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Khalil Jahshan Visits Malibu to Discuss Pepperdine’s Washington DC Program

Khalil Jahshan, executive director of the Seaver College Washington DC Internship Program, will be on the Malibu campus Monday, Oct. 3, to Wednesday, Oct. 5, to host a series of events where he will discuss the DC program and its internships with students.

"I have always believed that the success of the DC Program depends on our ability to operate in seamless way with the Malibu campus academically, administratively, and communally as a single institution," says Jahshan. "My visits to campus facilitate that objective."

While in Malibu, Jahshan will lecture on various topics including "The Arab Spring: Realities and Challenges," which will take place Monday, Oct. 3, at 4 p.m. in the Hahn Fireside Room. Jahshan will also speak on "Christ and the Living Stones," to examine the future of Christianity in the Holy Land Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 5 p.m. in room 125 of the PLC. A meet-and-greet with Jahshan will follow.

At "Koffee with Khalil," taking place Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 8:15 a.m. in the HAWC, students will have the opportunity to meet other DC program participants, alumni, and the guest of honor over a morning reception. Rounding out the series will be a lecture on "The Recent U.N. Vote on Palestine: Impact on Middle Eastern Peace," which will be hosted by Pepperdine's Middle Eastern Peace and Awareness student group and take place Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. in Plaza Classroom 188.

Throughout his extensive on-campus activities, Jahshan hopes to emphasize the importance of the DC Internship Program, particularly at this very difficult economic juncture in our nation's history. "There is no doubt in my mind that the experience of interning in DC empowers students to be more analytical, more strategic, and better equipped to secure employment after graduation in the very tough job market that we all face today," he explains. "Potential employers look for every bit of practical experience that you might have acquired thus far. That's precisely what the Washington DC Program is all about."

Jahshan is executive director of Pepperdine University Seaver College's Washington DC Internship Program and lecturer in International Studies and Languages. He is a frequent lecturer before foreign policy panels, academic groups, think tanks, and community gatherings on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Palestine problem, Israeli politics, and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. As a Middle East consultant with extensive expertise in Arab-American bilateral relations and United States policy in the Middle East, he appears frequently on American and international television and radio to discuss American policies and Middle East issues.

Between 2000 and 2003, he served as executive vice president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the premier Arab-American civil rights organization, and director of its government affairs affiliate, NAAA-ADC.

Over the years, Jahshan has served as chair of the Council of Presidents of National Arab-American Organizations, a Washington, DC-based umbrella group for all politically active Arab-American organizations, which represents a majority of the three million Americans of Arab ancestry. He also serves on the boards of directors and advisory boards of various Middle East-oriented groups, including ANERA, MIFTAH, and Search for Common Ground in the Middle East.

A native of Nazareth, Palestine, Jahshan completed his elementary and secondary education there. In 1969, he traveled to the United States to pursue his college education, and received a bachelor's degree in political science and French from Harding University in 1972. Jahshan began graduate work in political science at Memphis State University, and completed his graduate coursework in political science and Middle East studies at the University of Chicago in 1977. From 1980-82, Mr. Jahshan taught Arabic at the University of Chicago Extension and at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

For more information about this event, contact the DC Internship Office at (310) 506-4051, or visit the Washington DC Internship Program Web site.

The Washington DC Internship Program

Students who participate in the DC Internship Program have the opportunity to intern full time for an organization of their choice. The experience provides students with an opportunity to pursue personal interests associated with their field of study.

Prior participants in this program have done internships in such organizations as the White House, the Department of Justice, Department of Education, Center for Child Protection and Family Services, MSNBC, CNN "Cross Fire," the French Embassy, National Coalition for the Homeless, Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Smithsonian, and many others.