Education Portal Launches Sept. 11 Learning Site

NEW YORK
Responding to the need for analysis and insight into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Fathom, an online education portal established by a consortium of major universities, has launched a comprehensive learning center titled "September 11: Before And After," at its Web site <www.fathom.com>.
The center uses the resources and intellectual power of leading scholars at Fathom's 13 renowned member institutions, including Columbia University, University of Chicago, London School of Economics, and RAND, a nonprofit institution. Through a combination of online lectures, seminars, papers and discussions, the September 11 Learning Center enables 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 U.S. 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," says 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."
Included in the new Learning Center will be such material as a discussion on bioterrorism from Dr. Bruce Hoffman, terrorism expert and director of the Washington office of RAND; an article on nationalism by Dr. 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 Dr. Eric Foner, a historian at Columbia University. Dr. 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, provide general editorial oversight for the center.