The American Center at the U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce a virtual exchange program opportunity for qualified candidates. The deadline for registration is Thursday, March 8, 2018 at noon. In Spring 2018, the American Center will offer Soliya’s Connect Program Compact for up to 20 eligible and qualified university students to participate in online video …

With rising global challenges for humans as well as the planet, the role of youth in developing new, creative, and innovative solutions has become even more important. The American Center and EL Space Social Innovation Hub have the pleasure to announce a new program, Social Innovators for Tunisia.  This series of 20 practical workshops will empower selected participants with social …

The IRC is offering a songwriting workshop series for up to 30 qualified participants to try their hand at writing lyrics and music in a variety of forms. During these sessions, participants will consider social and cultural themes and listen to a range of music from folk to rock to show tunes. The deadline for …

The IRC at the U.S. Embassy collaborated with El Space to offer a series of monthly workshops on Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The topics were as follows: Introducing social innovation Introducing Social entrepreneurship The triple bottom line (Social innovation and the for-profit model) Inspiration (resources and success stories) Challenges and Ideation (social problem identification) Design Thinking for …

The IRC organized a memoir writing workshop series with American author Laura Monagan. Participants met once a week for four weeks to learn new literary techniques, discuss examples from great literature, and improve their English skills. Week 1 : Generating Viable Ideas Selecting a viable memory Developing the arc of the story Establishing the setting: …

The IRC organized an information session led by the EducationUSA advisor for Tunisia, on how to find the right university fit for each student. About 55 Tunisians participated, most of whom were high school and university students aspiring to study in the United States.

On September 15, the IRC screened the American Film Showcase documentary The Bad Kids, which chronicles one extraordinary school principal’s mission and follows her as she coaches three at-risk teens in California. The screening was followed by a facilitated discussion in English in which participants expressed admiration for the principal and a wish to see …

On September 14, the IRC organized a conversation hour with American professor and DJ Mike Watson, who challenged the participants to share what they would do if they were castaways. The session was not only an opportunity for the Tunisian participants to practice and improve their English language skills with a native speaker, but was …

On August 25, the IRC screened extracts from two documentaries: Miss Representation, which exposes how mainstream media and culture contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and The Mask You Live In, which follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s …

On August 11, the IRC organized an informative session on the role of Rosie the Riveter in America’s history, economy, and women’s rights movement. The session was a chance to learn interactively about the place of the U.S. in WWII, the economic effect of supporting the war effort, and women’s position in the workplace before, …

On August 3, the IRC continued its newly established bi-monthly English conversation hour that gives Tunisians the opportunity to visit the embassy and chat with an American native speaker of English. The topic was “Writing Your Own History” and participants discussed personal stories as well as the idea that history will be created by those who record their experiences …

On July 20, the IRC organized an English conversation hour on engaged citizenship in a democracy. Conor McCormick Cavanagh facilitated the discussion with the participants about different ways to work toward a successful, inclusive society and country. The discussion points were rich and varied, touching upon strikes and protests, different tax paying systems, the right and the responsibility to …

Columbia University professor (and Director Emeritus of the New York Film Festival) Richard Peña gave a presentation on short films to a packed IRC on July 13. Attendees viewed and discussed films made by Columbia University students and learned the history of how short films started in the United States. Attendees included both aspiring and …

During a July 6 IRC event, two women authors – an American and a Tunisian – presented their co-authored book on the history and current movement for women’s rights in Tunisia.  Attendees discussed the progress and challenges of women’s rights in Tunisia and compared the Tunisian experience with the American experience.

On June 22, the IRC held an event with the young team of the new Tunisian youth-led magazine “ Creativeناس “, a project initiated by American Corner Tunis in collaboration with the International Institute of Debate. The name is an English-Arabic wordplay, pronounced “creativeness” but meaning “creative people.”  During the session, we discussed mainstream and alternative …

The IRC and American Corner Sousse hosted viewing parties for the GIST (Global Innovation through Science and Technology) web chat entitled De-Risking the Deal: Angel investing in Science & Tech Startups. The participants in both spaces submitted several questions revolving around the discussion points on Valuation, Angle Investing and minimizing the risk in that. One of their questions …

The IRC conducted a session on Impact Marketing led by Siwar Douss, the Marketing and PR Manager at Tunisian NGO Our Youth Our Hope.  The session was the 8th workshop of the Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Talks series, conducted in cooperation with the co-working space, El Space.  Storytelling was the focus of the session – as a digital tool and otherwise …

The IRC brought back Generation StartUp for Tunisians who were not able to view the film in January when co-Director Cheryl Houser conducted in-person Q&As as part of the American Film Showcase program. A small audience of middle-generation Tunisians showed a great deal of interest in the topic and had a meaningful and thoughtful discussion …

PAS and ECON organized a presentation entitled “You are Your Brand” to emphasize the power of branding to create a space for innovation. The presentation was targeted to start-ups, entrepreneurs, and SMEs, but also drew interest from law students interested in intellectual property issues. While the event focused primarily on trademarks, questions from the audience …

The IRC organized a three month-long Workforce Development & Youth Employability series for young Tunisian job seekers who are looking to hone their soft skills as they enter a competitive job market.   The training was led by American Professor Ethel Hong Badawi of The George Washington University.  In addition to teaching, Professor Badawi gives …

The IRC carried on with its monthly series on Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation organized in cooperation with the co-working space El Space. The workshop was on Social Business Modeling and was conducted by Khaoula Behi, one of the founders of El Space. The talk led to a rich discussion on the hybrid business model.  Attendees …

February 10:  The IRC hosted a workshop entitled “Challenges in Social Entrepreneurship.”  Ms. Fatma Mselmi, former participant in the Professional Fellowship Program and a consultant in economic development and technology transfer focused on the inclusive business model.  She discussed how this model functions as both a commercially viable model that could benefit low-income communities and …

In celebration of Black History Month, IRC Tunis joined an interactive program on resilience and non-violent activism in the Black community to explore race relations as well as tensions between security and freedom of expression through non-violent protests. The program was conducted by Mr. Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League (NUL), the nation’s …

The IRC hosted four American performers who are in Tunis on the week-long Next Level hip-hop program.  The group–an MC, a DJ, a beatmaker and a dancer—began workshops for members of Tunisia’s hip-hop community at the Maison des Jeunes in La Marsa on Monday.  On Wednesday, the hip-hop artists held a session at the IRC …

Following their European tour, Nick Binkley and Douglas Yeager, co-producers of the documentary film “Free to Rock,  landed in Tunisia where they were able to show their documentary at El Makhzen Cultural Center, the American Corner in Tunis, the IRC and the Tunis Film school.  Their film, focusing on the soft power of the Rock …

Sophie Houser, 19-year old game developer, shared her success story with a variety of young audiences in ESPRIT (the private Institute of Engineering and Technology), the youth-led co-working space, El Space, and the American Corners in Tunis and Sousse. Through her motivational speeches, Sophie talked about her experiences in creating video games, including the challenges …

The IRC hosted a live interactive webchat on “How to Run Your Startup” as part of the Global Innovation in Science and Technology series.  The session, attended by young entrepreneurs, generated a lively interaction with two very successful U.S.-based entrepreneurs, namely Ray Crowell, CEO of Humble Impact, and Melissa Perri, founder of Produx Labs.  The …

The IRC organized a viewing party of the documentary film Generation Startup which centered on the struggles and triumphs of 6 recent college graduates who put everything on the line to build startups in Detroit, Michigan. The film screening, attended by young business students and entrepreneurs, was followed by a lively discussion with the film’s …

Tunisian students of Audiovisuals, Cinema and Design from University of Carthage in Tunis were gathered to see the defining moments of the newly-released movie Burn Country. More importantly, the students had the rare chance to discuss the movie with the leading actor, Dominic Rains, and to learn from his experience and journey along the way …

Tunisian students of Audiovisuals, Cinema and Design from University of Carthage in Tunis were gathered to attend the screening of the 2009 Movie, directed by Cherien Dabis, AMREEKA, which is a drama centered on the trials and tribulations of a proud Palestinian Christian immigrant single mother and her teenage son in small town Indiana. The …

Microsoft and MentorNations in Tunisia celebrate Computer Science Week and film a short promotional video with Ambassador Rubinstein doing the Hour of Code on December 2. The video did a wonderful job promoting the importance of coding for Tunisian youth. On December 10, the American Corner in Sfax (aka the Franklin Center) hosted two trainers …

Information Resource Officer Suzanne Miller conducted a role play simulation at the IRC and the three American Corners (Tunis, Sousse and Sfax, Sousse).  The simulation was entitled “International Refugee Crisis, Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance.”  More than 120 dynamic young students engaged in this role play resulting in a better understanding of how international negotiations …

EducationUSA Advisor Meriem Laabidi in collaboration with Public Affairs Section staff celebrated the IEW at the American corner.  The week program promoted the USG exchange programs by organizing info session about higher education in the U.S. and the Embassy exchange program, workshops on college trivia, graduate schools in Tunisia VS those in the U.S and …

Dr. Sami Bensassi, from Birmingham Business School, gave a presentation at the IRC on the economics of informal trade.  After outlining how smuggling is defined under both U.S. and the Tunisian law, he assessed informal trade through two case studies, then took a closer look at the consequences.  The audience showed an interest in knowing …

Former Fulbright Visiting Scholar Dr. Nizar Ben Neji gave a presentation on “e-government: The Legal, Institutional and Technical Frameworks,” highlighting its advantages and its shortcomings, particularly the legal components, which must keep up with rapid technological changes. He also demonstrated how to digitally sign an official document. Attendees discussed e-government in relation to preventing corruption …

The IRC held the second in a series of 12 events organized in cooperation with the co-working space El Space. Paco Llorente, one of the founding members of El Space, led an interactive workshop where he invited participants to identify ways of putting entrepreneurial projects at the service of society and social development.  Paco emphasized the …

Dr. Sarah Feuer, Political Scientist at the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy, gave a presentation titled “Democratic Drama  or Democratic Decline: Making Sense of the  2016 US Presidential Election.”  Before beginning her talk, she emphasized that the opinions she would be expressing were those of a private citizen and not those of the …

Dr. Robert Landy, Professor of Educational Theater and Applied Psychology at New York University, gave a presentation at the IRC entitled “Introducing Drama Therapy.” The session was moderated by Elyes Baccar, Artistic Director of the Human Rights Film festival. Dr. Landy showed the audience his play Standing Tall, devised for a group of students in …

U.S. Embassy representatives enjoyed taking part in the Communication Week organized by the Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT). Embassy staff talked to more than 200 students, sharing information about scholarships in the U.S. and the educational and cultural programs offered by the Embassy’s Information Resource Center. The ENIT students, who are just about to graduate, …

Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, gave a talk at the Information Resource Center (IRC) that centered around his latest book The New Arab Wars: Uprisings and Anarchy in the Middle East. Dr. Lynch provided an in-depth analysis of the changing political landscape in the Middle East following the Arab Spring …

Dr. Nouri Gana, Associate Professor at UCLA, gave a talk at the IRC that revolved around the collection of essays he edited in a book titled The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English: The Politics of Anglo Arab and Arab American Literature and Culture. The first part of the talk addressed the intellectual history of the Arab …

Racha Haffar, Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant alumna and President of the Not 4 Trade association conducted a workshop entitled “Trafficking in Persons 101” to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Racha defined what human trafficking is and helped those in attendance to understand the scope of the problem at the national and …

“A breath-taking experience,” “a saga that blows your mind,” and a “fabulous journey that stirs the imagination beyond belief” were some of the ways fascinated young audience members described Star Wars Day at the Information Resource Center (IRC). To mark the 40th anniversary of the filming of the saga in Tunisia, the Tunisian Star Wars …

Ambassador Rubinstein and all of us at the Embassy wish you Eid Mabrouk.

Mike Watson teaches English in Tunis, but he is also a successful DJ in Los Angeles, New York, and now Tunisia.  Also known as DJ Hubcap, Mike gave a presentation on hip hop culture at the IRC last week.  Mike noted that while hip hop is heavily influenced by American popular culture, its beginnings are …

During her first visit to Tunisia, Cairo-based Information Resource Officer Suzanne Miller visited the American Corners in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax.  She had the chance to meet with the coordinators and volunteers who make the spaces so vibrant.  At the Franklin Center in Sfax, Suzanne met with members of the debate club, observed a debate …

“Musical fusion.” “A harmonious blend of Tunisian folk music and Algerian rai.” “A rediscovery of our musical roots through musical instruments.” Those were just a few of the ways the IRC audience described their experience listening to Tunisian-American singer MC Rai.  Accompanied by the rhythms of the Gombri instrument played by artist Jamel Boukraa, MC …

On World Press Freedom Day, celebrated every year on May 3rd, Seth Meixner, Country Director of the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) spoke at the IRC.  Mr. Meixner focused on the practical training IWPR conducts to empower young journalists, and also discussed the skills journalists need to protect digital information and to ensure …

The Information Resource Center (IRC) hosted a viewing of the independent documentary film “Far From Home,” which follows the journey of Brolin Mawejje from Uganda to the U.S. and ultimately to the international snowboard circuit.  The documentary explores Brolin’s complicated family life, his gifted athletic abilities, and his desire to represent Uganda as the first …

As part of the “Connecting Classrooms” program, the Information Resource Center (IRC) organized a video conference to connect graduate level students from the University of Tunis with their peers from the University at Albany, State University of New York . The video conference allowed students from both universities to share language learning experiences where technology was the primary medium. The Tunisian and American …

Dr. Cathy Caruth, Professor of Humane Letters at Cornell University in the U.S., led a video-conference discussion with students at the Information Resource Center (IRC.)  Jointly organized by the IRC and the Tunisian Association of Young Researchers (TAYR) , the discussion was titled Trauma in Language and History in the 21st Century. Starting with an introduction to trauma theory and references to the insights  of …

As part of the Meet a Diplomat series, Brian Tyers, Information Security Officer at the U.S Embassy in Tunis, gave a presentation entitled “Social Media Hygiene: Why Managing Your Online Persona Matters.” Mr. Tyers provided the audience with practical tips for how to use social media responsibly while safeguarding one’s privacy. Mr. Tyers emphasized the …

Public Diplomacy Officer Inga Litvinsky, who works on Maghreb issues in Washington, spoke at the IRC and described her journey from “From Immigrant to Diplomat.”  Born in Kiev, Ukraine—which was then part of the Soviet Union—Litvinsky came to the U.S. in 1975 and settled in Omaha, Nebraska, with her parents.  She began first grade, quickly …

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the IRC hosted “Women’s Rights in Tunisia: The Limits of an Exception.” Dr. Omar Fassatoui, an attorney, lauded Tunisia’s progressive Code of Personal Status, a set of laws that changed family law and the legal status of women, but he emphasized that more work needs to be done to …

Two Sousse high-school students who created a YouTube series called “Draw My Science” visited the American Corner Tunis to share their videos with a  group of about 20 students.  Baha Lajmi and Fahd Baaziz use colorful drawings and simple language to create the Arabic-language videos, which explain scientific subjects to a young audience.    At …

Dr. Abdelbaki Hermassi—who served as Tunisia’s Minister of Culture , Minister of Foreign Affairs and UNESCO Ambassador—spoke at the IRC on Thursday, March 17. His wide-ranging presentation covered topics like Iran’s Islamic revolution, the rise of political Islam, the Pan-Arabic movement, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Arab Spring and terrorism. He also spoke about how North African nations and the Gulf countries perceive regional …

  Michael Marcusa, a doctoral candidate in political science at Brown University, led a lively discussion in the IRC entitled “When Modernization Fails: Revolution and Radicalism inTunisia.”  Marcusa has spent 10 months doing fieldwork in southern and central Tunisia, and his talk focused on Sidi Bouzid and Metlaoui.  Though the cities face similar economic hardships, …

Russell Hodge, Information Management Specialist at the U.S. Embassy, discussed the importance of IT certifications for job competitiveness with more than 40 young graduates at the American Corner last week. He shared practical advice for how to best select the right IT certifications to increase the chances of being hired. Mr. Hodge also shared his …

In celebration of Black History Month, the IRC hosted a video conference between students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their peers from the University of Tunis.  Dr. Jeannette Jones,  Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, led the discussion, entitled “The Legacy of the Reconstruction Amendments and the Rise …

This month’s “Meet a Diplomat” program focused on a topic straight from the headlines:  the Iowa caucus.  Iowan Jeffrey Osweiler, the Embassy’s Consular Chief, explained how the small agricultural state became the testing ground for U.S. presidential candidates.  After discussing the media frenzy surrounding the poll and describing the caucus as a community-based process, a …

  As part of the new “Meet the Author” program, the Information Resource Center held a book discussion session led by Roua Sghaier, author of The Memory of the Pavement, which was honored with the 2015 Arab Creativity Award in Literature.  A prolific and talented writer, Roua shared her passion for writing since childhood.  In …

The IRC held a video conference Wednesday with Michigan-based physician Dr. Yahya Basha.  Dr. Basha talked to a group of students, describing his long-term support of the Arab refugee community in Michigan and throughout the United States.  Originally from Syria, Dr. Basha shared his experience working with communities of different religions to advocate for tolerance, …

Drawing on his extensive experience in coaching young entrepreneurs, Jeff Hoffman, Co-founder of ColorJar and a founding member of Priceline.com, provided useful tips to more than 120 participants in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax on how to build a successful start-up. According to Jeff, “Following operational excellence in business is what brings you the money.” For …

“Eye-opening.”  “Truly informative.”   “Thought-provoking.”   This is how participants described the talk Dr. Hedi Zaouchi gave on Citizen Journalism at the IRC.  Dr. Zaouchi, professor of cultural  studies, emphasized that citizen journalism, or “people’s media,” can serve as a media watchdog in democratic societies.  He said that in times of crisis, activists can replace …

  To mark International Women’s Day, the U.S. Embassy Deputy Political and Economic Counselor Auden Mckernan and Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) A. Heather Coyne led a roundtable discussion with a group of Tunisian activists for women’s issues. They debated the pace of women’s progress in the U.S. and Tunisia, …

As part of our “Meet a Diplomat” speaker series, Mr. Mohammed Tahir, Information Management Officer, spoke about Diversity and Islam in the United States. After sharing his personal experience as an immigrant through the Diversity Visa Lottery program, Mr. Tahir outlined the significant changes in American society with regard to ethnic diversity. The election of …

The Embassy hosted Tunisian sports journalists at a Skype press conference with Dallas Mavericks center Salah Mejri, the first Tunisian player in the NBA. The Jendouba-born Mejri signed with the Mavericks on July 30 and played his first NBA game on October 28. He fielded questions about his first month in the NBA, discussed his …

“I thought I knew all about CSR, but today’s session broke new ground for me.” As part of the Meet a Diplomat speaker series, Embassy Financial Management Officer Rich Shields took the audience on a thought-provoking journey. Mr. Shields challenged the audience to think of CSR as a gradual and natural evolution in a free …

A number of students and TechGirls alumnae participated in a workshop last week examining the role of social media and internet communication tools to advocate for women’s issues. Participants learned how these tools can help to raise awareness about women’s causes and promote positive change in real life. The workshop was conducted by Amie Williams, …

“Eye-opening.” “Enlightening.” “Very timely.” These were just a few of the words used to describe a video conference facilitated by the IRC between students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their peers from the Universities of Sousse and Tunis.  The discussion revolved around “North African Identity in Tunisia and France: Then and Now.” The video …

In a workshop that mixed solo acting with group performances, Lebanese-American writer and artist Leila Buck inspired students and teachers alike to employ drama in cross-cultural engagement and social integration settings. Using the IRC space as her stage, Ms. Buck sparked the imagination of participants by encouraging them to improvise scenarios. Each performance walked the …

“Based on life experience…” “Genuine and thought-provoking…” were just some of the positive phrases uttered by students attending yesterday’s presentation by Consular Chief Jeffrey Osweiler comparing life and politics in the U.S. and Canada. Looking at both countries through the lens of an American who studied and lived in Canada, Osweiler provided unique insight, comparing …

On Friday, August 7, UCLA’s Dr. Nouri Gana, editor of The Making of the Tunisian Revolution: Contexts, Architects, Prospects, spoke about the country’s political evolution with 42 scholars, students and journalists at the IRC.  The Tunisian-born Gana discussed the book’s development, international media coverage of Tunisia’s revolution and the nation’s culture of dissent.  His talk …