Hiwar Scholars Seminar returns for third year with conversations on global issues

Northwestern University in Qatar’s Hiwar Scholars Seminar returns this fall for its third annual installment, bringing scholars, journalists and researchers together for conversations on issues shaping the region and the wider world.

Running August 30 through November 22, this year’s series features 11 speakers from Northwestern Qatar, Northwestern University’s Evanston campus, and institutions around the world. The sessions explore topics ranging from public diplomacy and artificial intelligence to Palestine, religion, sustainability, and the changing news media landscape.

“Hiwar is where NU-Q thinks out loud, together. It’s one of the clearest expressions of who we are as a community: curious, engaged, and unafraid of big questions,” said Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar.

The 2026 lineup includes:

“Who Counts? Technologies of Recognition and the Architecture of Certainty” by Eddy Borges-Rey, associate professor in residence, Journalism and Strategic Communication Program; moderated by Ilhem Allagui, professor in residence and director, Journalism and Strategic Communication Program. Borges-Rey holds an MA and PhD in media and communication and researches data journalism, algorithms, and technology in the Global South. He co-edited Data Journalism in the Global South and was a Royal Society of Edinburgh fellow. (August 30)

“Digital, Global, Centralized: What the Gulf Can Teach Us About the Future of Public Diplomacy” by Banu Akdenizli, associate professor in residence, Communication Program; moderated by Marc Jones, associate professor in residence, Communication Program. Akdenizli holds a PhD in media and communication and previously worked as a methodologist for the Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project. Her research focuses on digital and public diplomacy. (September 6)

“Palestine and Deep Colonialism: A New Perspective?” by Khaled Hroub, professor in residence, Liberal Arts Program; moderated by Sam Meekings, associate professor in residence and director, Liberal Arts Program. Hroub is a senior research fellow at Cambridge’s Centre of Islamic Studies and previously directed the Cambridge Arab Media Project. He holds a PhD and researches Palestine, colonialism, and Arab politics. (September 13)

“Formal Objects: On Beauty and Sustainability” by Robert Hariman, Owen L. Coon Professor of Argumentation and Debate, Northwestern University; moderated by Zachary Wright, professor in residence and associate dean for faculty affairs. Hariman holds a PhD in communication studies and researches rhetoric, public culture, and visual communication. He is co-author of Political Style: The Artistry of Power and The Public Image: Photography and Civic Spectatorship. (September 20)

“Islam and the Politics of Religion” by Brannon Ingram, associate professor of religious studies, Northwestern University; moderated by Refqa Abu-Remaileh, associate professor in residence, Northwestern University in Qatar. Ingram holds a PhD in religious studies and researches Islam, colonialism, and South Asia. His work has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Social Science Research Council, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. (October 4)

“AI Data and the New Research Trends” by Mustafa Jarrar, professor of artificial intelligence and digital humanities, Hamad Bin Khalifa University; moderated by Claudia Kozman, associate professor in residence, Northwestern University in Qatar. Jarrar holds a PhD in computer science and researches Arabic natural language processing and artificial intelligence. He founded the PhD program in computer science at Birzeit University and has received a Google Faculty Research Award and a Marie Curie fellowship. (October 18)

“The Table Is Set. Now Start Cooking: A Pep Talk/Cautionary Tale About the Great Opportunities and Daunting Challenges of a Democratized News Media by Someone Who Lived Through the Revolution” by Andrew Glazer, documentary filmmaker and journalist; moderated by Ilhem Allagui, professor in residence and director, Journalism and Strategic Communication Program. Glazer holds a graduate degree in journalism and previously led The New York Times’ video unit and served as a senior producer with VICE News. His documentary work has received three Emmy nominations, including a 2010 win. (October 25)

“Do Robots Have Souls? What Studying Religion and Race Might Tell Us About Minds and Machines” by Sylvester Johnson, professor of Black studies and religious studies, Northwestern University; moderated by Venus Jin, professor in residence, associate dean for education. Johnson holds a PhD in contemporary religious thought and was the 2024 Kluge Chair at the Library of Congress. His research focuses on race, religion, and empire, including The Myth of Ham in Nineteenth-Century American Christianity, which received the American Academy of Religion’s Best First Book Award. (November 1)

“The Study of Social Viability: An Introduction” by Ghassan Hage, honorary professor of anthropology, University of Sydney; moderated by Sami Hermez, associate professor in residence and director, Liberal Arts Program. Hage holds a PhD in anthropology and has held visiting professorships at Harvard University and EHESS in Paris. His research focuses on nationalism, racism, and multiculturalism, including White Nation: Fantasies of White Supremacy in a Multicultural Society. (November 8)

“Introducing Boutique Media” by Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, professor, School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University; moderated by Marwan Kraidy, dean and CEO, Northwestern University in Qatar. Wahl-Jorgensen holds a PhD in communication and is a Fellow of the British Academy. Her research focuses on media, emotion, and citizenship, including the concept of “boutique media” explored in this talk. (November 15)

“The Hijacker - Terrorist or Freedom Fighter?” by Marco Williams, professor of communication, Northwestern University; moderated by Greg Burris, associate professor in residence of visual communication. Williams holds an MFA in producing and taught at Tisch School of the Arts for 20 years. His documentary work on race and American history includes Tell Them We Are Rising and has earned him a Guggenheim Fellowship and election to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (November 22)

Sessions are free to attend and open to NU-Q students, faculty, and staff. Each hour-long session is followed by a discussion moderated by an NU-Q faculty member.