Ramez G. Chagoury Faculty of Architecture, Arts and Design (RC-FAAD) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) fourth-year Architecture #NDUer Maria Rajha has been selected to join a training program organized by the “Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Program.”
Following several selection phases to choose 10 Lebanese students, Rajha succeeded and is now preparing to join the rigorous U.S. government-funded program that is expected to last from late June till early August 2018. Students will be taught how develop their capabilities while giving them to the opportunity to explore the United States. The benefits include academic residency that covers topics, such as comparative analysis of leadership styles, conflict resolution, consensus-building, group dynamics, individual and collective problem-solving, the role of civil society, public speaking, and job-seeking skills. Additionally, the program will include coursework as well as field visits to complement and reinforce the concepts explored in the training.
About the Student Leaders Program:
The Student Leaders program is an intensive 5-week training program in four U.S.-based universities for about 60 undergraduate and graduate students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Students learn about leadership, civil society, and government processes, and are taught how to apply these newly-acquired skills in their home countries. This program also offers outstanding undergraduate and graduate students from across the MENA region an intensive leadership training course. Students attend U.S. academic institutions where they develop leadership skills and expand their understanding of civil society and participatory governance and how both may be applied in their home communities.