©2019 The William Davidson Institute 6 Rodolf Abanoub, also from Egypt, credited his involvement in the M²GATE program for being selected by Egypt’s Academy of Scientific Research and Technology as one of five delegates to represent the country at a science camp in Indonesia. The camp brought together talented, young scientists from 30 countries to share their ideas and projects. Rodolf said the M²GATE program prepared him for the rigorous selection interview and evaluation process. “The skills of thinking critically from diverse perspectives that I gained from M²GATE helped me to be different from the other applicants from all over Egypt,” he said. At the science camp, Abanoub was put on a team with students from China, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia for a competition. They worked on a project to recycle plastic and won the camp’s top award. The M²GATE program demonstrated that virtual exchange is a powerful tool to prepare today’s students for the future. The program forged new friendships and networks that will lead to new businesses and greater cross-cultural understanding. “This program has changed my life,” said Khouloud Baghouri of Tunisia. Thanks to M²GATE, Khouloud said she has the confidence to start an enterprise project from scratch and is now more comfortable collaborating with people different from her. The results from collaborating with others “is the best and most satisfying moment of it all,” she said. “I have now a second family of amazing friends I met thanks to this program, not to mention the added value that I have been provided with. The M²GATE program is a wonderful experience for any young social entrepreneur trying to make a positive impact in their country.” Team EcoMENA, comprised of students from Michigan and Egypt, won the final pitch competition. Their project proposed working with the Zabbaleen, or garbage collectors, in Cairo to help them turn the recycled materials they collect into jewelry and other products they can sell. OUR IMPACT