The year-long initiative, announced in a Feb. 12 email to students, faculty and staff by Provost Alec Gallimore, addresses the “need for learning and engagement” by hosting speaker events featuring scholars at Duke and outside experts who provide insight into the past and present of conflict in the region. He also expressed that, as an educational institution, Duke has a responsibility to provide the community with a resource — in addition to what departments and campus groups do — to both provide education on the Middle East and model a way for students and faculty to engage with controversial topics.