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Duke University
August 10, 2005
This time last year we had just
met the twenty young women who were to have such an impact on
our thinking. Twenty women had just arrived at Duke University
from 16 countries in what we call the Middle East, and we were
trying to revise our expectations about them based on new information.
For example, they were obviously more sophisticated and knowledgeable
about the United States than we had expected. They were professional
women who had undergraduate degrees, and we knew that before
they came. Yet somehow as we examined our preconceptions of
the month long program we had planned for these women, we realized
that we had not given them credit for what they knew. We had
been focusing on what they could learn from the outstanding
faculty members and business leaders we had included in the
program, but we had not thought enough about what they could
teach us and how much we could learn from them.
As we gradually learned more about their countries,
their aspirations, and the challenges they had faced, we realized
that many of them were used to being underestimated. Some told
us bluntly that they felt they had been marginalized because
they were women. They felt they had not been given permission
to dream the dream of becoming an entrepreneur or of truly reaching
their potential. As you might imagine, there was a range of
opinions about almost everything, and as the program unfolded
we heard them challenging each other’s opinions and assumptions.
This did not square with the demure, self-effacing attitudes
we expected. It was as if they were finally giving themselves
permission to be outspoken, brash, confrontational, and intelligent
with each other. We soon learned that they were willing to challenge
our opinions and assumptions as well. We found that the questions
they asked us forced us to examine our ideas about their societies
and about the role of the U.S. in the region and in the world.
Although we knew they were coming from a wide
array of countries, we had fallen into the trap of thinking
of them as a group. Our lack of knowledge about the specifics
of their countries kept us from thinking of them as individuals.
By the time the program ended and we were preparing them for
departure to internships with businesses across the United States,
we could no longer think of them as “the Middle Eastern
women.” Instead we were saying goodbye to Sana , Rabab
and Arwa. We were much more knowledgeable about the geography,
geopolitics, religion, and social institutions of their countries.
When we think of Oman, or Lebanon, or Algiers, we see specific
faces now, we hear specific voices now, and we have a deeper,
more personal connection to the region now.
When these women left Duke to go to their internships
we realized we had formed such strong bonds with them that they
were like an extended family. They still needed us for support,
we told ourselves, and we did everything we could to ease their
transitions to their new locations. We had urged them to contact
us with any questions they had about things during their internships.
The questions they asked ranged from those about etiquette and
propriety to those about religion, civil rights, and politics.
Again we had underestimated them. They were even more inquisitive
and challenging than they had been in the program – presenting
us with specific scenarios that stretched our supposed expertise
about American life to the limits. “What do Americans
think about gay marriage?” “Why are there so few
political parties in the U.S.?” “Why are there so
many obese people in America?” “What do Christians
believe about Islam?” “What does business casual
mean?” “What’s the difference between laws
that cities make as opposed to states, counties, or the national
government?” “When can I interrupt my boss at a
meeting, especially if he said something that’s incorrect?”
When we began to plan this year’s
version of our program, we were astounded at how much our assumptions
and our level of knowledge had changed. The women of the Middle
Eastern Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program truly had been
partners, and they had taught us not only about their countries
and their lives but also about our own society and our own assumptions.
We are looking forward to a new group of women who are motivated,
challenging, sophisticated, demanding, focused, professional,
and intending to have as much of an impact on us as we have
on them.
Mark Brown
Academic Program Director
MEPI Program
The Fuqua School of Business
Duke University |
Emory University
Dear MEPI BIP Alumnae,
What a difference a year makes! Nearly every
month we receive updates on your promotions, new opportunities,
and achievements. You are agents and leaders of change—within
your companies, your communities, and through the relationships
developed and networks created during the Middle East Partnership
Initiative Business Internship Program. We at Emory University’s
Goizueta Business School are continually impressed, but never
surprised, by your successes and are proud to be associated
with such talented and ambitious women.
As an academic partner in the inaugural program,
we are excited by your personal and professional growth during
the past year. It is our sincere hope that the curriculum
presented during your time at Emory and Duke provided a solid
foundation of business acumen, as well as an increasing awareness
of your leadership strengths. As you face new challenges,
we encourage you to view them as development opportunities,
and continue to build upon the knowledge and understanding
gained during the program.
We are pleased to announce that Goizueta Business
School will once again host the MEPI BIP on the Emory campus
this fall. During the past year, Goizueta has experienced
significant changes, including the completion of a new building
and installation of a new Dean, Larry Benveniste. Dean Benveniste
has selected MEPI BIP Faculty Director Maryam Alavi to serve
as Vice Dean for the school. Our program staff now occupies
a suite of offices in the new addition, and manages a dedicated
floor of state of the art classrooms.
We plan to leverage these new developments
to create an outstanding experience for the MEPI BIP participants
this fall. Our faculty members are eager to participate in
the upcoming program, and curriculum has been adjusted in
response to your feedback. We have integrated business law
topics into the general curriculum, and have designed a concurrent
law component for a segment of participants. As university
classes will be in session this fall, we anticipate more interaction
with Goizueta MBA students, further expanding opportunities
to network and develop relationships.
As we prepare to welcome the MEPI BIP to Emory
this fall, we recognize the commitment that you, as alumnae,
have made to the future success of the program. Your feedback
has already helped to refine and tailor the program. As the
MEPI BIP network grows, your experience and support will be
invaluable to incoming participants. Your efforts toward increasing
awareness and building recognition of the MEPI BIP within
the business communities in your home countries are vital.
Correspondingly, we at Emory remain committed
to your continuing development and success, so please continue
to utilize your relationship with Goizueta Business School
if we can provide assistance or support.
Sincerely,
Kelly Bean
Director of Executive Education
Goizueta Business School at Emory University
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Lillie
graduated from Northeastern University with a BA in Political Science
and a concentration in International Affairs and Middle East Studies.
She most recently interned at the Middle East Institute in Washington
D.C. She has traveled to Egypt for academic research and Arabic study
and speaks fluent Spanish and Russian.