MEPI Alum of the Month – Dhia Daly
Embodying the ‘Good Pharmacist” approach
After graduating from high school with distinction, Dhia enrolled in the Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir for a six-year degree. He soon realized that to be a “good pharmacist,” he had to do more than just memorize molecules, structures, and side effects, and he started thinking of the various ways he could help his community.
Dhia earned a place in the 2018 Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Program where he studied leadership and social entrepreneurship at Montana State University with students from all over the world. This international experience opened his eyes to new perspectives and provided him with a golden opportunity to practice teamwork in a multicultural environment. The experience was a life changing opportunity for Dhia. It immersed him in a network of outstanding individuals with rich backgrounds and unique interpersonal skills. It was then Dhia realized that a global network of brilliant change-makers could boost his efforts to become a “good pharmacist” and, ultimately, a global change maker.
After the 2018 Tunisian municipal elections, Dhia created the Encouraging Democracy project to engage local communities in public policy decision-making. Dhia worked with a data scientist to create a survey that shows the level of citizen satisfaction with the region’s municipal services. He used the survey as a way to get in touch with citizens at the grassroot level, grasp their problems and aspirations, and reflect on what would work best for them. He was able to communicate their concerns to the elected municipal council through an interactive dashboard. As a result, the council gained a greater understanding of the citizens’ needs. Through this innovative project, Dhia earned a place in the “Accelerator Workshop,” organized by Georgetown University and MEPI for the top 30 students from the MENA region.
Dhia channels the same devotion to his personal growth as he does to his community. As an Ambassador for Dialogue on the Tunisian international team, Dhia started leveraging his leadership experience to prompt youth to be more socially engaged. During the pandemic, Dhia tackled the growing global mental health issue. He received a grant through the MEPI Alumni Venture Fund to partner with the Tunisian Scouts to conduct the “Mental Health Post-Crisis” project to support local communities. Through this project, Dhia arranged a training for his fellow Ambassadors for Dialogue to conduct discussion sessions addressing this sensitive topic. Then, he galvanized them to initiate dialogue sessions involving youth from all across Tunisia.
Recently, Dhia has adapted his innovative style to the private sector. He is now the Chief Operating Officer at “Polygone”, an innovation and training hub for early-stage start-ups, which he co-founded with a former university professor. Moreover, they founded “ASQII”, a health-tech start-up that uses AI and Robotics to provide an optimal health experience for patients. (See more on this link: www.asqii.tn ).
Dhia has truly embraced the ethos of being a MEPI Student Leader.
