Welcome to the Policy People Podcast. In this conversation, I explore the changing dynamics of the Middle East and the role of US policy in the region with Merissa Khurma. We discuss US leadership amid the recent conflict between Israel and Palestine, whether the US should withdraw from the region, the Four Arab Worlds theory, the role of Program Director within a DC think tank, the economic causes of extremism in the MENA region, obstacles to women’s participation in the region and imbalances in the labor market, the relative importance between asset inheritance and education levels for political participation, the ongoing waves of change that have followed the Arab Spring, the importance of diverse leadership in area studies programs and many more topics.
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Merissa Khurma is the Director of the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. Merissa is a expert on Middle East affairs and has also worked on projects in the MENA region relating to workforce development, youth and women empowerment, fiscal reform, governance and the Syrian refugee crisis. Originally from Jordan, Merissa previously served as both Director of the Office of HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Director of the Information Bureau at the Embassy of Jordan in Washington DC and was also a non-resident fellow at New America think tank where she developed a digital storytelling platform for Middle Eastern communities in America. You can discover the work of the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program at wilsoncenter.org/program/middle-east-program. You can also connect with Merissa on LinkedIn or follow her Program’s account on Twitter at the handle @WilsonCenterMEP.
Policy People Podcast: Diversifying Middle East Policy with Merissa Khurma