The Leaders for Democracy Fellowship Arabic Program will provide mid-career democratic reform leaders between the ages of 25 and 40, from across the Middle East and North Africa, the opportunity to complete both an academic coursework and a skill-building internship in a field of their choice at a governmental or non-governmental organization in Beirut.
Funded by the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), subcontracted by Syracuse University (SU), and coordinated by LAU’s University Enterprise Office, the Program seeks to 1) Brief the fellows on the nature of the program and where it sets within the MEPI, the Near East Asia office, and the broader objectives of the US government, 2) Allow the fellows to become acquainted with the LAU campus and Beirut, 3) Introduce the key learning objectives and activities associated with the program, and 4) Establish expectations for fellows in the program and how they will interact.
The Program will begin on February 2015 with a formal orientation session. Twenty fellows from across the MENA region will be selected by MEPI to join the program. Upon arrival in Beirut, the follows will be hosted in a hotel next to the Beirut campus and complete the academic coursework at LAU Beirut campus. All aspects of this component will be conducted in Arabic.
The academic component will focus upon four primary subject headings: 1) Comparative Politics and the Development of Democratic Institutions; 2) Leading and Managing the Democratic State; 3) Citizenship, Private Action, and Private Enterprise; and 4) Diversity and Inclusion of Groups in Democratic Institutions. The academic curriculum employs a variety of pedagogical techniques, such as; lectures, faculty led simulations, facilitated discussions, skill- building exercises, self-assessment exercises, and site visits. There is roughly one week allocated for each of these four topics.
The Practical Training internship component is meant to be an extension of the learning experience that begins with the academic program. Internships are a critical component of the LDF Program as they allow the participants to apply theory gained in learning sessions, develop an area of expertise, engage with the broad range of professionals in a work setting, and acquire a deep understanding of how institutions work in a democratic society. There is roughly six weeks allocated for the internship component.