US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1014

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001014 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ECA/A/E/USS (BGIBSON); NEA/PPD (DBENZE); NEA/ARN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC SCUL JO 
SUBJECT: FY-05 FULBRIGHT AMERICAN STUDIES INSTITUTE ON 
"CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE" 
 
REF: SECSTATE 247113 
 
1.  THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION NOMINATES DR. ZYAD GOGAZEH, 
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES, 
UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN.  DR. GOGAZEH'S BIODATA FOLLOWS: 
 
PERSONAL INFORMATION: 
 
A.  NAME AS IN THE PASSPORT: 
FIRST: ZYAD 
MIDDLE: MOH'D 
FAMILY:  GOGAZEH 
B.  DATE OF BIRTH (MONTH/DAY/YEAR):09/17/1971 
C.  CITY OF BIRTH: IRBID 
D.  COUNTRY OF BIRTH : JORDAN 
E. COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE: JORDAN 
F  COUNTRY(S) OF CITIZENSHIP: JORDAN 
G. HOME ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND E-MAIL: TEL: (962-6) 5355511 
EXT: 3445; FAX: (962-6) 5338198; MOBILE: (962) 077-77204099; 
E-MAIL: JORDANIA71@HOTMAIL.COM 
 
H. GENDER: MALE 
I. MEDICAL, PHYSICAL, DIETARY OR OTHER PERSONAL 
CONSIDERATIONS: NONE 
 
PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION: 
 
J. PRESENT POSITION AND TITLE: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 
DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES, UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN 
K.  CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION AND COMPLETE ADDRESS: 
TEL: (962-6) 5355511, EXT:3445; FAX : (962-6) 5338198; 
MOBILE: (962) 077-77204099; E-MAIL: JORDANIA71@HOTMAIL.COM 
 
L.  WORK EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING PREVIOUS POSITIONS AND 
TITLES:  INSTRUCTOR OF FRENCH AND ARABIC AS A FOREIGN 
LANGUAGE, UNIVERSITY AL AL-BAYT, 1993-1995, JORDAN; DIRECTOR 
OF THE PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ASSOCIATION OF 
ARABIC UNIVERSITY, 1995-1997, AMMAN, JORDAN; PROFESSIONAL 
INTERPRETER ARABIC - SPANISH AND VICE VERSA, TRIBUNAL OF 
SEVILLE, SPAIN, 1998 - 2002; SECRETARY OF THE CIRCLE OF 
ARABIC STUDIES OF AL-ANDALUS, SEVILLE, SPAIN, 1999. 
 
M. EDUCATION, ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: 
B.A IN MODERN LANGUAGE, UNIVERSITY OF YARMOUK, JORDAN, 1993; 
M.A. IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS, UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE, SPAIN, 
1998; PH.D., GENERAL LINGUISTICS, UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE, 
SPAIN, 2002. 
 
N.  ACTIVE PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: MEMBER OF SEVERAL 
EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN. 
 
O.  SHORT LIST OF RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS: THE CONTEMPORARY 
ETHNICAL AMERICAN LITERATURE.  WROTE THREE ARTICLES IN THE 
FIELD OF CONTRASTIVE LINGUISTICS WRITTEN IN SPANISH. 
 
P. PREVIOUS TRAVEL AND STUDY OR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN THE 
U.S.: NONE 
Q.  ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: VERY GOOD 
R.  JUSTIFICATION FOR NOMINATION: 
DR. GOGAZEH IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE DEPARTMENT OF 
MODERN LANGUAGES, UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN.  HE IS THE VICE DEAN 
FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT THE FACULTY OF ARTS.  DR. GOGAZEH IS 
ALSO ENTRUSTED IN ESTABLISHING THE AMERICAN CORNER AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PUBLIC 
AFFAIRS SECTION OF THE AMERICAN EMBASSY.  DR. GOGAZEH 
TEACHES COURSES ON COMPARATIVE LITERATURE, TRANSLATION, 
FRENCH AND SPANISH, ETHNIC LITERATURE FOCUSING ON AMERICAN 
AFRICAN LITERATURE AND GENDER.  HE IS WORKING THROUGH HIS 
MEMBERSHIP IN THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE TO INTRODUCE NEW 
SYLLABI FOR TWO COURSES ON ETHNICITY STUDIES. DR. GOGAZEH 
HAS NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, 
CULTURE AND SOCIETY.  THE PROGRAM WILL GIVE HIM NEW INSIGHTS 
INTO CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE AS WELL AS INTRODUCE 
HIM TO THE DIVERSE CRITICAL AND CULTURAL APPROACHES THAT CAN 
BE APPLIED TO THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE. 
IT WILL ALSO WIDEN HIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN USING 
PIECES OF AMERICAN CULTURE-RELATED LITERATURE AS EXAMPLES IN 
THE TEACHING OF COMPARATIVE LITERATURE AND ANTHOLOGIES.  THE 
PROGRAM WILL GIVE HIM THE CHANCE TO COLLECT MATERIALS AND 
INCREASE HIS KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT SESSION'S TOPICS WHICH WE 
EXPECT WILL BE REFLECTED IN MATERIALS USED IN HIS TEACHING 
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN AND DURING HIS FREQUENT SUMMER 
AFFILIATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE, SPAIN.  DR. 
GQGAZEH HAS STUDIED IN EUROPE.  AS A RESULT, HE IS 
INTERESTED IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE WHICH WAS 
AFFECTED BY THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPANISH LITERATURE.  HE 
WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE WRITING AN ARTICLE ON "IMAGE OF SPAIN 
AND THE SOUTHERN AMERICAN COUNTRIES IN THE CONTEMPORARY 
AMERICAN LITERATURE."  THE PROGRAM WILL GIVE HIM A NEW 
INSIGHT AND APPRECIATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF RACE, GENDER, 
AND ETHNICITY TO CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE. HE IS 
HOPEFUL TO DEVELOP A RELEVANT CURRICULUM TO TEACH A COURSE 
ON ETHNICITY AT THE AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN.  THIS IS JORDAN'S FIRST GRADUATE 
PROGRAM IN AMERICAN STUDIES AND THE FIRST SUCH PROGRAM IN 
THE REGION.  ITS CREATION DERIVES IN LARGE PART FROM PA'S 
EFFORTS OVER SEVERAL YEARS OF SENDING FACULTY MEMBERS TO THE 
SUMMER INSTITUTE PROGRAMS.  A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR THE 
PROGRAM IS TO RECRUIT QUALIFIED FACULTY MEMBERS FOR THE 
SEVERAL DISCIPLINES THAT THE PROGRAM OFFERS.  BY ATTENDING 
THE PROGRAM, HE WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO MEET WITH 
ACADEMICIANS AND COLLEAGUES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH WILL 
STIMULATE FUTURE INTERACTION AND COOPERATION AMONG SCHOLARS 
WORKING FOR THE SAME GOAL.  DR. GOGAZEH HAS PARTICIPATED IN 
SEVERAL CONFERENCE IN JORDAN AND IN SPAIN. 
DR. GOGAZEH'S PARTICIPATION WILL SUPPORT MPP OBJECTIVES ON 
"U.S. SOCIETY AND VALUES," AND "PROMOTING AMERICAN STUDIES." 
 
--ACTION OFFICER: CAO, DONNA WINTON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION, 
AMERICAN EMBASSY; TEL: (962-6) 590-6620; FAX; (962-6) 592- 
0121 
 
2.  PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE. 
HALE