Amman, Jordan, July 18, 2012―American and Jordanian students advanced their language skills and understanding of each others’ cultures during a day-long forum hosted today by AMIDEAST/Jordan. The high school students are participants in two U.S. Department of State-funded initiatives that encourage development of foreign language skills.

Alexandria, Egypt, July 31, 2012 — AMIDEAST is pleased to announce that Adham El Batal from Alexandria, Egypt, is this year’s recipient of the David Mize Scholarship, a prestigious award that will cover his four years of undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. The award, which was established in 2007, is named in honor of former AMIDEAST/Egypt country director David Mize in recognition of his leadership in the field of international education and is made possible by an Egyptian-American businessman who is an alumnus of top U.S. educational institutions.

Some American students may have thought twice about travel and study in the Middle East or North Africa when the Arab Spring began sweeping across the region in 2011.  One year later, enrollments in AMIDEAST’s study abroad programs are up across the board, especially in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, as young Americans seek out in-region opportunities to hone Arabic language skills and improve their understanding of the region’s dynamics.

Since fall 2010, AMIDEAST’s new advisory board in Lebanon has enabled AMIDEAST to expand its offerings of scholarships and other opportunities for youth in Lebanon. In June, AMIDEAST’s office for the West Bank and Gaza became the second field office to adopt this community-based approach to strengthening its ability to respond to local needs.

In June, AMIDEAST formally inaugurated a new headquarters building for its operations in Jordan. The new facility, located in the fast-growing area of Wadi Abdoun, between East and West Amman, offers a modern, high-tech learning environment that will serve the country’s growing need for a broad range of educational and training services. 

AMIDEAST mourns the loss of Dr. Fahim Qubain, who passed away in April at the age of 88. Qubain will be long remembered as the founder of the Hope Fund, an organization that in one decade has made a made a life-changing difference for nearly 70 young Palestinian men and women from refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza.

Washington, DC, July 9, 2012―AMIDEAST is pleased to announce that the Union for the Mediterranean labeled its Skills for Success project at its regular Senior Officials Meeting, which took place in Barcelona, Spain, on June 28, 2012. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), a multilateral partnership encompassing 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, promotes sustainable development projects in and among its member states.

After a project receives the UfM “label,” the UfM Secretariat facilitates its promotion, especially its financing needs. Once the project is launched, the Secretariat monitors its implementation, ensuring that criteria required for obtaining and keeping the UfM “project label” are being met.

Amman, June 25, 2012—AMIDEAST celebrated its move to a new headquarters for its Jordan operations today. Located in the heart of Amman, the spacious, modern facility will enable AMIDEAST’s Jordan country office to better serve the country’s growing need for a broad range of educational and training services.

Jordanian and international representatives from government, higher education, and the private sector joined AMIDEAST staff to celebrate the move and welcome Ms. Dana Shuqom, who recently became AMIDEAST’s country director for Jordan.

Ramallah, June 21, 2012―AMIDEAST is pleased that the following prominent Palestinian business and professional leaders have agreed to serve on its new advisory board in the West Bank and Gaza:

Washington, DC, June 18, 2012—AMIDEAST is pleased to announce that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has selected it to implement a $16.3 million project to improve teaching and learning practices in Palestinian schools. The four-year Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD) Program, which supports the teacher education strategy of the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, is designed to improve approaches to teacher education and qualification, raise the overall quality of the teaching profession, and build the ministry’s capacity to manage the teacher education system in the West Bank and Gaza.