Summer 2016 Mosaic

The Summer 2016 issue of the Middle East Initiative Mosaic newsletter features highlights of MEI programs and activities over the 2015-2016 academic year. This year's issue features highlights from the diverse and exciting work of students, fellows, faculty, and staff on public policy issues in the Middle East over the past year, including a focus on the MEI community's response to Syria and in-depth stories on our research fellowship program, alumni connections, students' experiences from Cambridge to the Middle East, and much more!

Read the full Mosaicnewsletter.

A forward from our director...

I am delighted to share with you the Middle East Initiative’s (MEI) 2016 Mosaic. The past year was one of growth and impact at MEI and I am pleased to highlight some of our programs and activities.

An important theme this past year was the ongoing humanitarian disaster impacting millions in the region. MEI supported efforts by faculty and students who examined the devastating consequences of the Syrian civil war, resourceful approaches to supporting refugees and migrants, and future scenarios for Syria and its neighbors. The cross-disciplinary events held at MEI were complemented by the year’s ongoing faculty research projects, experiential learning programs, and the launch of the Harvard Coalition for Syrian Refugees, a student-driven initiative supported by MEI that leverages the resources of Harvard University to collaboratively respond to the Syrian refugee crisis.

I am very excited that our worldwide reach continues to grow along with our community in Cambridge. Research fellows, visiting scholars and senior fellows enriched MEI's scholarly community and focused their work on a range of policy concerns, including the impact of sanctions against Iran, social service provisions in Lebanon, the Arab social contract, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and migrant labor in the Gulf Cooperation Council, among many other topics. We also supported 57 students to travel to different countries in the region for research, internships and other learning opportunities, and the numbers of students and executive education participants enrolled at HKS from the region continues to grow. A few of these students are featured in this year's Mosaic.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Tarek Masoud, who generously acted as MEI Interim Faculty Chair during the spring 2016 semester while Professor Nicholas Burns was on sabbatical at Stanford University, and congratulate him on achieving tenure at HKS. I know he will continue to make exceptional contributions to our scholarly community.

Through your support, MEI has become a hub for young scholars, senior practitioners, and future policymakers and leaders to convene at Harvard and in the Middle East to examine contemporary public policy issues. Whether you are a longtime supporter, a recent graduate, or are just now learning about MEI, we thank you for your enthusiastic engagement and look forward to your continued involvement in our work.

--Hilary Rantisi, Director, Middle East Initiative