Call for Applicants: Middle East Policy Professional Development Symposium 2023

The Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy and Brandeis University’s Crown Center for Middle East Studies invite applicants for their second Future Leaders Symposium for policy professionals working on the Middle East.

Who: Middle East policy professionals with 3-8 years of Middle East-focused policy experience. Those from backgrounds not traditionally represented at the highest levels of foreign policy decision-making are especially encouraged to apply. US government and non-USG professionals are welcome.

What: Develop your expertise and engagement with Middle East policy topics. Learn from and engage with top experts from Brookings, Brandeis and elsewhere in the US and the Middle East. Build your professional network with other rising policy professionals.

When: Four in-depth sessions, held in January, March, May (virtual session), and June, plus a summer alumni gathering.

How: Applications are due by December 2, 2022. Details below.

The Future Leaders Symposium

Beginning in January, the symposium will gather three times in person and one time virtually throughout winter and spring 2023. Each session will focus on thematic and country-specific policy issues, led by expert faculty from Brookings, Brandeis, and/or associated institutions. Each session will require preparatory reading, which symposium class members should be prepared to discuss and engage. The symposium will culminate with a year-end session in June. Symposium graduates will join a distinguished network of alumni who will be invited to an annual alumni event.

Successful applicants must be able to attend in-person symposium sessions in Washington, D.C. in January, March, and June, and must commit to active participation, including appropriate preparation and attendance at all four sessions.

Application Process

Applications will be accepted through 5:00pm ET on December 2, 2022. Submissions should be emailed to David Patel at patel@brandeis.edu with “Symposium Application” and the applicant’s name in the subject line. Applications should include the following:

• Current resume/CV
• Statement of interest (500 words maximum) describing how the applicant will contribute to and benefit from the symposium.
• A reference letter from a current/former supervisor and/or a senior policymaker.

COVID vaccination is required to participate in the symposium.