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Sciences Po and the Middle East & North Africa

Sciences Po has particularly strong ties to the vast region stretching from North Africa to Iran. This is reflected in a large number of university exchange partnerships, and in a rich research output: with around 20 researchers specialising in the region, Sciences Po is one of the leading European universities for Middle Eastern and North African Studies.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is also home to the largest network of French and French-speaking lycées in the world. Sciences Po has a very active outreach policy aimed at these schools specifically, as well as at English-speaking schools and major universities.

16 nationalities in the MENA region are represented within our student body (excluding executive programmes), while Sciences Po very frequently rates as the most popular exchange destination in France and Europe for students at our partner universities.

Section #partenaires

Sciences Po's partners in the Middle East and North Africa

The MENA region boasts a particularly diverse range of universities and programmes, with a number of multidisciplinary universities and business schools offering courses in English, French, Turkish, Arabic and Hebrew. Intensive language courses in Arabic and Hebrew are also available for students interested in working or conducting research in the region, or who are preparing for civil service recruitment examinations.

Sciences Po has established partnerships with 31 universities, in 11 countries throughout the region: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. These partnerships are principally focused on facilitating exchange programmes for students, researchers and professors.

Among its partners, Sciences Po has developed especially dynamic relationships with certain universities, including Université Mohammed 6 Polytechnique (UM6P) in Morocco, the American University of Cairo in Egypt, the American University of Beirut and Université Saint-Joseph in Lebanon, Al Quds University in Palestine, Tel Aviv University in Israel, Bogazici University in Turkey, the Doha Institute in Qatar, and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in the United Arab Emirates.

The popularity of the MENA region as an exchange destination for our students increases steadily year on year. Almost 140 Sciences Po undergraduate and Master’s students opt to study in the region annually, the majority in Egypt, Israel and Turkey.   

Academic programmes relating to the Middle East and North Africa

Several of Sciences Po’s academic programmes focus on the MENA region. 

Research

Our research into countries of the region is particularly dynamic, with around 20 members of our permanent faculty working within Middle Eastern and North African Studies. These researchers are primarily based at the School of Research and the Centre for International Studies.

Sciences Po also participates in visiting professorship schemes with two universities in the Gulf region: Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in the United Arab Emirates and the Doha Institute in Qatar.

Finally, Sciences Po supports doctoral research into the region through Erasmus+ grants for fieldwork in Egypt and Lebanon.

Executive Education

With the help of region-specific resources, Sciences Po Executive Education has developed a range of programmes aimed at public and private sector leaders, managers and executives in the MENA region:

Strategic Projects

The Erasmus+ mobility programme is a strategic tool ensuring all students have equal access to study and internship opportunities abroad, which is a strategic priority for Sciences Po. Every year, as determined by the grants available, Sciences Po issues Erasmus+ funding to students (at undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD level) and professors who have chosen to study or work in the MENA region.

A large number of Erasmus+ grants are also allocated to incoming exchange students and professors from our partner universities in the MENA region (Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq).

Every year, two Sciences Po students (of each gender) take part in the International Summer University for Intercultural Leadership on campus at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. This annual programme, sponsored by UNESCO, is coordinated by the Paris-based NGO.

Find out more about Project Aladdin.

There is a vast range of student associations relating to the Middle East and Africa at Sciences Po. They organise a wide variety of events and activities, from conferences and international negotiation simulations to field trips and arts or cultural activities.

Last but not least, our network of alumni from or interested in the MENA region is equally diverse. It is divided into different circles and national branches: the Franco-Tunisian Circlethe Mediterranean and Middle East CircleAlgerianUAELebaneseMoroccan and Turkish national branches.

Key figures

  • 31

    University partnerships

  • 700

    students from the MENA region at Sciences Po every year

  • 140

    Sciences Po students studying abroad and 140 on an internship in the region every year

  • 5%

    of recent Sciences Po graduates employed abroad work in the MENA region

Find out more