What do we do

The MENASP network brings together policy makers and academics to advance social policy in the MENA region.

The MENASP network was founded to advance, exchange and disseminate knowledge and policy expertise about social policy in the MENA region. This includes providing:

• Up-to-date policy analysis on the key social challenges facing the region;
• Information on social welfare issues for use by the wider public;
• Resources for policy-makers, practitioners and academics.

The network was founded in 2013 by Dr. Rana Jawad as a way of supporting quality research on crucial social policy issues and bridging the gap between policy-makers, researchers and the wider public. Dr Jawad’s research interests include development policy in the MENA region, social protection and social policy in the MENA region, religion and social welfare action, and social movements.

Alongside Dr. Rana Jawad the network consists of a core group of globally based academic experts: Hicham Aitmansour, Ghada Barsoum, Anis Ben Brik, Walid Merouani, Nassar Yassin, Ibrahim Hawarin, Elie Mekhael and Markus Loewe.

Together, their research addresses such themes as pension reform in the Middle East, youth unemployment in Egypt, child poverty in North Africa and humanitarianism in Lebanon and social assistance in Jordan, among many other issues.

The Bi-Annual MENASP Network Conference

Since 2013 the network has hosted a bi-annual conference attended by leading international academics, policymakers and practitioners.
It engages with cutting edge research and policy developments in the field of MENA social policy.

Previous co-hosts have included the German Development Institute (DIE) in Bonn and themes have included poverty measurement, gender policy, social cohesion and the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis.

The UNICEF Database

The MENASP network hosts a one of a kind, publicly available online searchable database of social policy expertise on MENA social policy.
It allows those interested in social policy issues in the MENA region to connect with experts and specialists in their field.

The database was created in collaboration with the Institute for Mathematical Innovation at the University of Bath and was commissioned by UNICEF (Jordan).

Our Partners

This network website has been developed through a partnership between Bath University and British Council and made possible in part by funding from Friends of the British Council USA Inc. through a grant from Carnegie Corporations of New York.

The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of MENASP.