Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC December 16, 2005 Middle East Partnership Initiative Pursues Educational Reform through Two New University PartnershipsThe Department of State is pleased to announce two awards by the Middle East Partnership Initiative for two new University Partnerships between Northern Kentucky University and the United Arab Emirates University and between the University of Connecticut and Menoufia University in Egypt. The new awards total approximately $400,000 and will be fully matched by the American institutions. Working with the Higher Education for Development program and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the growing University Partnerships Program promotes strategic partnerships between U.S. and Arab universities in key areas for the development of democratic and prosperous societies within the region. Each partnership leverages faculty expertise and best practices in order to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Middle East institution in accordance with the purposes of the Middle East Partnership Initiative. The Initiative aims to improve access to, as well as the quality and relevance of, education for young people, particularly girls, so that they can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be informed citizens of democratic societies and effective competitors in modern economies. Fifteen other partnerships have been established. MEPI is a Presidential initiative that supports economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East and expanded opportunity for all people of the region, especially women and youth. More information can be found at: http://MEPI.state.gov. |