Ashraf Sabkha, a 2015 graduate of the Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate Program from the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), recently became the first Libyan Knight-Hennesy Scholar at Stanford University. Under the Tomorrow’s Leaders scholarship, Sabkha received leadership training and support, graduating summa cum laude from the American University in Cairo with a …
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For many alumni of the MEPI exchange programs, their experience itself was fulfilling on the academic or civic level and it also helped them unlock a fortune of opportunities in the years that followed. Mondher Tounsi from Tunisia says that the Tomorrow’s Leaders scholarship allowed him to explore his passion for politics while helping him …
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With assistance from a MEPI Leaders Grant, Nora Chaynane, a 2019 alumna of the MEPI Student Leaders Program (SLP), successfully trained 50 participants from 10 different regions of Morocco to leverage technology and innovation in rapidly changing environments. Through her Shine Space Smart Sustainable Solutions (S.5 Project) initiative, Nora received a small grant from the …
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Mohammad Aljilani participated in the MEPI Student Leaders Program (SLP) at Portland State University in the summer of 2019 where he studied conflict resolution, leadership, democracy, and U.S institutions. Mohammad believes in the power of diversity and describes the lessons learned with the Student Leaders Program as “a new lifestyle”. He shares that, “I have …
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In the Marrakech-Safi region of Morocco, many resources are available to entrepreneurs, but they weren’t working together or coordinating to influence policy. The Al-Rawabet project, funded by the United States Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), takes an entirely new approach to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Through Al-Rawabet, …
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In the Marrakech-Safi region of Morocco, many resources are available to entrepreneurs, but businesses weren’t working together or coordinating to influence policy. The Al-Rawabet project, funded by the United States Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), takes an entirely new approach to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Through Al-Rawabet, …
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Omar Itani, MEPI Student Leaders 2016 alumnus, began his entrepreneurial career in the startup world. With his schoolmates, he established his first startup, VISIO, an initiative specialized in waste management and recycling. VISIO won the 2012 INJAZ company program and the Best Social Impact Award in the Regional Competition for Arab Young Entrepreneurs in Doha-Qatar. …
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The MEPI-TL scholarship program helps to cultivate academic and leadership skills to underserved students in the MENA region. These students then use the knowledge and skills they gain to take leading roles in serving their community on many fronts, including academia, economy, civil society, policy, healthcare, research among others. One example of an inspiring TL …
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As young as eighteen years old, Danya Arayssi (SLP 2018, Lebanon) recognized many of her community’s challenges. Through accounts she heard about women being silenced by cultural norms, traditions, and values, Danya knew that her passion lied in empowering women. Danya explains, “They are silenced to denounce a continuous yet traumatic daily abuse and human …
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MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders program has recently launched, for the first time, the “My TL story” contest across the top three leading universities in the Middle East; the Lebanese American University, The American University of Beirut and the American University of Cairo. The contest invited current TL undergraduate students to share their experiences during the TL …
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Nasser al-Tooblani graduated from MEPI’s Tomorrow’s Leaders program at LAU in the spring of 2020 with a BA in Psychology and received High Distinction. Suffering from diabetes since he was two years old, Nasser has consistently struggled with diabetes self-management throughout his life. In his capstone project « Bloom », Nasser came up with the …
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Ghufran Ashor, a MEPI’s Tomorrow’s Leaders LAU alumna from Libya, graduated in Spring 2019 and began her search for the right post-graduation job. She sought a role that would serve purpose and allow her to make a difference. After an excessive job search, Ashor landed a job that matched her skills and aspirations perfectly. In …
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Salaam Halila, Tunisian MEPI TL Alumna from LAU, excelled as a communication major during the program and used the skills she acquired to create two successful awareness campaigns surrounding mental health and promoting cultural differences in Arab society. In March 2019, while in her junior year, Salaam launched “Bil Hawa Sawa” (We are all in …
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Censorship and the spread of fake news remain two of the main challenges that media and journalism face in Tunisia. Tunisian journalists are continuously working to alleviate these challenges and improve the sector. To help solve these challenges, MEPI’s Leadership Development Fellowship (LDF) program Alumna Ahed Jamaoui created Media Impact +, a project for training local …
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After participating in MEPI’s Student Leaders Program Mohammed Taoufik, felt compelled to find a solution to the high crime and drug rates that he saw in the youth in his community in Casablanca. He created a public awareness and support campaign to showcase the positive impact building a youth soccer field would have on the …
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The MEPI Alumni Venture Fund (AVF) aims to collaboratively utilize the leadership skills that alumni have developed through their various MEPI program experiences in the Middle East and North Africa. The AVF supports alumni to work together on innovative solutions to economic and/or community needs. The small grants provide seed funding for innovative ideas to develop new partnerships, foster sustainable collaboration …
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During his participation in the MEPI Student Leaders program at Portland State University in 2016, Safwen Karoui became inspired by the principles and ideas behind conflict resolution. He wanted to take the professional skills that he gained from the program and apply them to work with local associations and civil society organizations in his home …
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When Houssam Askar first saw the announcement for the MEPI Student Leaders program, he was so excited that he stayed awake all night thinking about what to write for his application. His dream came true when he was accepted into the program at Georgetown University in June, 2015. Through Student Leaders, Houssam is better prepared …
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Awsam believes that the LDF program was a turning point in his professional career. The program provided an opportunity for him to write and publish his first book on the Media Public Service Broadcasting Network (PBN) in Iraq. This book is a part of Awsam’s CAP project in which he aims to engage the broadcasting …
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MEPI Alum Abbas Sibai (Leaders for Democracy (LDF) U.S. Program, 2013) has launched “Live Love Volunteer,” which leverages the popular Live Love social media accounts to promote volunteerism in Lebanon. Live Love Volunteer’s next activity is a trash clean up day at Lebanon’s Kfarhelda waterfalls on September 16. Abbas co-founded the “Live Love Beirut” social …
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On August 30, a group of Tunisian State Department exchange program alumni were joined by Ambassador Rubinstein and embassy staff in a meeting with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and his Youth and Diplomacy Advisors at the Presidential Palace. During this meeting, alumni shared the results of their experiences in the United States on a …
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On July 12, Education for Employment concluded its MEPI funded project entitled “Supporting Civic Responsibility and Private Sector Job Creation in Tunisia” with its 10th graduation ceremony to celebrate the graduation of 288 Tunisians who were placed in jobs in seven enterprises. CDA Benjamin Moeling had the opportunity to meet with some of the graduates and …
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The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aimed at promoting social and private entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by partnering with its Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) alumni. Alumni networks can be effective social networks that generate both a …
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Georgetown University Christopher Shirley, Project Director, has been working on the program 13 years, and every year he feels a profound sense of having his heart touched by 120 students working so hard at making the world better. Chantal Santalices, Director of the Center for Intercultural Education and Development, finds joy working with the international …
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A group of the 2016 MEPI Student Leaders alumni participated today in a meeting with the Chief of Staff and Directors Generals at the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports. Following the MEPI Capstone conference organized in Tunis last March 2017, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Ms. Majdouline Cherni, offered her Ministry’s support for the …
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I am Rafiaa Boujbel, IT consultant with Tim Consulting and a Ph.D. candidate in Telecommunication Networks at Munich University of Applied Sciences. I would like to share my Education for Employment (EFE) experience with you. This experience started with an online application that I became aware of through the EFE website. After the selection process, I became a finalist …
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Exchange alumni in Saudi Arabia have successfully increased alumni engagement and expanded the Saudi alumni network through a series of events known as the Entrepreneurship Diwaniya. Traditionally, a Diwaniya is a relaxed place where people gather to discuss significant issues of the day. The Entrepreneurship Diwaniya is a series of networking and educational events connecting …
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Thank you Bedis for the warm welcome and introduction; My thanks as well to the GOT officials who are here, Majdouline Cherni Minister of Youth and Sports, and Saida Ounissi, Secretary of State in charge of Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship And to the facilitators, mentors, university partners and Georgetown for coordinating this event; Good afternoon …
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