Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School Founded

Islamic Studies Today 1998

Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School Founded

The Middle East Initiative (MEI) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government was founded in 1998 and became the first initiative at the Kennedy School to focus on a Muslim-majority region of the world. MEI’s mission is to advance evidence-based policymaking and good governance in the Middle East as well as training the region’s next generation of leaders, practitioners, and scholars. In recent years, MEI has expanded its programs to address topics including alternative energy, humanitarian crisis response, economic opportunity, demographic challenges, and more. MEI is directed by Tarek Masoud, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman Professor of International Relations.

Middle East Initiative at HKS

Islam and Democracy Conference
(Left to right) Roy Mottahedeh, Kristen Fabbe, Tarek Masoud, Sophie Lemière, and Andrew March at the Islam and Democracy conference in October 2017