Ala’ Alrababa’h graduated from Pearson UWC in Victoria, Canada. At Pearson, he was awarded the Davis International Scholar Award. Before Pearson, Ala’ attended Jubilee School in Jordan, where he lived for 17 years. Last summer, Ala’ worked as a Davis Fellow at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California. During his internship, Ala’ researched, presented, and published on a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Z one in the Middle East. Ala’ also participated in a workshop at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico during his internship. At Dartmouth, Ala' became a War and Peace Fellow, and joined the other fellows on their trips to Washington D.C. Ala' conducted

research for Dartmouth Professors Anne Sa’adah and Daryl Press. Currently, Ala' is a James O. Friedman Presidential Scholar in Government. After graduating, Ala’ plans to attend a PhD program in International Security. Ala’ was funded by the Rockefeller Center for a Summer 2013 internship, with generous support from the Mr. E. John Rosenwald Jr. ’52 Public Affairs Internship Fund. Executive Summary from Ala’s final report: In the summer of 2013, I interned as a research assistant at the Middle East Institute (MEI). The

organization, founded in 1946, is the oldest Washington-based institution dedicated solely to the study of the Middle East. Its founders, scholar George Camp Keiser and former US Secretary of State Christian Herter, laid out a simple mandate: “to increase knowledge of the Middle East among the citizens of the United States and to promote a better understanding between the people of these two areas.” MEI has earned a reputation as an unbiased source of information and analysis on this critical region of the world, a reputation it has meticulously

safeguarded since its creation. Today, MEI remains a respected, non-partisan voice in the field of Middle East studies.

“I want to thank Mr. E. John Rosenwald Jr. ’52 and the Rockefeller Center for an

amazing and life-changing off term experience. I have

rediscovered myself with a new sense of passion in my

work and my goals.”

[MR. E. JOHN ROSENWALD JR. ’52 PUBLIC AFFAIRS FUND INTERN PROFILE]

My work at MEI consisted of several tasks. First, I conducted research on civilian opposition and civil society inside Syria. After I produced an extensive report, I had the opportunity to brief the State Department on the subject. Second, I published regularly on the blog, peacefare.net. One of my important pieces on the blog is an interview I conducted with Marwan Muasher, former Jordanian ambassador, minister, and deputy prime minister. The interview caused a controversy in Jordanian media, and the Jordanian parliament responded to some of Muasher’s comments during the interview. Finally, I reviewed an upcoming book by Dr. Serwer on civilian tools of defense and diplomacy. My summer internship has reinforced my approach to academic work. My research of Syrian civil society groups has taught me that I should be creative. Untraditional methods like the use of facebook and twitter can be particularly informative. In addition, it taught me the importance of asking for help. The Syrian activist I talked to had deep knowledge of these organizations and he provided immense help. Finally, I decided to use the connections I made for my thesis. Thus, I interviewed Middle Eastern politicians and journalists in Washington D.C. for my senior thesis in government at Dartmouth. I will continue to use the network I made for my thesis throughout the year.

Ala' Alrababa'h ’14 with former Bahraini Member of Parliament and activist Matar Ibrahim.

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