In a ceremony on December 7, 2011, Nazareth College of Rochester became the beneficiary of a new academic chair endowed by IIIT. The chair appropriately named ‘International Institute of Islamic Thought Chair in Interfaith Studies and Dialogue’ is placed in the Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, which is now named after Brian and Jean Hickey who gifted funds to endow the Center. Mr. Brian Hickey is a trustee of the College. The IIIT donation was a challenge grant for which the Hickeys provided matching donation...

IIIT held its first seminar for the year 2012 on Thursday, January 5^th at its offices in Herndon, Virginia. The three-hour panel discussion focused on the recently held elections in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt and the debate that ensued after Islamist parties in the three countries achieved significant electoral victories. They won absolute majority in the Egyptian Parliament and significant votes in Tunisia and Morocco that allowed them to form strong coalition governments in the two countries. The main panelists were: Dr. Muqtedar Khan, Professor of International Relations and Islamic studies at the University of Delaware, Dr. Mohammad Nimer, Professor of International Relations at the American University, Washington, DC; and Dr. Anwar Haddam, the well known Algerian political leader. Dr. Jamal Barzinji, Vice President of IIIT was the main discussant of the panel.