Studying government and international politics near the nation’s capital is bound to provide opportunities to get involved in the political scene. For George Mason University alumna Tuqa Nusairat, BA Government and International Politics ’05, that experience was amplified because her undergraduate studies took place during the Iraq War.
“The idea that in a post-9-11 world my country was responsible for a war of this magnitude was something that really made me question a lot of how policy is made and who the players are that impact the policy-making community,” said Nusairat.
Both on and off campus, she actively participated in antiwar demonstrations and campaigns directed to members of Congress and policymakers. Student groups at Mason that formed around the issue gave Nusairat what she calls her first experience making a case for what she believed in, rather than just saying she was for or against an issue.
“I approached it from an activist’s perspective,” Nusairat said.
She also recounted Mason courses that “delved beyond the surface” and helped her understand the multifaceted components of international politics.
One of those classes was Peter Mandaville’s course on the role of political Islam in the Middle East, which sparked Nusairat’s interest in Islamic movements in that region.
Since then, Nusairat has focused her career on “conveying what is happening in the Middle East to a U.S. policy audience in a nuanced way, while attempting to explain U.S. policy to people in the [Middle East].”
Her current role as deputy director of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council allows her to fulfill this goal.
Nusairat empowers Middle Eastern voices so they’re able to reach U.S. policymakers and allow the United States to understand the region’s concerns. She often does this through communications that illuminate topics on specific international issues.
“I believe it’s an important contribution to the discussion and U.S. policy circles about how to move forward on Middle East issues that maybe appear to be short-term concerns, but actually have a long history and background,” she said.
“Tuqa plays an important role in setting and shaping the Washington, D.C., policy agenda with respect to the Middle East,” Mandaville said. “It is fantastic—and very affirming of what we do and teach at the Schar School—to see her organizing high-power events on the very themes we were exploring in the classroom a decade ago.”
Nusairat’s advice to students today?
“You might not be behind the introduction of a bill in Congress or be working in the most powerful offices in Washington, but the small pieces of impact contribute to a greater impact. As long as you’re focused on doing your best and being the best at what you do, you can make a mark in public policy and government.”