Dr. J. Kristine Urban

My name is Kristine Urban, and I am a Political Science Professor at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg Maryland.  This has been a very exciting tour for me in a number of respects in a professional sense. I teach in the area of international relations and Middle-East studies.

I do research in conflict resolution, and have been recently engaged in working on several projects that deal with bridge building between the things that we share the commonalities that we have in our various religious faiths, so it has been very exciting to be here in an interdisciplinary and intercultural kind of forum. I will be able to bring that back to my students and also when I have to speak in public forums you know I will have that experience.  I have spent a lot of time in the Arab world, in the Palestinian area particularly, but also in the Gulf region, and, but never in Turkey. This has been very neat to see the difference: That has been one of the, umm, you know, there is no comparison with the Gulf. It has been very exciting to see family life in Turkey, to see families, man and woman and children all out together, you know, which does not happen in a lot of the Gulf areas. This has been something that impressed me very much. In terms of the historical sites, that has been overwhelming for me: To be in the Byzantine era capital, and the Ottoman capital, and the sites of the early Christian beginnings, all of this has been a very exciting experience. Probably the spiritual plus for me, or the most, umm I am nonverbal, the strongest spiritual connection for me has been within our group. I have been in another couple intercultural, cross-cultural groups , and I have always thought of myself as very laid back and forgiving and discovered that I was far from that. It was very nice to be in a group that was so accepting, and had so much to, everyone had so many strengths to offer.  I found that really a very spiritual experience..ohh excitement