On December 10, 2019, the J-PAL/AUC Initiative will host a public forum centered on building an evidence base to reduce poverty and improve lives in Egypt and MENA. Coinciding with AUC’s yearlong Centennial celebration, the public forum will bring together policymakers, practitioners, philanthropists, and the AUC community to discuss key policy priorities in the region.The one-day public forum will frame priority development issues, present relevant evidence from J-PAL affiliates’ research, showcase evidence-based policymaking in Egypt and the MENA region to date, and outline opportunities for the future generation and use of policy-relevant research. The agenda includes keynotes and panels with AUC faculty and community members, J-PAL affiliated professors, policymakers, philanthropists, and implementing partners. The topics discussed will include social protection, finance, labor markets, and private sector development.