IGS3 student participated in an International Academic Workshop

Francesca Fassbender, a student in the International Conflict Resolution and Mediation Program, participated in the program, with IGS3's support.
Here is her report:

In July 2022, I had the chance to participate in the Peace and Intercultural Dialogue Program by the Project Aladdin / Projet Aladin under the patronage of UNESCO. The program was hosted at Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi in Istanbul. 
With over 65 students from more than 20 countries, we studied and discussed different forms of inequalities and possible solutions. The professors and lecturers came from diverse disciplines (economics, psychology, history, religious studies) and consequently used different approaches to study this subject. One of my favorite lectures was by Professor Grenier and about how in the Ottoman Empire diffrent religions and cultures were governed, as it advanced also our understanding of Istanbul’s history. While the professors were extremely knowledgeable, I learned equally as much from the other participants, whome were eager to tell each other about their lives and perspectives on the world. Currently, we are working on our research projects in smaller groups, our group focuses on environmental impacts on women in Azerbaijan. It is a delight to collaborate with my American, Bahraini, and Azeri colleagues and friends as we can now combine our different expertise and access to information. 

Besides the academic part of the program, visiting Istanbul, going inside the Hagia Sophia, admiring the beauty of the Topkapi palace, and watching the ships sail on the Bosporus are memories that will forever stick with me. 
I am excited to finish the research project and hopefully see my new friends somewhere around the world again. 

Thanks UNESCO, Project Aladdin / Projet Aladin, and Tel Aviv University for allowing me to participate in this extraordinary project and meet many inspiring people.