The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University (MDC) has long served as an incubator of excellence for outstanding future thought leaders both in Israel and internationally.
The MDC provides critical material, technical, and administrative support and mentorship to outstanding and carefully selected doctoral candidates and post-doctorates. Support given includes tuition and subsistence scholarships and stipends, the grant of a dedicated workspace, professional staff support (computing, printing, editing / translation, and archival services), and the financial support necessary to facilitate the achievement of crucial career milestones, such as publication of their research in peer-reviewed journals and participation in international academic and professional conferences.
Experienced MDC researchers personally guide junior fellows through all stages of their early academic careers – from proposal acceptance to dissertation submission and beyond. Frequently, junior research fellows are able to use the Center as a launching pad to ‘make a name for themselves’ at a comparatively early stage, not only in the academic realm but also as public experts in their own right.
Graduates of our junior researcher fellowship programs possess a deep knowledge of the contemporary Middle East and Africa, and a deep appreciation of Israeli society, culture, and the challenges that Israel faces within its dynamic and increasingly volatile regional neighborhood. Many go on to build promising academic careers, while others pursue positions in government, the military, the media, the non-profit sector, or private industry.
Investing in these individuals represents an investment in Israel’s most valuable natural resource: the young men and women who will be able to guide Israel in the coming decades to face the significant challenges and opportunities presented by the complex regional reality.