Seminar mulls blockade through prism of international relations

TheDepartment of International Affairs at Qatar University College of Artsand Sciences (QU-CAS) organised yesterday a symposium on “The Siegefrom the Perspective of International Relations.” which gave an overviewof Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and its objectives.The symposiumis the first of a series of monthly seminars to be organised by theDepartment of International Affairs over the academic year.It aimed to establish a knowledge-based environment and to promote academic dialogue within and outside QU.Thesymposium included two lectures entitled “The reasons for theestablishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council” and “Critical Reading inthe Founding of the Gulf Cooperation Council”.They were deliveredrespectively by CAS assistant professor of international relations DrBakil al-Zindani and assistant professor in security and internationalrelations, Dr Ibrahim Saidi.Dr al-Zindani gave an overview on the GCC and the purpose of its establishment.Henoted that the GCC combines visions, unifies trends and plays a role inensuring security. He also highlighted the current Gulf crisis and itsreflection on the GCC.Dr Saidi highlighted the basic regulations and procedures of the GCC comparing them with other international organisations.He noted that the Council’s law prevents the expulsion or the membership freeze of any member state.InternationalAffairs department head Dr Ahmed Ibrahim said: “This symposium is partof QU’s role to promote academic dialogue and address national issuessuch as the unjust blockade imposed on Qatar. It also aligns with thecommitment of the Department of International Affairs to engage in arealistic dialogue that reflects the causes of such crises and the waysto deal with them.”