http://www.mei.edu/

Middle East Institute

About Middle East Institute

Founded in 1946, the Middle East Institute 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.

MEI offers an array of internship opportunities that engage a wide range of professional interests and talents. On a given day, Dr. Paul Salem's research assistant might conduct open-source news analysis of extremist and moderate Syrian groups on Twitter and YouTube, while our Programs and Communications interns might organize and help host a panel to discuss cultural racketeering and antiquities theft in Iraq and Egypt. With over 20 intern positions across 7 different departments, we have a variety of internships that attract a very diverse pool of interns. Although our internships are unpaid, MEI works to ensure that its interns are compensated for their contributions. We offer a free language class, a SmarTrip card reloaded with $100 each month, a year-long online subscription to the Middle East Journal, and a series of talks, the Intern Development Series, exclusively dedicated to advancing our interns' professional lives and their knowledge of the region.

Reviews

Research Assistant

May 2020 - August 2020 Washington, DC
“Fast paced environment with dynamic work environment”

Digital Publications Intern

May 2021 - August 2021 Washington, DC
“I learned so much over the course of the internship. From researching current events for daily briefings and podcasts to editing policy and opinion pieces to attending various events, there were always plentiful opportunities to learn new things. I did not have official editing experience beforehand, but I was able to learn quickly because of the helpful feedback I received at regular check-ins. Also, the MEI staff and fellow interns I interacted with were always friendly and helpful.”
See All