About Me

My name is Rania Marwan, I am the founder and executive director of Haweyya Foundation, an Egyptian-based non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of individuals and communities in Egypt. My work in Haweyya is part of my strong belief in the power of women in society.

I graduated from Auburn University with a PhD in Public Administration and Public Policy in August of 2021. I also earned my Doctoral degree in Business Administration (DBA) from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt in 2017. 

My research interests can be described as interdisciplinary, which reflects my education, I broadly examine the intersection of society and industry (public, private and nonprofits), it encompasses four main areas: civil society, public-private partnerships, government incentives, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 

My dissertation, titled “Assessing Networks as Engines of Social Change for Women in the Middle East and North Africa Region: A Focus on Entrepreneurship Efforts” addresses the overarching research question: to what extent does exposure to nonprofit network functions affect the perceived capacities of the network’s individual members? I use a mixed-methods approach in my dissertation. I conducted 25 in-depth interviews with female entrepreneurs in the region to gauge the training efforts and other capacity building techniques employed by the network. I propose a framework for network formation at the micro level focusing mainly on how exposure to networks positively influences the capacities of its individual members.