FATHOM Launches September 11 Learning Center
Responding to the need for insight into the September 11 attack, its background and its aftermath, online education leader Fathom today launched a comprehensive Learning Center entitled “September 11: Before And After,” at its website, www.fathom.com. The Center harnesses the resources and intellectual power of leading scholars at Fathom’s thirteen renowned member institutions, including Columbia University, The University of Chicago, London School of Economics, and RAND. Via a combination of online lectures, seminars, papers and discussions, the September 11 Learning Center will enable users to examine the roots of terrorism, the history of religious extremism and political violence, and the political and historical significance of the response of the US government and the international community.
“At a time when the world is struggling to comprehend the incomprehensible, we see a significant role for educational institutions to make their best thinking and research broadly accessible,” said David Wolff, Fathom’s Vice President for Production and Programming. “Bringing together experts to lend insight and provide in-depth learning experiences on today’s top issues is the primary mission of the Fathom consortium. Thanks to the faculty and experts participating in the September 11 Learning Center, the Fathom audience can get insight into such topics as national security and defense, the history and future of terrorism, the impact of globalization, the mental and physical effects of war and grief, and the past and future of the troubled country of Afghanistan.”
Included in the new Learning Center will be such material
as a discussion on bio-terrorism from Bruce Hoffman, terrorism expert and director of the Washington office of RAND, an article on nationalism by Rashid Khalidi, director of the Center for International Studies at The University of Chicago, and a talk on the media’s use of language by Eric Foner, eminent historian at Columbia University. Lisa Anderson, Dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and Dr. Katerina Dalacoura of the Center for the Study of Human Rights at the London School of Economics, will provide general editorial oversight for the Center. In a welcome letter these two world- renown academics invite Fathom users to join the community of learners through online discussions, with the aspiration that “by sharing knowledge and keeping open minds we can work to prevent human tragedy on the scale that we have seen in recent weeks.”
About Fathom Knowledge Network
Fathom (www.fathom.com) is the leading source for online professional development and lifelong learning. Fathom brings together lectures, interviews, articles, and exhibits by faculty and experts from some of the world’s leading universities, libraries, museums, and disseminators of research. Online courses and seminars representing the best in online education are available through Fathom, as well as books and other products. Unique reference content spans all disciplines and fields of study. Fathom’s member institutions include Columbia University, London School of Economics and Political Science, Cambridge University Press, The British Library, The New York Public Library, The University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, American Film Institute (AFI), RAND, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum (UK), and The Natural History Museum (UK).
