The University of Michigan-Dearborn (UMD), Henry Patton Center for Engineering Education and Practice (HP-CEEP), together with its partners the Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, the Arab American Women?s Business Council (AAWBC) and INJAZ al-Arab, would like to present this proposal to design and lead-manage a U.S. Department of State sponsored program to provide fellowship opportunities to young entrepreneurs, NGO leaders and business educators from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The main objective of this program is to expose entrepreneurs, small business owners, private sector development specialists and business educators from the MENA region to best practices in innovation and small business growth in the United States. Participants will increase their understanding of the links between entrepreneurial activity and free markets, as well as the importance of transparency and accountability in business and government through first hand experience in American small businesses and entrepreneurship support organizations. The main goals of the program are the following:
1) To provide participants from eligible countries an opportunity to gain knowledge of U.S.
practices and techniques in their field of expertise, explore governance principles and practices in both public and civil society institutions in the United States, and gain a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, and people;
2) To provide U.S. participants the opportunity to share their professional expertise with counterparts in eligible countries and gain a deeper understanding of the societies, cultures, and people of the participating countries;
3) To promote mutual understanding and lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships between key professionals and organizations in the United States and their counterparts in eligible countries.
As a result of the program, participants from both the U.S. and MENA countries will effect positive change in their workplaces and communities and develop long-term engagement between their home organizations and foreign counterparts.