Middle East Partnership Initiative Pursues Educational Reform through Two New University Partnerships

Working with the Higher Education for Development program and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the growing University Partnerships Program promotes strategic partnerships between U.S. and Arab universities in key areas for the development of democratic and prosperous societies within the region. Each partnership leverages faculty expertise and best practices in order to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Middle East institution in accordance with the purposes of the Middle East Partnership Initiative. The Initiative aims to improve access to, as well as the quality and relevance of, education for young people, particularly girls, so that they can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be informed citizens of democratic societies and effective competitors in modern economies. Fifteen other partnerships have been established.
The Northern Kentucky University/United Arab Emirates University consortium includes Yale University, Saint Joseph College, King Saud University and Sultan Qaboos and will focus on curriculum development, new teaching strategies, and student leadership. To contribute to the national effort to reduce the gender gap in Egypt, Menoufia University and the University of Connecticut will develop a new curriculum leading to a new Master’s degree program in Women in Development, the first such graduate program in Egypt.

MEPI is a Presidential initiative that supports economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East and expanded opportunity for all people of the region, especially women and youth. More information can be found at: http://MEPI.state.gov.
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