Ideas
In addition to CMED's current activities, the Center continues to develop many new ideas for promoting development in the Middle East. These include:
- Opening an independent sister office in Athens, Greece to serve as a clearinghouse for businesses in the Middle East. The office would faciliate business cooperation and economic integration within the region and also between the Middle East and its global partners, furthering regional security and cooperation.
- Establishing a Next Mideast Generation taskforce that will provide the network, knowledge and skills necessary for the next generation of leaders to truly advance regional security and cooperation.
- Starting a fellowship program to award funding to a select number of University of California doctoral candidates who are pursuing research relevent to countries in the Middle East. Fellows will be leading, new researchers who have shown outstanding intellectual promise and whose work has the potential to make a significant contribution to these countries' social, technological and economic interests.
- Creating a Track II taskforce to create a strong regional network of leaders committed to a common vision. This June, in a much-publicized address from Cairo, President Barack Obama focused his message on what he termed "common aspirations"-the universal desire for peace and security, education and employment, and family and community. Translating these common aspirations into reality will require engaging the political, social and economic leaders who support this vision. Based on a shared desire to isolate violent extremism and promote regional reform, taskforce participants will develop a collective approach to security and development.
- Offering UCLA-based executive seminars for specific participants to enhance skills and knowledge related to law, business, civil society and education.
