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 (PDF)

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

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:

Peter B. White
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.