From Portland to Paris to Washington, D.C.: Manar Khalid Al Mahmood’s Journey in Global Affairs

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 19:03:18 +0000

From Portland to Paris to Washington, D.C.: Manar Khalid Al Mahmood’s Journey in Global Affairs Andrew J Schappert Wed, 03/05/2025 - 14:03

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Ellen Laipson

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Manar Khalid Al Mahmood is a political science scholar with a truly global perspective. Currently pursuing her master’s degree in political science at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government, Al Mahmood brings a wealth of international experience, academic rigor, and an unwavering passion for diplomacy and governance.

Manar Khalid Al Mahmood at UNESCO’s headquarters: ‘I wanted to be in the middle of politics. Think tanks, the White House, Congress, everything.’ Photo provided

Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she completed her undergraduate degree at Portland State University before setting her sights on Washington, D.C., the epicenter of political discourse.

“I wanted to be in the middle of politics,” she said during a Zoom call from her family home in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. “Think tanks, the White House, Congress, everything.”

But before enrolling, she took a detour that led her to the heart of international policy: the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

Her tenure at UNESCO, the agency that promotes world peace and security through international cooperation, began unexpectedly but turned into a defining chapter of her career. Through the Junior Professional Program, an initiative aimed at increasing representation from underrepresented nations in the UN, she earned a coveted and highly competitive position, with work spanning multiple sectors, in the external relations department, the vital diplomatic arm of the organization.

“I applied not thinking much of it,” she said. “Then lo and behold I got an email saying I have an interview. And then another interview and another interview, and then a written exam. And I started packing for Paris.”

One of her earliest tasks was preparing a briefing for a high-profile meeting between the director-general of UNESCO and King Abdullah of Jordan—a task that underscored both the trust placed in her abilities and the magnitude of the work she undertook. Al Mahmood also played a role in protocol coordination during UNESCO's historic flag-raising ceremony in Paris, attended by then-first lady Jill Biden, an event marking the United States’ return to the organization.

While excelling in her role at UNESCO, she never lost sight of her academic ambitions, and at the end of her contract she decided to earn her degree. She attended Schar School classes remotely, including logging on for synchronous courses complicated by the six-hour time difference with Paris, a testament to her dedication.

Manar Khalid Al Mahmood attends an opera at Paris’ 1875 Palais Garnier. Photo provided

Despite the challenges of remote learning, Al Mahmood remained engaged, often waking up in the middle of the night for discussions and lectures. (“Yeah, boy, it was brutal,” she confided.)

While living in Paris, she founded an English-language philosophy discussion group, inspired by the Socrates Café model, where French and international participants explored diverse perspectives on political and social issues, an initiative that reflects her broader commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding across cultures.

As Al Mahmood embarks on the next phase of her academic journey—finally experiencing George Mason and Washington, D.C., in person—she looks forward to engaging more deeply with professors, attending policy events, and contributing to intellectual discourse.

“Professor Ellen Laipson always emails us about events that are happening on campus, and I’m always missing them,” she said, referencing the director of the Center for Security Policy Studies. “But I look forward to finally being able to go.”

Al Mahmood is particularly interested in engaging with think tanks, such as the Middle East Institute and the Arab Gulf States Institute, and organizations that align with her regional expertise and aspirations.

With Saudi Arabia undergoing a period of rapid transformation—hosting the World Expo in 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034—Al Mahmood sees a wealth of opportunities ahead. While she is open to international opportunities, she is also keen on contributing to her home country’s evolving role on the world stage, whether through diplomacy, foreign affairs, or international cultural initiatives.

Ready to set foot in Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, this summer, she is eager to immerse herself in the policy landscape firsthand, as well as attending the in-person campus events she had to miss while studying from overseas.

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It’s a Match! Schar School Grad’s Business Puts Students with Compatible Tutors, Online

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 15:39:54 +0000

It’s a Match! Schar School Grad’s Business Puts Students with Compatible Tutors, Online Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/27/2023 - 11:39

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Arya Rashidian: His business connects students with online tutors who are compatible ‘based on the style of learner they are.’

The sudden pivot to online learning and distance teaching during the dramatic pandemic lockdown in March 2020 sent students and professors to Zoom sessions on laptops in spare rooms instead of face-to-face gatherings in university classrooms. While some managed to maintain their progress, others, confronted with a new way of learning and instructing, struggled amid unforeseen challenges.

Arya Rashidian saw a business opportunity during the pandemic pandemonium that has little to do with his advanced degree—he’s a recent graduate of the Master of Political Science program at the Schar School of Policy and Government—or his ��AV undergraduate studies in criminology, with a minor in intelligence analysis. He is the CEO of TutorDudes, an online learning platform that connects students with tutors who are compatible with their learning styles.

“I don’t know about you,” Rashidian said, “but it’s very hard to learn computer science on a video. You don’t get that same interaction with a professor. Even if you are a political science student, you are dealing with a lot of philosophical questions and heavy policy making and you need more assistance to help make difficult decisions.”

TutorDudes, along with TDULTRA.com, are designed to suit subscribers’ specific needs, individual students or companies, he said. Clients go to the website and choose the tools and tutor “based on the style of learner they are.” He said mildly autistic students can be accommodated as well.

While the service is underway and accepting clients, “new features are being added to make sure TDULTRA is being crafted with a variety of tools for the student and faculty to really engage and teach,” Rashidian said.

Rashidian said he was assisted early in the development of the platform with Mason’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), and the University Career Services office, including making internships available for degree credit.

“We had a lot of Mason students come on board” as interns, he said. “I made sure to give them interesting opportunities to learn different tools they could use to succeed. And we learned from the students because interns always brought in a fresh perspective.”

The student interns included Saira Amjad, chief financial officer; Folabomi Bolarinwa, chief technology officer; Imtiaz Ahmad, TDULTRA chief technology officer; and Yuching Hsieh, chief operating officer.

At this point in the business’ development, Rashidian said he would like the Mason Nation to continue assisting the development of TutorDudes, particularly because his team is a small one.

“I’m very proud of the work we’ve done, and I’d like Mason to be informed about TutorDudes, and TDULTRA to inform their friends and families that might be interested in the service.”

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