Dr Christine Leuenberger, Cornell University (USA), has published widely in various academic journals, books and popular news outlets. She is currently working on the social impact of hard and soft borders and barriers, the history and sociology of the human sciences in the Middle East, as well as on peace and educational initiatives in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. She has served as a Fulbright Scholar, a Fulbright Specialist, and as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow. She has also been the recipient of a National Science Foundation Scholar’s award to investigate the history and sociology of mapping practices in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.