New Endowed Chair at American University to Advance Strategies for International Peace and Conflict Resolution

Abu-Nimer has conducted extensive research into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the application of conflict resolution models in Muslim communities. He is the president and founder of the Salam Institute for Peace and Justice, a D.C. nonprofit organization that concentrates on religious and interfaith international peacebuilding. He served as a senior advisor of the KAICIID Dialogue Centre, an international organization that specializes in interreligious and intercultural dialogue and directed AU’s Peacebuilding and Development Institute for 13 years. His contribution to the study and promotion of peace in the Middle East has been recognized with the PEACE Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association and the International Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust. 

“Professor Said was a pillar of the AU community for more than 60 years, helping to shape the School of International Service’s groundbreaking mission of ‘waging peace,’” said AU President Sylvia Burwell. “We created the Abdul Aziz Said Chair in International Peace and Conflict Resolution to further his legacy and continue his impact. Professor Abu-Nimer’s crucial scholarship will do just that by building positive impact around the world through engagement and dialogue.”

A member of American University’s School of International Service since it opened in 1957, Said founded the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at AU in 1995 and the Center for Global Peace at SIS. He served as an advisor to the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations and UNESCO. He authored or edited 25 books and more than 100 academic papers and engaged in numerous conflict resolution projects that ranged from urban schools to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

“It’s very meaningful for me to be the inaugural chair,” said Abu-Nimer. “I shared a journey with Professor Said for over 22 years since I joined AU. We worked together very closely, sharing many ideas and the values and views on building [programs] and supporting diversity and inclusion both in our own AU community and in conflicts around the world. It’s an exciting and honorable occasion for me.”

A pioneer in the field of peacebuilding and conflict resolution, Said was known for his groundbreaking interdisciplinary approach. This endowed chair will carry on Said’s legacy and honor the impact of the late scholar’s international affairs work and mentorship in the lives of students, faculty and practitioners worldwide.   

“Our family is extremely grateful to American University, alumni and friends for making this chair possible,” said Said’s wife, Ms. Elena Turner, SIS/BA ’82. “Professor Said always said, ‘Peace is not only an absence of violence, but a presence of justice, a presence of equality, and a presence of cooperation.’ Under Professor Abu-Nimer’s capable leadership, I am confident that the chair will preserve and build on my husband’s ideals and legacy of making the world a better place through nonviolent paths to conflict resolution.” 

The Abdul Aziz Said Chair in International Peace and Conflict Resolution advances AU’s changemaking scholarship at a time of great momentum for the university and reflects the community’s investment in endowed chairs during the university’s Change Can’t Wait campaign. With more than $430 million raised to date, the AU community’s philanthropy is transforming educational opportunities, advancing groundbreaking research, and strengthening communities around the globe.