In-Person
Study Group

MEI Study Group with Senior Fellow Dr. Omar Razzaz: "Tough Reforms: Education, Fiscal Policy, and Refugees"

Harvard Faculty, Fellows, Staff, and Students

Join the Middle East Initiative (MEI) for this three-part study group led by MEI Senior Fellow Dr. Omar Razzaz, former Prime Minister of Jordan. Through examination of national education reform, fiscal policy transformation, and refugee and migration governance, participants will explore how institutions evolve to meet complex societal challenges across different governance levels.

Dr. Omar Razzaz Study Group

Join the Middle East Initiative (MEI) for this three-part study group led by MEI Senior Fellow Dr. Omar Razzaz, former Prime Minister of Jordan. Through examination of national education reform, fiscal policy transformation, and refugee and migration governance, participants will explore how institutions evolve to meet complex societal challenges across different governance levels.

At every level of governance, from national systems to international frameworks, the implementation of sustainable reform requires balancing immediate demands with long-term development objectives. Drawing on Jordan’s experience in educational transformation and fiscal reform, alongside attempts to deal with repeated regional refugee crises  this study group will examine how policy makers navigate multidimensional challenges while delivering services and maintaining institutional effectiveness and legitimacy.

The Study Group will draw from Dr. Razzaz’s experiences as Minister of Education during critical curriculum reforms, his leadership through complex fiscal challenges as Prime Minister including implementation of IMF-mandated reforms, and his direct engagement with pioneering refugee response frameworks. The latter will focus on migration governance – from the Jordan-EU Compact’s framework for Syrian refugee education and economic integration to the broader regional context of Palestinian refugees and the continuing challenges surrounding UNRWA operations. 

Through analysis of these interconnected cases, participants will explore how different levels of governance can develop institutional responses to contemporary challenges.  The overall goal is to contribute to academic and policy dialogue by examining pathways to sustainable reform, institutional adaptation, and innovation in an era of complex migration policy and emerging governance challenges. 

Schedule:

3 sessions will take place on the following Tuesdays from 4:30pm - 6:00pm during the Spring semester in Belfer – 400 Land Lecture Hall:

April 1: Reforming Education: National Exams, Curriculum, and Unions

Register: here

April 8:  Reforming Fiscal Policy: Confronting Parliament and the IMF

Register: here

April 15:  Reforming Policies on Migration and Refugees: the Local, Regional, and Global Dimensions

Register: here

Registration: All HUID-holders (students, fellows, staff, and faculty) are welcome to register for the study group. Further information including readings and recommended resources will be shared with registered participants no later than March 25, 2025.

Main Point of Contact: Please reach out to Dr. Omar Razzaz's Research Assistant, Dalia Aita, with any questions related to the study group material or meeting time at: daita@hks.harvard.edu.