Holding a graduate degree from CMRS made my CV look stronger, now I have recently joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and I have been selected for many resettlement and protection professional rosters. I have also decided to engage myself further in my graduate education by pursuing a master's degree in migration from CMRS.
In June 2011, I was awarded my master's degree in migration and refugee studies from The American University in Cairo. The Center for Migration and Refugee Studies appealed to me, as migration and refugee studies have become an issue of global importance, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region. While studying, I worked for three consecutive semesters at CMRS as a teaching and research assistant. This was an invaluable working experience that gave me the opportunity to conduct additional research in a conducive environment.
I attained the graduate diploma in February 2006 and gladly returned three years later once the AUC established a full master's program in the field. I believe that my research throughout the program has helped me develop a far deeper understanding of the reasons leading up to the Egyptian revolution and I have been working as a freelance researcher in this field ever since. The programs provided by CMRS have enhanced both my intellectual and practical skills at the caliber to which I had been accustomed in my undergraduate studies and therefore, I recommend the program wholeheartedly.
Graduating from the diploma program in 2009 increased my knowledge base about refugee issues and provided a credentialed specialty in social work. As I am told, what attracted the organization to my resume was the combination of international experience at refugee agencies in Cairo ( and having a management background. Also, having both an academic background in addition to grounded experience is crucial in this job market.
I am a medical doctor by background and have worked with refugees, IDPs, and immigrants throughout my career in Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Liberia, Somalia, Yemen, and Canada. Earning a graduate diploma in refugee studies and a master's in migration and refugee studies at CMRS has given me a long career with United Nations agencies and solid research knowledge and practice. The fact that the center is situated in Egypt, at the highest-ranking University, gives it a unique position to provide up-to-date information on migration and refugee issues in Africa and the Middle East. Returning to CMRS has always felt like a homecoming. The center also has a unique collection of Grey Literature for interested scholars. I highly recommend this program!