As you may have noticed, our newsletter has an exciting new look and design. Please do not be alarmed; this is still your MENASP network. We are looking for your input and participation more than ever. The website and branding for MENA social policy has recently received an upgrade thanks to the efforts of the University of Bath team, our trusted web designer, and the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation. We are still in the process of migrating content from the old University of Bath platform to our new site. Please excuse the digital construction for the next few months.
Our goal is to launch new ways for you to keep in touch with each other, promote your research and events, as well as access content and analysis related to social policy. We are happy to announce that our Twitter account (@MENASP1) and LinkedIn profile (MENA Social Policy Network) are now live, so please include us in your social policy conversations. We will also be on Facebook in the coming weeks, so please connect with us there as well. Please also check out our new website and provide us with any comments or feedback that you have about the layout or design.
Speaking of participation, have you submitted an abstract to the 4th MENASP network conference? The University of Bath team is working with the American University in Cairo and the British Council to plan a memorable knowledge exchange event in Cairo. We are happy to announce that distinguished scholars Melani Cammett (Harvard University) and Nita Rudra (Georgetown University) will give the conference keynote speeches. If you have not already, please review the call for papers and submit your abstract before the June 30th deadline. Please direct any queries about the conference to menasp_network@bath.ac.uk. We look forward to seeing you in Cairo in October.
The look and feel of the MENA social policy network may be changing, but our values aren’t. We remain dedicated to building a community of social policy expertise in the region that has a positive impact on the well-being of everyone in the region, including the most vulnerable. We believe that high quality research and equitable policy-making must work together to address the challenges facing our region. We are here to support you in your efforts to that end, now more than ever.
This is your network. Let us hear from you.
Rana Jawad, network convener