Fulbright Egypt Team: Outreach Tour in the U.S.
The Binational Fulbright Commission in Egypt’s team traveled to the U.S. to meet with graduate students, scholars, university administrators and U.S. based partners to discuss ways to develop and expand opportunities for U.S students, scholars and professionals in Egypt and Egyptians in the U.S. The delegation – which was led by Executive Director Dr. Maggie Nassif accompanied by Senior Program Officer Ms. Mai Ayyad and Fulbright Program Assistant Ms. Batool Khaled – participated and presented at the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference, the largest annual gathering for MENA academics; visited U.S. campuses in different states and had consultations with colleagues at the State Department and Fulbright program implementing agencies in DC.
2022 MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE (MESA) in DENVER COLORADO
Our first stop was at the 2022 Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference where the BFCE team gave a presentation on Fulbright opportunities including the new U.S. Fulbright Programs: the Distinguished Scholar and the new Fulbright Student Arabic Language Program – CAASIC at AUC. Dr. Nassif gave an overview of the opportunities to support Fulbright exchanges at the annual Department Chairs and Center Directors sessions at MESA. The team shared materials on how to host Egyptian scholars on U.S. campuses. MESA has been a good venue for the Commission to stay connected with its U.S. alumni and forge new friendships with faculty and senior administrators on U.S. campuses to strengthen education and cultural exchanges.
University of Denver
To kickstart the Fulbright Egypt’s U.S. campus tour, the team visited the University of Denver and met with international education faculty and staff to discuss future collaboration. The meeting was attended by Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Vice Provost for Internationalization; Dr. Leasa Weimer, Director for Strategic Partnerships; Dr. Casey Dinger, Executive and Academic Director for Internationalization; Dr. Andrea Stanton, Senior Associate Dean at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science; Dr. Nader Hashemi, Director of the Middle East Center at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and Ms. Katie Pettet, Senior International Student Advisor and Sponsored Programs Manager.
Georgetown University
Fulbright Egypt team visited the Center for Research and Fellowships at Georgetown University and met with the Director, Ms. Lauren Tuckley to discuss recruitment for the new Fulbright U.S. Student Program at the Center for Advanced Arabic Study in Cairo (CAASIC). The intensive Arabic language program is designed for students from the USA with high levels of Arabic proficiency to come to the American University in Cairo (AUC) to advance their Arabic language fluency.
George Washington University
As part of our U.S. campus tour, the Fulbright Egypt team visited George Washington University and met with two prominent Egyptian-American scholars on the GWU campus.
The first visit was with Dr. Tarek El-Ghazawi, Department Chair at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences who is also a Fulbright Scholar alumnus to Morocco. The Fulbright Egypt team discussed ways to support Egyptian and U.S. scholars in the field of engineering and information technologies.
Our second visit was with Dr. Salah Hassan, Professor of Global Marketing and Brand Management and former Marketing Department Chair. The meeting focused on the various entrepreneurship training projects the Fulbright Commission in Egypt is supporting and future plans for Prof. Hassan’s visit to Egypt on the U.S. Fulbright Specialist Program.
University of Pennsylvania-Wharton
Fulbright Egypt team visited the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia and met with Ms. Rosemary Bloser, Managing Director of Custom Programs and Mr. Jonathan Gurevitch, Senior Director for Corporate Partnerships at the Aresty Institute of Executive Education to discuss the development of new leadership programs for Egyptian professionals.
Howard University
Fulbright Egypt team visited Howard University and met with Mr. Jeronimo Augusto, International Program Manager at the Office of the Provost to discuss Fulbright opportunities for Howard University graduate students and professors.
The team then visited the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts where they met with Assistant Vice President Dr. Joe Leonard; Dr. Raul Moarquech Ferrera-Balanquet, Art Gallery Co-Director and Dean Phylicia Rashad.
Georgia State University
The Binational Fulbright Commission in Egypt had the pleasure of spending a day on the campus of Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta and meeting with the Vice Presidents; Associate Provost; Directors of International Programs; Entrepreneurship; scientists and researchers to discuss ways to collaborate with their peers among professors and scholars at Egyptian universities through Fulbright scholarships for educational and cultural exchange. Thanks to the wonderful team at GSU’s Office of International Partnerships & Agreements, Director Kike Ehigiator, Program Coordinator Anna Tapfer and Data Administrator Danielle Borrero who organized the BFCE campus, the day was filled with great discussions and hospitality. Georgia State has had one of the longest USAID funded partnerships in Egypt with the Faculty of Commerce at Cairo University which positions it as a good venue for future expansion.
VP for Research & Economic Development Dr. Tim Denning welcomes BFCE team
Georgia State University’s Vice President for Research & Economic Development Dr. Tim Denning welcomed Executive Director Dr. Maggie Nassif who was accompanied by Senior Program Officer Ms. Mai Ayyad and Assistant Program Officer Ms. Batool Khaled during their visit to the GSU campus in Atlanta. The meeting was attended by Dr. Clifford Michaels, Assistant Vice President and Director, Office of Technology Licensing & Commercialization; Dr. Cynthia Nau Cornelissen, Director, Center for Translational Immunology; Dr. Maged Henary, Associate Chair & Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Alexandria University alumnus and Dr. Lanying Du, Professor, Institute for Biomedical Sciences. The meeting included presentations and discussions between GSU scientists and senior leadership and the BFCE team on possibilities for future collaboration with Egyptian universities.
Associate Provost Dr. Wolfgang Schlör and Directors of International Initiatives meeting
Dr. Wolfgang Schlör, Associate Provost for International Initiatives; Dr. Jody Pritt, Director of International Student and Scholar Services; Mr. Jacobus Boers, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of International Business at the Robinson College of Business; Ms. Farrah Bernardino, Senior Director at the Office of International Initiatives and Dr. Laura Boudon, Director of the Study Abroad Programs met with the BFCE delegation to discuss ways to increase collaborative work between GSU professors and graduate students and their peers at Egyptian universities through Fulbright opportunities.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute and LaunchGSU
During our visit to Georgia State University, the Fulbright Egypt team stopped by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute where we met with Director Dr. Jennifer Sherer; Associate Director Ms. Recha Reid and LaunchGSU Manager Ms. Erica Bracey who shared best practices in supporting entrepreneurship in Atlanta and brainstormed ideas for exchanges with Egyptian counterparts. The meeting was attended by Ms. Farrah Bernardino, Senior Director of the Office of International Initiatives and the Office of International Partnerships & Agreements’ team: Director Kike Ehigiator, Program Coordinator Anna Tapfer and Data Administrator Danielle Borrero.
Egyptian Cultural and Educational Bureau, Washington DC
Egypt’s Cultural Attaché in Washington Dr. Ali Masoud received the Binational Fulbright Commission in Egypt’s delegation. The meeting focused on discussions for further collaboration to advance cultural and educational exchange between the two countries. Dr. Nassif was grateful for the help of Dr. Ali Masoud, Egyptian Cultural Attache in Washington DC for coordinating several virtual meetings for the BFCE Executive Director with members of the Egyptian-American Scholar Association, leadership at Georgetown Medical School and Purdue University International Office. The meetings focused on discussions on ways to enhance cultural and educational exchange between the two countries through Fulbright opportunities.
