Fellow Jay Heung Helps Launch the Aleppo Project during His Year at CCNR

As a research fellow at the Center for Conflict, Negotiation and Recovery (CCNR), U.S Foreign Service Officer Jay Heung helped build the foundations of CCNR's Aleppo Project. The project aims to develop concrete recommendations for the eventual reconstruction of Aleppo, Syria, while taking into account the voices of those traditionally disadvantaged during the reconstruction process, such as those of refugees and women.

Heung joined CCNR as the Aleppo Project got underway, and worked closely with CCNR Director Robert Templer. Leveraging the project management expertise that he acquired during his career, Heung helped with the day-to-day direction of the Aleppo Project, including building and managing the project team. He also cultivated relationships with relevant organizations, called on U.S. Department of State contacts with reconstruction expertise, and helped advise a student team in developing and distributing surveys to former and current residents of Aleppo.

"I learned a lot from dealing with the various challenges that we faced," commented Heung. These challenges included collecting data from a dispersed population and a city in conflict, building a platform to crowd-source a living memory of Aleppo, and finding relevant and reliable organizations to partner with. Heung says that talents that he honed during his years as a Foreign Service officer, including taking the initiative, perseverance, adaptability and regular problem-solving, were crucial in overcoming these challenges.

As an economic officer in the Foreign Service, Heung concentrated on political and economic analyses. "I didn't have much experience with migration, refugee crises, and studying urban environments in war," noted Heung. "I appreciated the opportunity to expand my expertise and develop new skills such as social media analysis, which we used to see how the public was discussing developments and issues in Aleppo."

The Aleppo Project will continue this year with a new fellow from the U.S. Department of State as well as members of Heung's original team, CCNR Fellows AlHakam Shaar and Armenak Tokmajyan. Heung will continue to follow the project. "The Syrian war is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, conflict to occur entirely in the age of digital media," Heung highlighted. "We're finding voices and input not heard from during previous wars."

You can find out more about the Aleppo Project here