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Lutfia Rabbani Foundation Activities 2013

During the past year the Foundation has expanded its activities in order to further its objective namely to promote Euro-Arab relations and understanding through education and cultural exchange.

wehave been able to support over fifty students in furthering their educational ambitions. This support was realised not only through the various scholarship programmes that the Foundation offers to both Dutch and Arab students throughout the MENA region (please refer to www.rabbanifoundation.org/scholarships) but also through dialogue activities and cooperation with other institutions enabling the Foundation to bring people from different backgrounds together in the most efficient and effective manner.

Activities implemented in 2012 – 2013 include:

  • Over 20 scholarships were granted through the various scholarship programmes (various scholar narratives are available on our website):
    • The Mahmoud Rabbani Scholarship – a fully financed Master or Phd. Scholarship at a Dutch university or other institute for higher learning;
    • The Vreede Scholarship for International Law – for Arab students in international law, offered at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
    • The Travel Scholarship – offered to Dutch Students and professionals seeking experience in the Arab World.
  • In April of this year, in cooperation with the Centre of Humanities of the University of Utrecht, the Foundation organised the first Edward Said Study Week as part of the activities of the 300 year Treaty of Utrecht Celebration. Twenty outstanding students were selected by the Foundation (ten Palestinian and ten Dutch) and these students were brought to Utrecht and matched in order to facilitate the exchange element that is critical to the Foundation’s scholarship programme. The study week focused on the role of culture in diplomacy and the use of art and dialogue in conflict resolution while paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the death of leading Palestinian-American intellectual and advocate, Prof. Edward Said (for the student’s experiences in their own words please click on the following link: www.rabbanifoundation.org/event-detail/edward-said-memorial-conference).
  • Organizing a Round Table Dialogue led by H.E. Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Secretary General of the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the topic The Regional Role of Oman and its impact on Netherlands – Omani Relations. Approximately thirty-five individuals from the private, public and education sectors participated in this informal dialogue.
  • Organizing a Round Table Dialogue led by H.E. Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Secretary General of the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the topic The Regional Role of Oman and its impact on Netherlands – Omani Relations. Approximately thirty-five individuals from the private, public and education sectors participated in this informal dialogue.
  • Sponsoring the first Palestinian Team at the ICLN ICC Trial competition held in May of this year. This competition presented an opportunity for universities to participate in moot court trials that simulate the proceedings of the International Criminal Court and encourages students to develop their skills in this regard.
  • At the request of the Omani Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Foundation invited 15 starting Omani entrepreneurs to The Netherlands and organized workshops and entrepreneurial training programmes.
  • The Lutfia Rabbani Foundation has expanded its cooperation with and sponsorship of the Nour programme which is part of the global AISEC student association and sends 20-30 Dutch students to the Arab World per annum for summer internships.
  • After the relaunch of The Arab European University Association in 2011 (an initiative of the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation) together with the University of Groningen and the Arab University Association in Amman, activities are currently being developed to organize workshops within universities and to organize dedicated university visits between the MENA region and Europe by university professors and managers.

In order to build on the Foundations’ various activities, both in terms of quality as well as quantity (i.e., support more students and exchange thereby promoting understanding), the Foundation is very pleased to have appointed a new director who will officially begin her function in the new year, Ms. Joumana El Zein Khoury. Joumana comes from the Prince Claus Fund where she currently is the Programme Coordinator for Grants and Collaborations. The Foundation is extremely pleased to welcome Ms. El Zein Khoury on board.