The Columbia University Middle East Research Center, based in Amman, Jordan, brings together a number of constituencies, ranging from Columbia students and faculty engaged in research at the Center, to local partners, to its advisory board, which provides governance and oversight of the center. The Center is part of a larger network of Columbia Global Centers.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is composed of more than a dozen prominent academics, public figures, and business leaders, including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. The Board meets annually and provides ongoing leadership and counsel regarding the Center’s activities.

Director Safwan Masri

Professor Safwan MasriProfessor Safwan M. Masri is Director of the Columbia University Middle East Research Center and Professor at Columbia's Graduate School of Business. Masri joined the Columbia faculty in 1988 and served as Vice Dean of the Columbia’s Graduate School of Business from 1993 to 2005.

Masri's expertise is business development in the Middle East, with an emphasis on education and economic reform. His academic work has focused on supply chain management, structural change in the financial services industry, and the impact of manufacturing flexibility on firm performance. Masri earned both his Bachelor and his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. He has received a number of awards including the Professor of the Year for Scholarship in the Classroom Award, the Robert W. Lear Service Award, the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence in a Core Course, and the American Service Award from the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC).

Masri is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of King’s Academy, Chairman of Queen Rania Teacher Academy, Trustee of International College, and Trustee of the National Children’s Museum in Jordan. He is Director of a number of non-profit organizations and a former Director of the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA), ARAMEX International Corporation, and the Nuqul Group of Companies.

Staff