New Organizational Name and Website

As you know, a group of young Princeton alumni came together in 2011 to found a post-graduation fellowship organization that would enable graduates of Princeton and other universities to live and work in the Middle East and North Africa for a year. Originally operating under the name “Princeton in the Middle East” and with administrative support from Princeton in Africa, we placed our first fellow (Tal Eisenzweig, Princeton Class of 2012) in Morocco during the 2012-2013 year.

In order to better reflect the fact that we are not affiliated with Princeton University, we have recently changed our name to the Middle East and North Africa Regional (MENAR) Fellowship Program, and we plan to register as an independent 501(c)3 organization in the coming months. The word “menar” means “illuminated” in Arabic, and reflects our goal of opening the door for insight into the region’s cultures and promoting cross-cultural exchange.

Despite no longer having the word Princeton in our name, we remain inspired by the other “Princeton in” organizations (Princeton in Asia, Princeton in Africa, and Princeton in Latin America) and we continue to draw on the extensive Princeton alumni network to facilitate placements and support fellows. Our fellowship opportunities are open to top graduates of all U.S. universities.

The MENAR Fellowship Program is proud to announce that its second fellowship position is currently underway. Rachel Webb, Princeton Class of 2014, began her fellowship in August 2014 with Endeavor in Dubai. We look forward to sharing updates from her experience with you in the near future. In addition, applications for 2015-2016 fellowship positions will be accepted beginning in October.