FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (10/21/04)

Contact Information:
Tony Wagner, ALO
Tel: 202-478-4704
E-mail: wagnera@aascu.org

THE MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE (MEPI)
ALO Announces Seven New Middle East University Partnership Awards

Washington, DC (October 21, 2004) - The Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in cooperation with the Association Liaison Office for University Cooperation in Development (ALO), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announces seven new awards for partnerships between colleges and universities in the United States and the Middle East. The awards total $699,841 and will cover areas such as Information and Communication Technologies, American Studies, Business and Economics, and Media and Journalism.

Praising the progress already seen in the program’s first year, J. Scott Carpenter, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State, said "MEPI is proud to support this innovative public private partnership. Pairing American universities with universities in the region creates sustainable synergies that will fuel key reforms in the region. We expect great things."

The partnerships selected for awards are:

• Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l’Information, Université de la Manouba (Tunisia) to improve journalism teaching;

• Colorado State University and Helwan University (Egypt) to develop online courses integrating business administration and engineering education;

• Duke University (North Carolina) and Effat College (Saudi Arabia) to produce the first engineering curriculum available to Saudi women;

• Madonna University (Michigan) and Notre Dame University (Lebanon) to establish full-fledged American Studies programs on both campuses;

• Montana State University and Al Akhawayn University (Morocco) to enhance professional level teaching of information and communications technology;

• University of Michigan-Dearborn and Al-Quds University (West Bank) to link teaching and research on American Studies at the two universities; and

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (Egypt) to build capacity in information and communication technology in computer-related courses.
  

MEPI was founded to work with governments and people in the Arab world to expand economic, political and educational opportunity for all people of the region. The initiative strives to link Arab, U.S. and global private sector businesses, non-governmental organizations, civil society elements, and governments together to develop innovative policies and programs to achieve this mission together. In the education pillar, MEPI envisions education systems that enable all people, especially women and girls, to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in today’s economy and improve the quality of their life and that of their families. For more information about MEPI and specific programs please visit: http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rt/mepi/.

ALO, established in 1992, assists the nation's six major higher education associations build their partnership with USAID and help their member institutions foster cooperative development partnerships with colleges and universities abroad. Uniquely positioned to promote the involvement of U.S. higher education in global development, ALO seeks to encourage international partnerships to address development goals.

###

© 2002-2006
The Association Liaison Office
for University Cooperation in Development (ALO)

Send questions to ALO.