Initiative for Middle East Youth

RAND’s Initiative for Middle East Youth (IMEY) seeks to better understand and address the complex challenges facing the large youth population in the Middle East today. IMEY supports research and initiatives that focus on a range of socio-economic issues, particularly youth unemployment and education. With better knowledge of the forces shaping the attitudes, aspirations, and behavior of the region’s youth, as well as the constraints and challenges they face, we look for practical ways to improve their well-being and increase opportunities for their future.

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  The Private Sector and Youth Employment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

  Disadvantaged youth require more training to achieve job skills than other youth—just one obstacle to solving the global problem of youth unemployment. There are, however, options for successful public-private partnerships that support training and employment.

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  Family Is Greatest Factor That Causes Youth to Reject Violent Extremism

  Family influence is more important than peer groups in dampening a young person's propensity toward becoming a terrorist. Policies aimed at undermining radicalization should include teaching parents how to discuss detrimental messages on social media, as well as building programs to strengthen families' influence on youth and ties to communities.

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  Youth in Jordan: Transitions from Education to Employment

  Despite Jordan's strong economic growth during the last decade, youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, as graduates don't possess the skills necessary for their desired professions. Many young women in Jordan have career aspirations but face a number of obstacles. However, numerous policy reforms could turn the tide.

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  How Kurdistan Can Improve Access to Quality Education

  There are many ways to strengthen ongoing education reform in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: build new schools, improve teacher training, expand opportunities for high-performing students, redesign the teacher evaluation system, reward high-performing schools, involve parents and the public in promoting education, and more.

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  How Moroccan Parents View Child Development and Their Role in Education

  A small-scale study of Moroccan parents with young children reveals a belief that children's experiences in their first years of life do not affect long-term intellectual development or school success. Results suggest that moms and dads need to understand their role as their child's first educators.

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  Predicting Child Development Knowledge and Engagement of Moroccan Parents

  The general view that teaching and learning in the first years are unimportant may help to explain the relatively poor academic performance of Moroccan children later in life. Educating the public regarding the importance of early-years development could help inform parents and policymakers.

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  Muslim Brotherhood Challenged by Generational Divides

  The Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic political movement that headed the national government in Egypt until its ouster in the summer of 2013, faced a generational divide that posed significant challenges to the group as it worked to extend its role in Egyptian society.