Gisele El Khoury, Director of the Language Resource Center and Arabic Instructor at St. Lawrence University, presented her paper, “Utilizing Graphic Novels and Films to Teach Arab and Middle Eastern Studies in the Classroom,” at the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference, held from November 11-16, 2024.
In her presentation, El Khoury emphasized the educational power of integrating graphic novels, such as Riad Sattouf’s The Arab of the Future, Magdy El Shafee's Metro: A Story of Cairo, and Coleman Nye and Sherine Hamdy’s Lissa: A Story about Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution, alongside films like Yomeddine and The Nile Hilton Incident, to teach complex socio-cultural themes. By showcasing these mediums’ ability to evoke empathy and foster critical thinking, El Khoury highlighted creative pedagogical approaches that prepare students to become informed and globally aware citizens.
