The Leadership Development Program
Internships at the Middle East Institute (MEI) are designed to provide students or recent graduates considering a career in a Middle East related field with hands-on experience in a Washington-based, nonprofit organization that focuses exclusively on the Middle East. Interns obtain guidance, experience, and exposure to the Washington policy and scholarly community while helping out with the everyday operations of the Middle East Institute. Although there is no financial compensation for interns, MEI does offer each intern one free language class, a one-year membership to MEI, and reimbursement for local travel expenses.

The Intern Development Series
The goal of the Intern Development Series is to foster discussion about the Middle East while allowing interns to assert, and improve, their leadership skills by meeting weekly with a MEI visiting scholar or specialist. Interns are encouraged to play a management role in this series and are expected to devise specific topics for scholars to discuss and then to organize the logistics of the event. Interns are also expected, compile background reading, and even lead discussions with the scholars.

Internship Details
Internships are available throughout the year to undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students. Positions are available on a full or part-time basis with a minimum of 20 hours a week. The dates of internships correspond to the fall, spring, and, summer academic semesters.

The deadlines for applications are:

Spring internship: November 15

Summer Internship: March 15

Fall internship: July 15

Internships are available in the following departments:

Programs department interns help research, plan, and administer lectures, performances, conferences, exhibits, language courses, and outreach materials.

The Middle East Journal/Publications interns draft annotations of books for publication in the Journal, help to compile the Journal's "Bibliography of Periodical Literature," assist in research for the Journal's "Chronology," and help editors copyedit articles, press releases, and all other publications.

Development interns participate in prospect research on corporate and foundation donors as well as writing letters to and making calls to MEI supporters.

Communications interns help edit scholars'commentaries, write items for the members' newsletter, produce MEI promotional mailings, research outreach programs, compile and maintain media lists, monitor the press and other special projects.

Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center interns help research, plan, and administer lectures, performances, exhibits, and outreach and educational materials about Oman and the Gulf countries.

Research: There are a limited number of positions doing research with MEI scholars-in-residence.

All interns participate in the planning and execution of the annual conference. Interns will also have the opportunity to complete write-ups of policy events for mass distribution via email and for the MEI website.

To apply for an internship, please send a cover letter, résumé, official college transcript, five-page writing sample, and a letter of recommendation to the address below. Interested applicants from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply; however, preference will be given to those applicants with superior writing, organization, word-processing, and Middle Eastern/European language skills.

Please send your application materials to:

Naomi S. Stone
Internship Coordinator
The Middle East Institute
1761 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036-2882

If you have additional questions, please refer them to internships@mideasti.org.