SECRETARY

Visiting Assistant Professor
Wesleyan University

Esam Boraey is a visiting assistant professor at Wesleyan University and a PhD student at the University of Connecticut.

Esam started his career as a political and human rights activist working for freedom and democracy in the Middle East. He began his career as an activist over ten years ago when he and a group of 6 other youth leaders gathered on the steps of Egypt's Supreme Court, calling for justice, freedom and democracy. This passion led him to play a role in the Egyptian revolution of 2011, which helped overthrow longtime dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

Following the 2011 revolution, Esam worked with international leaders to push for a stable democracy in Egypt. During the Mohamed Morsi presidency, Esam worked for U.S. Agency for International Development and later left the country after being sentenced in Egypt’s criminal court to prison for his human rights work in the Middle East. Esam then moved to Washington D.C. where he worked for the U.S. Institute for Peace.

Having worked over the years with a number of Civil Society organizations (CSOs) in both the Middle East and the U.S., he has fostered close professional relationships with political leaders throughout the region, and advised policy makers in the U.S. and European Union.

He has taught classes at Cairo University, the American University in Cairo and Drake University. Esam brings a nuanced perspective to Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Islamic affairs that takes into account the concerns of various stakeholders, both in the Middle East and beyond its borders.

Esam serves as a board member for several nonprofits internationally, nationally, and locally including the World Affairs Council, the American Muslim Alliance, and the Connecticut Council on Interreligious Understanding (CCIU).

He was honored for his defense of human rights and community service in Egypt, Middle East, and the USA with several awards, including:

• -Personality of the Year by the National Center for Human Rights.
• -David B. Walker award for public service from the University of Connecticut.
• -Immigrant of the year from the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, CIRC.
• -Certificates of appreciation by many organizations in the Middle East and all over the world for his work.