Liberty University welcomes Israeli professor as its first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence

Liberty University is hosting its first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) this fall. Dr. Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen, an expert on genocide and a senior lecturer of public international law at Ariel University in Israel, is co-teaching two courses (International Relations and Think Tank, Research, Training & Policy Development) in the Helms School of Government and the School of Law, and is assisting students with research and writing.

The S-I-R, a prestigious award from the Fulbright Scholar Program, allows professors from around the world to teach at American universities for one semester or a full academic year.

Moodrick-Even Khen said her primary goal at Liberty is to help students explore and understand ongoing cases of genocide around the world. She hopes students will develop critical thinking skills about these issues and consider what they, as students and future human rights activists, can do to help prevent such atrocities.

“I hope (when I leave) the students will have a better understanding of the general tenants of human rights, the law, and how the research and study of genocide has developed because of the creation of this new branch: human rights law,” said Moodrick-Even Khen, who has written numerous peer-reviewed articles and journal pieces on genocide and related human law violations.

Moodrick-Even Khen is the chair and founder of Ariel University’s Center for Research & Study of Genocide, an interdisciplinary center that supports scholarly collaboration by hosting academic research, workshops, and publishing work from experts in law, criminology, history, Middle Eastern studies, and more. The center aims to evaluate, predict, and ultimately prevent genocide. Recently, she was nominated as the academic advisor on genocide, crimes against humanity, and the Holocaust for the Israeli delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

In 2021, over a dozen students from the Helms School of Government and School of Law collaborated with Ariel University, conducting research and submitting entries for the center’s database.

“I always found Liberty students very much curious, welcoming, and interested in hearing and learning from other people and receiving those new and different perspectives,” Moodrick-Even Khen said. “I’ve always received very interesting feedback (from students), and there were questions that triggered my thinking. So, I’m really looking forward to this (Fulbright) engagement with Liberty students.”

Four Liberty professors traveled to Israel in January 2023 for the center’s inaugural conference, “The Holocaust and Genocide in the 21st Century.” Department Chair for Government Dr. Kahlib Fischer; Professor of History Dr. David Snead; Professor of Government, Fulbright Program Advisor and Scholar Liaison Dr. Edna Udobong; and Professor of Law Dr. Yuri Mantilla formed a panel that provided biblical perspectives on genocide, drawing from both historical and modern-day examples.

Liberty’s presence at the conference, along with students’ research for the center, helped strengthen the partnership between the two universities and Moodrick-Even Khen.

Moodrick-Even Khen’s Fulbright award, she said, would not have been possible without support from multiple parties at Liberty, including Udobong, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks, Vice Provost Brian Yates, former Interim Dean of the Helms School and current Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Joel Cox, and Helms School of Government Dean Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Jason Q. Bohm.

Bohm said he is excited to welcome Moodrick-Even Khen to the Helms School of Government as she fulfills her Fulbright prerogatives on Liberty’s campus.

“The historic addition of Dr. Hilly Moodrick-Even Khen to the Helms School of Government family will enhance the learning experience for our faculty and students alike,” Bohm said. “Her wealth of experience, knowledge, and research across a broad scope of topics will make her a valuable addition to not only the Helms School, but the entire university and local communities. We welcome her and her family with open arms and great anticipation.”

The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) program is a unique Fulbright Scholar Program initiative specifically driven by the goals of U.S. institutions of higher education to enhance cultural collaboration on their campuses. The Fulbright program is fully funded through binational partnerships with governments to allow U.S. institutions to advance the exchange of academic knowledge. For more information on Fulbright at Liberty, contact Professor Udobong at eudobong3@liberty.edu.