Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

ECA NEWS
Home > ECA News > Media Note

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
August 2, 2004

State Department Welcomes Middle Eastern Women to U.S. For Business Internship Program

Forty-two women from the Middle East have arrived in Washington, D.C. to participate in the first Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women. The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs’ MEPI office, in partnership with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, created the program to provide the women, ages 22-30, with unique opportunities to study U.S. business culture and society and to learn management and business skills while working in a U.S. business environment. The program will consist of a four-week MBA-level academic program, followed by a three-month internship.

The Washington, D.C. program will include meetings with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Patricia S. Harrison, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Alina Romanowski and other State Department and White House officials. During their stay in Washington, program participants will attend orientation classes designed to familiarize the women with the program’s goals and objectives and American culture.

Following their orientation, participants will begin a month-long academic program, which includes a customized executive MBA program at one of two top-ranked U.S. business schools: Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. The coursework will range from U.S. business culture and practice, leadership development, women in business, marketing, accounting, business law and ethics, entrepreneurship, and information technology.

In September, the women will begin their three-month internships at Fortune 500 companies, law firms as well as small and medium size enterprises in a variety of businesses across the United States. The MEPI Business Internship Program will conclude in Washington, DC with a workshop designed for participants to share individual experiences and discuss the application of leadership skills in their region. Administrative support and assistance to the participants in the United States is provided by the IREX (the International Research & Exchanges Board), under a cooperative agreement with the Department of State.

For more information on this program, please contact Adam Meier, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at (202) 203-7026.

Back to the top

This site is maintained by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Links to other sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.