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Students living on campus had the opportunity Tuesday to discuss global concerns with professors who are experts on Middle East and U.S. foreign policy – and they didn’t have to travel far to get there.

An open forum to discuss “The Future of American Foreign Policy” was held at Covel Commons on the Hill.

“We don’t have many faculty panels of this kind of magnitude, and this kind of range, about such sensitive issues in the dorms,” said Jessica Lu, a second-year business economics student and a program assistant in Canyon Point.

“It was very interesting to get that type of academic intensity on the Hill,” she added.

The event, sponsored by Canyon Point staff and faculty who live in the dorms, was held in response to rising concerns regarding the war expressed by resident students.

Faculty in Residence who helped facilitate the program believed in the importance of having such discussion located at the center of residential life.

“What we want to do is more of this, to increase the kind of communal, intellectual life up here,” said English professor Robert Maniquis.

Kevin Terraciano, an FIR who helped organize the event, also felt the need for increased student and faculty interaction.

“This is a way of empowering students to get them to discuss these issues with faculty rather than hearing faculty speak about them,” he said.

Students who attended said they appreciated the chance to speak with professors and the increased accessibility due to its location near the residence halls.

“This is great to have and I was surprised at the turnout,” said Courtney Takayama, a second-year psychology student.

“People actually came to be informed,” she added.

Other student participants agreed.

“What I wanted to see was educated, well-thought out, wonderful professors that want to see the same things students do, to see them be curious and want to know, for the sake of knowing and not to be ignorant,” said Monica Choi, a fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student and Resident Assistant.

The panel consisted of history professor Gabriel Piterberg, law professor Jonathan Zasloff, political science and economics professor Michael Intriligator, education professor Douglas Kellner, and professor of Scandinavian studies Jules Zetner.

The professors expressed their views on the future of Iraq and United States foreign policy.

“There is not going to be a democracy in Iraq,” said Piterberg.

“Within not too long we’ll get ... another Shiite Islamic Republic, which I think will be in close alliance with Iran,” he added.

Despite varying views on the ability of a democracy to be established in Iraq, most panelists agreed that immediate resolutions could not be expected.

“This conflict is going to take a long time,” said Zasloff.

Kellner spoke about the need for multilateralism, the joint efforts of countries and different organizations, to carry out the reconstruction of Iraq.

“The U.S. cannot reconstruct Iraq alone with military occupation. The only way that Iraq can be reconstructed is through multilateralism and that is going to take a lot of countries, organizations, working together to try to create a democracy in Iraq,” said Kellner.

“I think that the Bush administration is committed to unilateralism. ...This is very dangerous and this is not the way to address the problems of the world,” he added.

Intriligator also expressed concern for world perceptions of the United States, the precedent that this war may have set for other countries, and the effect the war victory may have on U.S. policy.

“That could create a whole string of wars that could be dangerous to national security,” he said.

Zasloff disagreed on arguments made by some about potential increased instability of the Middle East.

“In fact, American military power has enforced more stability in the Middle East,” he said.

Amid varying opinions on the effects of the war, the professors did agree on the importance of discussion with undergraduates.

“Discussion of these issues is absolutely critical and an essential part of undergraduate education,” Zasloff said.

Forums discussing issues of diversity will be held near the residential community next week, as part of the annual celebrations of World Fest.