Student Opportunities

Chihiro Tanigawa received summer internship funding to join the World Bank's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team of the Poverty and Equity Global Practice in Washington, D.C.

"The internship taught me valuable lessons in how organizations navigate the challenges of evaluating situations in developing worlds with limited information. This experience has also motivated me to further explore how research and policy recommendations can be effectively translated into actionable measures that truly make a positive impact on vulnerable populations. The grant allowed me to immerse myself in my internship experience, where I had the opportunity to learn the potential of data-driven solutions in shaping a sustainable and equitable future for the MENA countries."

David Dam received Summer Internship Funding to work with the Growth Lab at Harvard's Center for International Development and the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of the Economy.

"The Middle East Initiative’s award allowed me to cover costs during my internship in Dubai with the Growth Lab at Harvard’s Center for International Development and the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Economy. I never imagined myself working in Dubai—let alone the Middle East—for a summer, and I gained both an admiration for and new perspectives on the region. I view this past summer—made possible by the Middle East Initiative’s generous grant—as the capstone to an amazing first year at HKS where I was able to develop new skills and strengthen existing ones. With this experience, I come into the upcoming academic year with a clearer idea of the types of work I would like to do and a more confident vision of who I am."

Maria Cantele received summer internship funding to travel to Yemen to work with the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen (OSESGY).

"The internship at the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen OSESGY was a unique and unexpected experience that exceeded my expectations. [It] gave me the opportunity to deep dive into a completely different and complex context. As an economist, it was fascinating to learn more about the warfare like policies in place in such a context and more surprisingly to realize that in practice life continues despite the challenges and people are incredibly resilient. On a similar note, participating in internal and external meetings gave me an initial understanding of the ecosystem in place when being part of a UN political mission. Engaging with the incredibly welcoming colleagues in the office and meeting people from the region outside of work broadened my understanding of regional dynamics and the prevalent developmental challenges."

Middle East Initiative Study Group with MEI Senior Fellow H.E. Dr. Barham Salih, former President of Iraq, and MEI Visiting Scholar Dr. David Siddhartha Patel as they explore ethnic and religious diversity in the Middle East. More details here.

Fall 2025 Middle East Initiative Study Group with MEI Senior Fellow Dr. Youssef Chahed, former Prime Minister of Tunisia (2016-2020), and MEI Senior Fellow Hisham Kassem, former publisher of Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm. More details here.