Policy People Podcast: Diversifying Middle East Policy with Merissa Khurma

Welcome to the Policy People Podcast. In this conversation, I explore the changing dynamics of the Middle East and the role of US policy in the region with Merissa Khurma. We discuss US leadership amid the recent conflict between Israel and Palestine, whether the US should withdraw from the region, the Four Arab Worlds theory, the role of Program Director within a DC think tank, the economic causes of extremism in the MENA region, obstacles to women’s participation in the region and imbalances in the labor market, the relative importance between asset inheritance and education levels for political participation, the ongoing waves of change that have followed the Arab Spring, the importance of diverse leadership in area studies programs and many more topics.You can listen to the episode right away in the audio player embedded above, or right below it you can click “Listen in podcast app” — which will connect you to the show’s feed. Alternatively, you can click the icons below to listen to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you enjoy this conversation and would like to help the show, sharing this episode’s LinkedIn post is the easiest way to do so. I will personally thank you for sharing at the start of the next episode.Thank you to Hosoon Choi,  Manuel Zehr and Formosan Business Support for sharing our last episode.Merissa Khurma is the Director of the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. Merissa is a expert on Middle East affairs and has also worked on projects in the MENA region relating to workforce development, youth and women empowerment, fiscal reform, governance and the Syrian refugee crisis. Originally from Jordan, Merissa previously served as both Director of the Office of HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Director of the Information Bureau at the Embassy of Jordan in Washington DC and was also a non-resident fellow at New America think tank where she developed a digital storytelling platform for Middle Eastern communities in America. You can discover the work of the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program at wilsoncenter.org/program/middle-east-program. You can also connect with Merissa on LinkedIn or follow her Program’s account on Twitter at the handle @WilsonCenterMEP. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit policypeople.substack.com