Earlier this summer the Foundation co-hosted the 2025 CAMCA Regional Forum in Mongolia. In this blog post we’re pleased to share some of the firsthand perspectives from journalists, speakers, sponsors and more that joined us for this year’s CAMCA convening in Ulaanbaatar. 

We are pleased to share this follow up to our initial “CAMCA Going Global” post with an exciting development in the continuation of the CAMCA Network’s engagement with the UAE business community. Reflecting on a roundtable session led by network members at Investopia 2025 in Abu Dhabi this February, Tamar Kekenadze, Managing Director of the CAMCA Regional Forum, has authored a special piece for us outlining the unique investment opportunities within the CAMCA region.

For this post in our Service Series, we were pleased to interview Sheriff Almakki, one of our 2023 Graduate Fellows, who recently joined the U.S. State Department as a newly minted Foreign Affairs Officer. We asked Sheriff to reflect on his journey to public service, including his graduate education at the University of Michigan, his longtime interest in refugee affairs, and the impact of his experience within our Graduate Fellowship Network on his professional development. 

This September, a delegation of women representing the CAMCA Network visited The United Arab Emirates to advance the network’s connections with the UAE business community and to attend the 2024 WE EMPOWER Summit organized by the U.S. Embassy in the UAE.  The delegation was initiated and organized by longtime CAMCA Network member, Nazira Beishenalieva, a current resident of Dubai, and a native of the Kyrgyz Republic.

This fall, the Foundation was pleased to recognize an alumna who has exhibited extraordinary intellectual ability, integrity, and leadership in public service. We were delighted to award the 2024 Alumna of the Year Award to Dr. Meg Reiss.

This year marks the notable 10^th anniversary of the inception of the CAMCA Regional Forum. Established as a platform for region-wide conversations on advancing economic and social growth and development, the Forum has fostered dialogue among leaders working across all sectors in the 10 countries of the CAMCA region and beyond. Over the last decade, the Forum has been held in eight major cities in the region as well as in Washington, D.C., building significant relationships with international leaders and influencers and earning its reputation as a premier and unique regional convening.