There are several different programs and opportunities through which young professionals can go abroad, but few can match both the intensity and caliber of speakers and experiences that the Gabr fellowship provides. In a whirlwind ten days, we sat face-to-face with high-level professionals like the Chairman of Egypt's Foreign Relations Committee, the President of the American University of Cairo, the country's most well-known venture capitalist, and even Egypt's current foreign minister. We also got to see many parts of Egypt itself: we rode camels and ate lunch next to the pyramids, toured churches and mosques, stood in the new Egyptian parliament room and rode a yacht down the Suez canal. These sunup to sundown experiences were often draining, but they truly presented an unparalleled opportunity to quickly get up to speed on the country that plays perhaps the most pivotal economic, cultural and geographic role in many middle eastern policies and debates. Finally, the American and Egyptian fellows were all highly intelligent, inquisitive and motivated to not only engage in the wide variety of issues and topics we discussed, but to engage with one another and quickly become a loving, highly cohesive community. I'd highly recommend the fellowship for anyone who is excited by the potential of international travel and cross-cultural relations.
