Jameel Haque presents at Spring History Lecture series

The lecture held Monday in the Centennial Student Union on the ‘Siege of Kut, World War 1 and The Modern Middle East’ was very enlightening, engaging and educational. The talk was given by visiting vssistant professor Jameel Haque of the History Department. The atmosphere was energetic, the mood was vibrant, and the turnout was extremely good.

The room was packed to capacity with one individual unfortunately having to sit on the cold hard floor. The lecture was very detailed and informative, touching on various aspects of World War I rarely discussed. The lecture summed up in one word: superb.

“The talk was amazing, I was glad that it was well attended and received by students, faculty and community members,” said Haque. He was also delighted by the level of interest in the subject and satisfied by the positive reception that the lecture got. “Giving a lecture is slightly different than teaching a class, because there is no feedback, but it was a good experience and I really enjoyed it,” said Haque.

His confident approach in giving the lecture and calm tone really captivated the audience. Considering this was Professor Haque’s second time giving a lecture like this, the past one being five years back, he truly did a magnificent job.

The lecture was part of the History Department’s Spring Lecture series, the department also has a lecture series in the fall called the Fall Forum. The lectures are sometimes connected to each other to broaden and expand a topic, although this was not the case in this particular lecture.

According to Professor Haque the lecture’s main focus was on discussing a wide array of questions and situations in the modern world. These included the rise of ISIS, sectarian violence in the Middle East and the repercussions of European colonialism on the Modern Middle East.

Haque also provided interesting facts such as the Siege of Kut being the first attempt to use airplanes to provide supplies to besieged soldiers. If the lecture had taken place on the 29th of April it would have marked exactly one hundred years since the end of the Siege of Kut. This was one of the reasons that Professor Haque decided to give a lecture on this particular topic. Many historians like commemorating events that happened in the past to their anniversaries, this gives the events more precedence and recognition.

Haque is a visiting assistant professor in the History Department. He was formerly an Assistant Professor at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Haque received a B.A. in Psychology from Drew University and has an advanced degree from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Haque will join the faculty here at MSU in a tenure track position in the fall. The professor will be a fantastic addition to the History Department bringing in new innovations and lecturing styles. He will no doubt be a great asset to the Department with his exuberant personality and outstanding academic qualifications.