Philadelphia – The Middle East Forum announced today the appointment of Alexander Joffe as director of Campus Watch, the Forum’s project to critique Middle East studies at North American universities with a view to improving them.
Mr. Joffe, an archaeologist and historian, holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Arizona. He has participated in over a dozen field projects in Israel, Jordan, Greece and the United States. Previously, Mr. Joffe taught in the Department of Anthropology at the Pennsylvania State University. An associate of Global Policy Exchange of Alexandria, VA, he has also written extensively on modern history and policy, including disarmament and environmental security, intelligence reform, and the Middle East, and he contributes regularly to the Journal of International Security Affairs.
The Forum’s director, Daniel Pipes, welcomed Mr. Joffe’s appointment. “Alex emerged as the strongest candidate from an impressive field of contenders. His dedication to this important Forum project will be an asset and I’m very pleased he has sought us out to join our team.”
“I am delighted to be joining the Middle East Forum as director of the Campus Watch project,” said Mr. Joffe. “My goals are to expand CW’s demonstrated role as a ‘consumer advocate’ for high standards of scholarship in Middle Eastern Studies, and, equally important, to help articulate a positive vision of what this discipline could and should be in the 21st century.”