Amideast Appoints New Country Director in Tunisia

 
Washington, DC, August 12, 2013 — Amideast is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Shinn as its new country director for Tunisia. Dr. Shinn, who will be based in Tunis, brings to this position extensive experience in international education, including nearly a decade directing Amideast programs in the West Bank and Gaza. He succeeds Quincy Dermody, who has become assistant country director for Amideast’s operations in Egypt.
 
Dr. Shinn joined Amideast in 2003 as a program officer for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. He then became Amideast’s country director for the West Bank and Gaza office in 2004, serving in that capacity until 2006. He remained in Palestine and became the Chief of Party for the Palestinian Faculty Development Program, a large project funded by USAID and the Open Society Foundations. In that position and as Chief of Party for two other important USAID initiatives—
the Model Schools Network Program and the Leadership and Teacher Development Programhe contributed to building capacity in the Palestinian educational system and improving the quality of teaching at all educational levels, from K–12 through university. 
 
Under Dr. Shinn’s leadership, Amideast will continue to support Tunisia’s democratic transition with expanded training and educational opportunities, particularly among less advantaged groups and for youth and women.  His duties will include oversight of the many educational programs and services that Amideast offers in Tunis and Sousse.
 
Dr. Shinn earned a Ph.D. in international education at the University of Sydney in Australia. In addition to several years’ teaching English as a foreign language and courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, his prior experience includes providing international student services and marketing and public relations work for several international education organizations in the United States and Australia.