Since our first cohort in 2007, the ranks of our alumni have steadily grown. The Institute for Middle East Studies is committed to reconnecting with alumni and sharing their wealth of expertise with our current students. Through our new alumni mentoring initiative and expanded alumni programming, we hope to provide meaningful opportunities for alumni to remain engaged with the Institute and our students.
Please let us know if you have news you would like to share with other alumni or if you are interested in participating in our alumni programs. You can also keep in touch via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and our Alumni Newsletter. And if you're in the neighborhood, don't miss out on the wonderful array of events at the Institute.
The Middle East Studies Program hosts some small-scale alumni mentoring programs, and we're thrilled to invite you to participate!
We've been very fortunate in our ability to recruit stellar students (like yourselves) who go on to do interesting and important work in their post-graduate careers. Our current first-year M.A. students have a broad range of interests and some very intriguing backgrounds. They would really like to get to know our alumni and the path they took after leaving GW. Our plan is to offer one mentoring program that focuses on general professional and career mentoring, and another that provides guidance on capstone student research projects.
Please email mesp@gwu.edu if you are interested in participating in either mentoring program. We offer a few structured opportunities during the academic year for you to impart your considerable wisdom. Beyond these gatherings, the scope of the mentorship can be determined mutually between you and the student.
If you live outside the DC metro area, you can still participate electronically.
Both B.A. and M.A. alumni are invited to participate, though mentees will be graduate students.
The 2018-19 Alumni-Student Mixer will be held on Friday, October 12th at 5:30pm. Please visit the 'Alumni Events' tab for more information.
The Alumni Course Audit Program gives all GW alumni the benefit of attending a wide selection of GW courses on a not-for-credit basis and is a rewarding way to:
-
enhance professional skills
-
increase knowledge
-
pursue a commitment to lifelong learning
Eligibility
All GW Alumni are eligible to participate (that is anyone who took at least 15 full credits at GW). Former and current staff, faculty, or medical residents are not eligible to audit, unless they are a graduate of the George Washington University. Current graduate students are not eligible, unless they are already are alumni of GW. If an alumnus/a is in a current graduate program he/she must get a memo from the dean of his/her program stating that the class being audited will not be used for the degree program in which he/she is enrolled. Local Foggy Bottom Seniors (ages 60 and above) are also eligible to participate if they live in zip codes 20006 or 20037.
For more information about how to audit a course, visit the GW Alumni Relations website.
Careers in Consulting & Risk Advisory For Middle East Studies Grads
September 17, 12-1:30 EST
Please join us for a virtual informational session on careers in consulting and advising for those with a background in Middle East Studies. This event will feature Rawan Alkhatib from Boston Consulting Group (MESP MA 2017) and George Shamiyeh (Forward Risk & Intelligence (MESP MA 2016). We'll start by hearing about their career trajectories, the basics of their current positions, and the kinds of projects they work on. We'll then open it up for a general Q&A.
Beyond the Middle East Studies Program, our alumni have access to a wide array of events, benefits, and services through Elliott School Alumni Programs and the GW Office of Alumni Relations. Whether you're looking for a new job, want to volunteer with students, or connect with fellow alumni, be sure to check out what's available.
How You Can Help
The Institute for Middle East Studies at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs allows for a variety of opportunities to provide both current-use and endowed support. Annual gifts provide immediate funding, while endowments offer support in perpetuity. We welcome gifts of any amount.
A $2,000 annual gift sponsors a student’s field research in the Middle East.
A $5,000 annual gift funds one-to-one language tutoring for as many as ten IMES students.
A $10,000 annual gift provides support to a visiting scholar, whose work enhances the institute’s research, education, and outreach.
A $25,000 annual gift enables IMES to hire a student research assistant dedicated to organizing the institute’s highest-level conferences.
A $50,000 annual gift supports an annual fellowship for an IMES graduate student.
A $100,000 endowment gift, yielding $5,000 annually, supports language instruction.
A $500,000 endowment gift, yielding $25,000 annually, will permanently support the IMES Annual Conference, advancing its scope.
A $1,000,000 endowment gift, yielding $50,000 annually, will create a named fellowship for a graduate student focused on Middle East Studies.
For information on how you can support the Institute for Middle East Studies, please contact GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs Office of Development and Alumni Relations: 202-994-0559 or elliottgiving@gwu.edu. You can also donate by clicking the 'Donate to IMES' button below.
