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Des Moines, Iowa — Nathan Brown, professor of political science and international affairs at The George Washington University, will be speaking at Drake Law School on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m.
Professor Brown is one of the nation’s leading experts on the complex Egyptian constitutional debate, according to Mark Kende, James Madison Chair in Constitutional Law and director of the Drake Constitutional Law Center. Brown’s talk is entitled, “Islam and Constitutionalism in Egypt’s New Constitution.”
Prof. Kende says, “The so-called Arab Spring has opened up the possibility of democratic change in the Middle East including Egypt. This is a monumental development and Professor Brown will enlighten us on the constitutional issues with establishing a new democratic government in this Islamic nation.”
Professor Brown received his B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago and his M.A. and Ph.D. in politics and Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He teaches courses on Middle Eastern politics, as well as more general courses on comparative politics and international relations. His dissertation received the Malcolm Kerr award from the Middle East Studies Association in 1987. He is the recipient of Fulbright grants to study in Egypt and teach in Israel. He also served two years as Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Professor Brown was selected as a 2009 Carnegie Scholar by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Under this grant, Professor Brown analyzed the impact of increased participation by Islamist groups in electoral politics on both the movements themselves and on the political systems in which they operate.
The event at Drake is cosponsored by the Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship in collaboration with Professors Mahmoud Hamad, assistant professor of politics and international relations, and David Skidmore, professor of politics and international relations. Professor Skidmore is director of the Center for Global Citizenship.
Professor Brown will speak at Drake Law School, Cartwright Hall Room 213 at 3 p.m. and will give an address more geared towards the general public from 7-8:30 p.m. in Drake University Sussman Theatre, Olmsted Center. Both events are free and open to the public.