Duke Undergraduate Working Group on MENA

More that 35 Duke undergraduate students spent their 2017 summer vacation studying or volunteering in the Middle East and North African (MENA). Josh Curtis and Bryan Rusch will lead a roundtable discussion with six students who participated in DukeEngage in Lebanon, and Duke in the Arab World (Morocco) in the summer of 2017. Moderated discussion will include topics such as: classroom study vs. real-life experience, the people of MENA, cultural encounters, food, and lessons upon returning home. These rich and diverse experiences make Duke a unique hub of learning and engagement in the affairs of the MENA region.

Bryan Rusch is a sophomore majoring in Mechanical Engineering and International Comparative Studies with a focus in the Middle East. Rusch was part of the Middle East and Islam in the Global Context Focus group his freshman year, and participated in Duke in the Arab World this past summer. He plans on continuing his engagement with the region his entire life, and is hoping to work in the region after college.

Josh Curtis is a junior studying Economics and Arabic. Curtis spent every college summer at Duke in the Middle East as he aspired to devote his life to working in the region. Josh is the co-president of J Street U Duke, an Israel/Palestine advocacy group on campus, and a former senator in Duke Student Government.