleasure of joining this group for a lovely dinner, hosted by Dr. Dumont. Although our program in Aleppo has been suspended, I’m pleased that this group is continuing to strengthen the academic ties between their respective institutions. We engaged in a wonderful discussion about an array of topics, including our shared hope that the CET Aleppo program can resume someday soon. Our students learned so much from their Syrian teachers and classmates—and they had so much more to learn before the program ended. As we parted ways with our Syrian friends, they gave us big hugs and said with happy confidence: “Next time in Halab!”
Article on Spring 2011 CET Syria alumnus
Congratulations to CET Syria alumnus, Jake Miner (George Washington University), for receiving the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship from the U.S. State Department.
Click here to read the full article on Jake in this article by The GW Hatchet
Spring 2011 CET Syria Photo Contest Winners!
Congratulations to the following winners of the Spring 2011 CET Syria Photo Contest! Have a great summer break and get ready to read the upcoming entries from our Summer 2011 CET Jordan bloggers!

2nd Place: "View towards Aleppo citadel from Umayaad Mosque" taken by Margaret Robinson (Williams College)
Photo of the Week: 1973 Mercedes-Benz
Posted by Mark Lenhart, Director of CET Academic Programs
You can’t help notice the variety of cars in Syria. We saw gleaming new Japanese minivans, little working trucks from China and the Czech Republic, brightly painted VW bugs and minivans from the 1970′s, and antique cars from the United States.
This is Dr. Assem Faress, CET Aleppo Academic Director, and his car, a 1973 Mercedes-Benz. We rode in the back of Dr. Assem’s car from one meeting to the next, and it was unforgettable. Gracious, sophisticated, in charge: we couldn’t have asked for a better ride or a better host.








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