Since 1972, the MESC program has had 321 graduates: 171 with a bachelor’s degree, 133 with a master’s and 17 with the 1-year diploma. (as of October 2006)
MES graduates come from 39 countries of the world. The country represented most is Egypt, being the birthplace of 47% of all alumni.
The majority of MES alumni are women. Overall, they make up 60% of all MES graduates. In the 1970s, women outnumbered men by a ratio of 4:1.
The most frequent first name for female graduates is Mona, with six hits. For males, Ahmeds and Mohameds are a tie with 5 each.
We have alumni from Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, England, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mozambique, Niger, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, and Yemen.
Hanan Thabet
MA 2002
Current Job: Program Officer at the Institute of International Education (headquartered in New York). Hanan is managing a newly launched scholarship program for the Libyan Waha Oil Company.
Recent Career Accomplishments: In May 2006 Hanan completed her MA in Near Studies at New York University, where she was awarded the Foreign Language and Areas Studies Fellowship (FLAS).
Jack Montgomery
MA 1994
Current Job: Jack is currently based in Dubai, working as a consultant in sales and marketing for the FMCG sector and looking for new regional opportunities.
Recent Career Accomplishments: Since graduation, Jack has worked for multinational organizations throughout the Middle East, including 4 years in Saudi Arabia, 2 years in Bahrain, and almost 10 years in Dubai, where he currently resides.
Other Information: Despite having lived in numerous Middle Eastern cities, Jack still believes that Cairo is "the best city in the Middle East." He is still in touch with friends from AUC in 1992/1994. These include Betsy Crook (now in Riyadh), Peter Ilyck (still in Cairo), John Speaks (in Venezuela), Burr Gavin (in Dubai) and Garrett Dorer (Jerusalem).
Safinaz El Tarouty
MA 2005
Current Job: Staff Researcher at Partners in Development (PID), an Egyptian Think Tank. Safinaz also works as a part-time teaching assistant at the British University in Egypt.
Recent Career accomplishments: Safinaz is a Ph.D. candidate at Cairo University in Economics and Political Science. Her dissertation examines Mubarak's ministerial elite. She also co-authored an article titled "Intraparty competition and Transformation in Egypt's National Democratic Party" that will be published in May.
Joachim Smend
Graduate Diploma 2003
Current Job: Working in the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Recent Career accomplishments: Joachim joined the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology last year after having completed internships at the European Parliament and the European Commission (where he served in the unit responsible for the Barcelona Process) and after having worked for a business federation for two years.
Alya'a Samir Borhan
MA 1998
Current Job: Working as a second Secretary in the Egyptian Embassy in Oslo, Norway.
Recent Career accomplishments: Alya'a hold an MPhil in Economic Development from Glasgow University in the UK (2001) and is finishing a PhD thesis in Economics at Jawahar Lal Nehru University in New Delhi
Personal Update: Alya’a is married and has a three-year-old daughter, Noorjahan.
Other information: Alya'a is glad to hear about the thesis option for MA students and feels the process will benefit students in their continuing academic careers.
Hoda Osman
MA
Current Job: Works as a journalist/field producer for ABC News in New York. Also serves as vice president of the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalist Association (AMEJA).
Recent Career accomplishments: Hoda joined the ABC News Investigative Unit in New York in May 2003. She writes regularly for abcnews.com covering stories related to the Middle East, the Iraq War, and terrorism.
Personal Update: Hoda is married to Karim Baghdady and has two children: two year-old Yazan and eight month-old Malaka.
Nihal Faisal Kana'an
Jordan, BA 1990
Personal Update: Married to Sami Hidayah, Managing Director of an Advertising Agency in Amman, Jordan. Nihal has 2 daughters: Tala - 9 years old and Nadine - 4 years old.
Recent Professional Accomplishments: Worked with UN organizations, based in Amman, from 1992 till 2002 on development projects aiming at creating job opportunities, primarily, for women and the underpriviledged. Since 2003 till now, working as a Project Coordinator and Project Manager with UN organizations implementing projects for and in Iraq, mainly in the Governance and Poverty Sectors.
Ghada Howaidy
Egypt, MA 1991
Current Job: Director of International Relations at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Egypt.
Personal Updates: Lives in Mokattam with husband Dr. Mamdouh El Halawany and 3 year old daughter Alia.
Khalid W. Abdalla
Sudan, MA 1997
Current Job: Works for Sheraton Middle East at Abu Dhabi Golf Club By Sheraton; a members' only stand-alone golfing resort in Abu Dhabi, has been working with them as the Credit Manager for the past 6 years, after working for the Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel in Abu Dhabi for 3 years.
Alya'a Borhan
Egypt, MA 1998
Current Job: Working as a diplomat in the Egyptian Embassy in Oslo-Norway
Personal Updates: Married with one daughter who is 3 years old.
Recent professional accomplishments: Currently finishing a PhD thesis in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University- India.
Nelly El-Zayat
Egypt, MA 2000
Current Job: Associate Director of Admissions, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
Personal Updates: Married to Alsherif Wahdan since May 2004. Alsherif is the Project Controls Engineer of The Pearl-Qatar, one of the largest construction developments in the world.
Chotika Suwanwatana
Thailand, BA 2005
Academic Update: Master of Studies student at Oxford University, Faculty of Oriental Studies, majoring in Modern Middle Eastern Studies. This term pursuing History of the Middle East 1860-1958.
Personal Update: Trying to decide whether to continue PhD at Oxford or go back to work as a diplomat for Thailand.
Ruth Marit Vatne
Norway, MA 2005
Middle East Studies and Graduate Diploma, Political Science
Current Job: Works as a senior executive officer/secretary for the Bishop of Oslo, Church of Norway.
Personal Updates: Married Moody Shafeek from El Minya, Egypt, on 13 August 2005.
Recent professional accomplishments: It is quite interesting to work for this Bishop; he has lived and worked in the Middle East for a decade and is very much involved in religious dialogue and peace building. In May this year Ruth was able to travel with him and a few others to Palestine and Israel for a week, visiting religious and political leaders on every side of the conflict. The perspectives that she gained living and studying in Cairo have come quite handy this past year, especially since cultural and religious tensions have increased even on our peaceful little spot on the planet.
Nattasuda Mettaprasert
Thailand, BA 2005
Academic Update: Currently doing a MA degree in Modern Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University.
Rita J. Verma
United States, MA 2006
Professional Update: Starting a job with the United Nations in New York in November 2006 as a research associate for Central and South Asia.
Hala Rihan-Bonner
MA 1992
Current Job: Assistant Director of International Programs, College of Education, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania - USA
Personal update: Married to Mr. Timothy Bonner, Director of English as Second Language at Lehigh University
Recent professional accomplishments: Just joined one of the fastest growing graduate on-line Master’s and doctoral programs at Lehigh University; beginning doctoral studies in educational leadership.
Va'Shajn Parr
MA 2006
Current Job: English as a Foreign Language instructor in Ulsan, South Korea.
Personal update: Plans to spend a year in South Korea and expects to tour Asia for the next couple years.
Recent professional accomplishments: Intends to apply to a doctoral program in secondary language development and try to found a multilingual simulation center in the States.
Mr. Amr Fathi Al Jowaily
MA 1993
Current Job: First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Personal update: Married with 2 children (daughter Hayat, 8, and son Nour, 5).
Recent professional accomplishments: Served at Egypt's Embassy to Washington (1996-2001), in the Multilateral and International Economic Relations Sectors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during 1994-1996 and 2001-2003, respectively. Also, was seconded as Coordinator for International Relations of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.