Our Programme

Young Leaders' Initiative

Overview

The Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum’s Young Leaders’ Initiative (YLI) aims to bring together talented students and young professionals in the United Kingdom, who have a keen interest in the key strategic issues impacting the Middle East and North Africa region. The programme aims to create a network of emerging leaders in academia, policy analysis and the private sector, foster progressive collaboration between their respective disciplines, and encourage productive policy discussions and the sharing of innovative ideas surrounding the political, economic and security affairs of the Middle East and North Africa region.

The YLI will not only equip participants with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing today’s Middle East and North Africa region, but will also provide a platform for networking and collaboration with leading experts in the policy analysis and policymaking fields.

The programme is comprised of an online seminar series and a conference held in Cambridge. The seminar series will feature distinguished experts from academic, policy, and industry backgrounds, who – besides discussing alliances, bilateral and multilateral relations, economic and business ties, the emerging axis of security cooperation and women’s issues in the Middle East and North Africa – will steer immersive and constructive debates between participants about specific policy challenges and opportunities impacting the region.

Participants will use the knowledge gathered throughout the seminar series to draft an original piece of policy analysis of c. 2,500 words.

The in-person conference, to be held in Cambridge will include strategic roundtable discussions, diplomats’ sessions, and Cambridge-style supervisions. The latter will allow participants to refine their policy brief with the support and guidance of distinguished academics.

Participants will receive editorial support for the finalisation of their article and select pieces will be published in the Forum’s in-house publication platform, Manara Magazine, or in a UK- or internationally-based current affairs magazine.

Participants will get the opportunity to maintain close relations with the Forum and engage with its London-based and regional network of policy analysts and practitioners.

Focus

The programme focuses on three thematic areas of cooperation between countries of the Middle East and North Africa region and their international partners:

politics-blue-14
Economics-blue-14
Security-blue-14

Politics

Economics

Security

Sessions of the online seminar series and the conference will explore the above themes via three topics the Forum’s research activities currently gravitate around:

B-15
A-15
C-15

British Foreign Policy

MENA Region 2030

Women in the MENA Region

Benefits

Participants will have the opportunity to:

4-blue-14
2-blue-14
3-blue-14

Participate in a
fully-funded programme

Expand their professional
network

Develop an original
piece of policy analysis
with academic support

Young Leaders' Initiative

Our Programme

Overview

The Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum’s Young Leaders’ Initiative (YLI) aims to bring together talented students and young professionals in the United Kingdom, who have a keen interest in the key strategic issues impacting the Middle East and North Africa region. The programme aims to create a network of emerging leaders in academia, policy analysis and the private sector, foster progressive collaboration between their respective disciplines, and encourage productive policy discussions and the sharing of innovative ideas surrounding the political, economic and security affairs of the Middle East and North Africa region.

The YLI will not only equip participants with a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing today’s Middle East and North Africa region, but will also provide a platform for networking and collaboration with leading experts in the policy analysis and policymaking fields.

The programme is comprised of an online seminar series and a conference held in Cambridge. The seminar series will feature distinguished experts from academic, policy, and industry backgrounds, who – besides discussing alliances, bilateral and multilateral relations, economic and business ties, the emerging axis of security cooperation and women’s issues in the Middle East and North Africa – will steer immersive and constructive debates between participants about specific policy challenges and opportunities impacting the region.

Participants will use the knowledge gathered throughout the seminar series to draft an original piece of policy analysis of c. 2,500 words.

The in-person conference, to be held in Cambridge, will include strategic roundtable discussions, diplomats’ sessions, and Cambridge-style supervisions. The latter will allow participants to refine their policy brief with the support and guidance of distinguished academics.

Participants will receive editorial support for the finalisation of their article and select pieces will be published on the Forum’s in-house publication platform, Manara Magazine, or in a UK- or internationally-based current affairs magazine.

Participants will get the opportunity to maintain close relations with the Forum and engage with its London-based network of policy analysts and practitioners.

Focus

The programme focuses on three thematic areas of cooperation between countries of the Middle East and North Africa region and their international partners:

politics-blue-14

Politics

Economics-blue-14

Economics

Security-blue-14

Security

Sessions of the online seminar series and the conference will explore the above themes via three topics the Forum’s research activities currently gravitate around:

B-15

British Foreign Policy

A-15

MENA Region 2030

C-15

Women in the MENA Region

Benefits

Participants will have the opportunity to:

4-blue-14

Participate in a
fully-funded programme

2-blue-14

Expand their professional
network

3-blue-14

Develop an original
piece of policy analysis
with academic support

The YLI aims to bring together talented students and young professionals in the United Kingdom, who have a keen interest in the key strategic issues impacting the Middle East and North Africa region.

The YLI aims to bring together talented students and young professionals in the United Kingdom, who have a keen interest in the key strategic issues impacting the Middle East and North Africa region.

Eligibility

Final-year undergraduate, Master's or PhD students, or young professionals, based in the United Kingdom

Essential requirements:

  • Relevant undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Politics, International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Economics, Business, War and Security Studies or a cognate discipline
  • Advanced knowledge of and interest in the political and/or economic and/or security relations of the Middle East and North Africa region
  • Experience in research
  • Ability to participate in all online seminars and the in-person conference in full


Additional desirable but non-essential requirements:

  • Fluency in a regional language
  • Experience living/studying/working in the region

Schedule

31 August 2024

Deadline for Applications

Apply by sending your CV and statement (up to 500 words) detailing your interest in the programme in addition to a research topic within the above thematic areas to Mr Patrik Kurath at p.kurath@cmenaf.org.

September 2024

Online Seminar 1

Focus: Alliances, and bilateral and multilateral relations in the MENA region from the perspective of British foreign policy.

October 2024

Online Seminar 2

Focus: MENA Region 2030 – Trade and investment relations, and international development towards a sustainable future.

November 2024

Online Seminar 3

Focus: Women’s policy issues and human capital development in the MENA region.

13-14 December 2024

Conference in Cambridge

Strategic roundtable discussions, diplomats’ sessions, Cambridge-style supervisions, networking.

January 2025-

Follow-Up Stage

Publication of participants’ analytical pieces, and opportunities to engage with the Forum’s network of policy analysts and practitioners.

Apply Here

Send your CV and statement (up to 500 words) detailing your interest in the programme in addition to a research topic within the above thematic areas to Mr Patrik Kurath at p.kurath@cmenaf.org.

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