CAIRO: Yousef Jameel, a prominent Saudi Arabia business leader, philanthropist, long-time supporter and devoted alumnus of The American University in Cairo, has established the Yousef Jameel School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) Public Leadership Fund supporting 300 fellows in 12 cohorts of 25 Egyptian graduate students per year. “I have always believed that investing in education and in our youth is the way forward,” said Jameel. “The American University in Cairo, my alma mater, is a proven leader in providing the kind of liberal arts education that equips graduates with the critical-thinking skills and broad knowledge they need to compete and excel in today's globalized world.” The Yousef Jameel GAPP Public Leadership Fund addresses a growing need to develop a cadre of highly skilled Egyptian professionals in the areas of public policy and administration, journalism, advocacy and law. Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, dean of GAPP said that this initiative provides an extraordinary opportunity to train a new generation of Egyptian leaders to serve their country and to shape its future, “The fund is a singular expression of generosity and vision that comes at a time of historic transition in the Arab world. It is testimony to the widespread recognition of the importance of developing new leadership fully committed to good governance and cogent policy making with efficient implementation.” Applicants will be tested by a GAPP screening committee that will include five faculty members representing the different fellowship specializations, as well as members of the Office of Graduate Studies and GAPP administration. The committee will ensure an appropriate balance of AUC and non-AUC graduates. Top applicants will be shortlisted and will be tested by representatives of the Yousef Jameel Foundation. Preference will be given to candidates who have professional experience in public, nonprofit or international development organizations. As part of the screening process, applicants will be required to prepare a statement of interest, explaining why they are applying for this program and how it will help them serve the community and contribute to the development of post-revolution Egypt. The second phase of screening will focus on applicants' values, attitudes, skills, maturity and career advancement. “The initiative provides concrete evidence that GAPP has gained the trust of stakeholders in the public interest and will enable us to raise our efforts to even higher levels by attracting the best and the brightest candidates for our programs across Egypt, even amongst those who would not otherwise have been able to take advantage of all that AUC has to offer,” said Fahmy. In order to ensure diversity among the Jameel Public Leadership Fellows, 60 percent of the fellowships will be granted in public policy and administration programs, 20 percent in law, and another 20 percent in journalism and mass communication. Fellowship recipients will also be at least 50 percent female, 25 percent non-Cairo residents and 25 percent employees at public or nonprofit organizations. Explaining the benefit of this initiative for the University, President Lisa Anderson expressed gratitude to Jameel for his investment in AUC students. “Yousef Jameel, one of our most distinguished alumni, exemplifies so much of what we hope to see in our graduates,” she said. “He is not only a business leader of global reach and high repute, but also a longtime philanthropist who is deeply committed to supporting education, scientific advancement and the development of the next generation of leaders in the region,” she said. Anderson added that this most recent gift will provide opportunities for hundreds of Egyptians to contribute to disciplines within society that are critical building blocks of the new Egypt. “We are honored to have been the recipients of this generous gift and very proud of this show of confidence in AUC and our School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/1VpOK Tags: AUC, Education, Egypt, Fund, Saudi Section: Egypt, Gulf, Latest News, Saudi Arabia
