Summer Opportunities
The Middle East Center aggregates information regarding third party summer programs concerning the Middle East. Many of these programs are language programs, some are abroad and some are US based. They are listed accordingly below. While the Middle East Center does not officially sponsor these events, we strongly encourage interested students, teachers and professionals to take advantage of the growing number of summer programs in Middle East Studies.
As always, we continue to involve and educate the larger community about the peoples and cultures of the Middle East. Click here for more information about our outreach programs.
See also our Internships, Volunteer, and Employment Opportunities page for more offerings not restricted to summer sessions.
2011
"My Galilee" Program
American Cultural Center of Nazareth
The "My Galilee" program is ACCON's flagship program: an annual exchange that allows American university students and Arab-Israeli students—or "Citizen Ambassadors" as they are called by the program—to build bridges of understanding at the citizen level and create opportunities for future interaction between them.
For two weeks this summer (from July 31 to August 13), selected American university students will travel to the Galilee and participate in a historically unique and unprecedented program that promotes dialogue and understanding between Arab-Israelis, Arab-Israeli univeresity students and their American counterparts. Program participants, situated in a land of unparalleled historical and cultural significance, will expereicne first hand the places, people and traditions that inflame passions the world over.
The program will include:
- Cultural excursions to sites of great significance to the Abrahamic religions, such as Jerusalem, Nazareth, Haifa Tiberias and Akko
- Daily Arabic classes
- Dialogue sessions with Arab-Israeli university students
- Town hall meeting and discussions with local leaders in the fields of education, religion, Business politics and culture
- Homestays with Arab-Israeli families
The cost of the 2011 "My Galilee" Program is $2,500 plus international travel. This includes all domestic transportation, three daily meals, accommodation expenses, an insurance package, and entertainment. Students must download and complete the application form and two required essays available on the website, www.accon.us. Students have the option of submitting a resume for consideration. Students must also arrange for ACCON to receive the application package, one faculty letter of recommendation (in a signed, sealed envelope) and an official transcript by the deadline. These materials can be sent to by May 1:
The American Cultural Center of Nazareth
2011 "My Galilee" Program
P.O.Box 2156
Long Island City, NY 11102
Istanbul - The Capital of Empires Past
Özyeğin University, Turkey
Come and explore the intricacies of this ancient city and surrounding areas across its many manifestations through lectures by Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Turkish scholars married to hands-on, guided tours of well-known as well as off-the-beaten-path landmarks. You will also have the opportunity to study and learn the basics of the Turkish language while being hosted by local university students.
The Summer Program is work 9 ECTS / 6 US Credits composed of a lecture series covering a survey of the history and culture of Istanbul and an introductory Turkish language course. The program runs four weeks, from July 1 to July 29, 2011. The total cost of the program is 2,250 USD (1,650 Euros) including local tours, room and half-board.
For more information, visit http://www.ozyegin.edu.tr/ULUSLARARASI/Yaz-Okulu?lang=en-US.
Intensive Summer Language Institute
University of Texas - Austin
This ten-week program from June 6 - August 12, 2011 is equivalent to one full academic year of language study. Languages offered include elementary, internediate, and advanced Arabic; elementary Biblical Hebrew; and advanced electives in Persian.
More information about the program and applying can be found at the website: (http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/mes/summer/summer.php). The priority application deadline is March 1, 2011, though applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until seats are filled.
Eco-Cultural Expedition to Morocco
Global Learning Across Borders (LAB) and Georgetown University Outdoor Education
Global LAB and Georgetown University Outdoor Education invite US college students (including incoming freshmen) to join an eco-cultural expedition from May 31 - June 10, 2011.
This educational itinerary will traverse: "The Rose City" of Marrakech with its African, frontier-like spirit and surreal popular entertainment square, Djemma el Fna ("Square of the Dead")—teeming with storytellers, snake charmers, musicians, acrobats and kebab, date, and fresh orange juice stalls; into The High Atlas Mountains on a 4 day trekking expedition—home to the highest peak in North Africa (Mount Toubkal at 13,665 ft.) and the Imazighen (literally "The Free Men"), the indigenous peoples of North Africa—also referred to as "Berber"—with their own distinct culture and language; and the laid-back Atlantic resort of Essaouira with its picturesque, whitewashed medina and art colony vibe.
In the spirit of Global LAB’s experiential semester programs, this expedition will include: guest lectures; guided tours; private musical performances; trekking; a camel caravan on the beach—and countless opportunities to interact with warm Moroccans (and practice your Arabic or French). The late King Hassan II described Morocco’s complexity and essence best: “Rooted in Africa, watered by Islam and rustled by the winds of Europe.” Join us and witness this fascinating mosaic for yourself.
Program fee is $2,185, excluding airfare. Application and $500 non-refundable deposit due by April 18. More details and an itinerary can be found at: http://outdoored.georgetown.edu/morocco2011.
Cappadocia in Context
Koc University
International workshop for graduate students by Koc University directed by Penn Professor Robert Ousterhout. This workshop will take place from June 27 to July 12, 2011.
Do you want to explore the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Cappadocia? Within the region's spectacular volcanic landscape are dozens of rock-cut settlements, including hundreds of painted, rock-cut churches, chapels, monasteries, houses, villages, towns, fortresses, and underground cities.
Through a program that combines lectures, guided site visits, thematic explorations, and seminar presentations, the workshop will explore ways to "read" the landscape and its monuments, as well as ways to write a regional history based on the close analysis of sites and monuments.
In order to maintain an intimate setting and provide maximium exposure opportunities, the program has a limited capacity of 20 students. Find out more about the program through the program website here.
Qasid Arabic Language Institute
Amman, Jordan
The Qasid Institute has developed a reputation as the leading private institute in the Middle East for Arabic language instruction. It is the institute of choice in Jordan for the Fulbright Program, several university study abroad programs, ACOR, AMIDEAST, the US State Department, the UK Home Office, and half a dozen embassies. Qasid offers courses in Modern Standard Arabic, Classical Arabic, and Jordanian Colloquial, which can be taken as a supplement to either of the other tracks.
The summer program lasts from June 18th through August 24th, 2011. Program fee is $2,250, excluding airfare. Housing and free wi-fi are available. Application due by April 30. More details can be found at: http://www.qasid.com.
Istanbul through the Ages
Koc University
Intensive graduate summer seminar by Koc University focused on an analysis of Istanbul from pre-history to present. This seminar will take place from June 27 to July 29, 2011.
This is a dynamic, in-depth program geared toward graduate students interested in:
- An opportunity to deepen their understanding of İstanbul vis à vis their given academic focus
- Gaining exposure to lecturers with outstanding expertise and perspectives
- Collaborating with a cohort of equals, bonded by a mutual interest in the many dimensions of İstanbul
- Having access to the extensive resources available at the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations and Koç University as a whole
- Attending unique field trip opportunities offering students invitations to opportunities otherwise unavailable to the general public...
...all the while spending your summer in an exotic city bursting with energy, history, spontaneity and endless roads to travel and discover. With over 12 million inhabitants representing a true melting pot of cultures and faiths, İstanbul--supplemented by the contents of this unique summer program--gives you the chance to enrich your academic pursuits while concurrently enriching your mind and soul.
In order to maintain an intimate setting and provide maximium exposure opportunities, the program has a limited capacity of 25 students. Find out more about the program through the program website here.
Summer Travel Course in Tunisia
Loyola University
Loyola Professor Peter J. Schraeder will be leading for the 6th year in a row his highly popular interdisciplinary 22-day summer travel course to Tunisia, “Arab World, Islam and U.S. Foreign Policy,” May 21-June 10, 2011. Fifteen (15) spots are reserved for non-Loyola students. Applications are due March 21, 2011.
Students participating in the trip will:
- Learn about the politics and culture of the Arab World.
- Experience a camel trek in Southern Tunisia.
- Visit sites of political, religious, and historical significance throughout Tunisia.
- Attend presentations at the U.S. Embassy and meet the U.S. Ambassador.
- Take part in joint sessions with English-speaking Tunisian students.
- Camp overnight in the Sahara Desert.
Please visit http://luc.edu/studyabroad/summer_tunisia.shtml to view a syllabus with a detailed daily itinerary of activities. Students may contact Amye Day, Office for International programs at aday1@luc.edu or (773) 508-2551 or e-mail Professor Schraeder at pschrae@luc.edu with questions.
GEEO Travel Abroad for Educators
Regional July 2011 Trips to Morocco or Turkey/Syria/Jordan/Egypt
Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that helps and encourages educators to travel abroad. GEEO hopes to make America more outward-looking by helping teachers travel and then giving them an effective way to share these experiences in their classrooms.
Educators can earn graduate school credit and professional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are designed for teachers and include activities such as school visits and homestays that give participants authentic exposure to local culture. The trips are deeply discounted so as to be affordable to teachers. GEEO also helps teachers find funding to subsidize the cost of the trips.
Detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, and more can be found at www.geeo.org.
Summer Study Abroad in Jordan and Morocco
Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
CIEE offers six-week intensive Arabic summer programs in Jordan and Morocco. Both programs in Amman and Rabat offer students of any level the opportunity to improve their Modern Standard Arabic as well as introducing them to the local dialects of each country. The application deadline is April 1, 2011.
For more information visit their website, www.ciee.org/study, call 1.800.40.STUDY or e-mail studyinfo@ciee.org.
Critical Language Scholarships
U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State is pleased to announce the scholarship competition for the 2011 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program for overseas intensive summer language institutes in thirteen critical need foreign languages. CLS institutes provide fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for
seven to ten weeks for U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students. Students may apply for one language, and will be placed at institute sites based on language evaluations after selection.
Interested applicants should review the full eligibility and application information on the CLS Program website atwww.clscholarship.org/applicants. Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Russian, and Japanese institutes have language prerequisites, described at http://www.clscholarship.org/applicants.htm#prerequisites. The deadline to apply for the 2011 CLS Program is November 15, 2010.
To access the online application, or for more information about the CLS
Program, please visit the CLS website at http://www.clscholarship.org or
email cls@caorc.org.
Intensive Arabic Language in Aleppo, Syria
CET Academic Programs
Hosted at the University of Aleppo in Syria this eight-week summer program (June 3rd - July 29th, 2011) focuses on intensive language acquisition, with a full-time Arabic language pledge. Language courses are integrated and include study of Modern Standard Arabic, Media Arabic and Colloquial Arabic (Levantine dialect). Intermediate, advanced intermediate and advanced Arabic language levels are offered. The summer course is equivalent to one year of college-level Arabic language instruction.
Application is on a rolling basis, closing March 1st, 2011. Apply online at www.cetacademicprograms.com.
Turkish Langauge and Culture Program
The Language Center, Boğaziçi University
In effect since 1982, the annual international summer program in Turkish Language and Culture is an accredited program which offers courses at three basic levels of language instruction taught by university staff specialized in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. The program provides intensive instruction in Turkish to adult learners while offering them an opportunity to have first-hand experience with the Turkish culture.
Courses are offered at elementary, lower and upper intermediate and advanced levels. Class size is limited to approximately 10 students. Each level receives 160 hours of instruction during the program. Classes are held on weekdays 9am - 1pm.
Weekly Turkish and biweekly English lectures are given by scholars specialized in their fields on various aspects of the Turkish culture ranging from economics, history, literature, fine arts, architecture and others. Weekly Turkish film sessions are scheduled for Monday afternoons.
Students can choose to live in provided dorms between the program dates of June 22nd, 2011 to August 11th, 2011. Tuition for 2011 is $3658. Applications are due March 10th, 2011, and students should recieve a response by April 10th. Course credit and financial assistance may be available. Further information about the program and access to the application can be found here.
Direct questions to tlcp@boun.edu.tr or phone number (90)-(212)-257 5039.
Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Immersion Program June 11th - August 6th
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Operating under the principle that language learning occurs best when instruction emphasizes full immersion, UW-Madison's Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Immersion Program employs a communicative approach that entails student-centered, performance-based, and context-oriented language teaching. To meet the program goals of integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking with communication strategies and cultural skills, instructors and students sign a contract agreeing to use the target language exclusively within and outside the classroom. At the end of each level of instruction, students will demonstrate a) greater facility of communication; b) broader understanding of how to engage in the historical and socio-cultural contexts in which the target language is used; and c) expanded individual capabilities in learning how to adapt language skills for life-long learning.
Choose one of eight course sequences: Basic Arabic, Intermediate Arabic, Advanced Arabic, Basic Persian, Intermediate Persian, Advanced Persian, Basic Turkish, or Intermediate Turkish.
Total cost is $6,500, including room, board, and tuition fees.
Application deadline is May 31, 2011. Applications submitted before January 1, 2011 are free. Applications submitted before April 15, 2011 are $25. Applications submitted after are $100. Apply soon as space is limited.
Applications and more details available at: http://apip.global.wisc.edu/index.html
Questions? Contact Quinn Fullenkamp at (608) 262-5666 or apip@global.wisc.edu.
Intensive Summer Arabic, May 25 to August 12
Tufts University
Intensive Summer Arabic Courses at Tufts University : one-year of Arabic
in 6 weeks! Courses offered at the Elementary and Intermediate levels. Elementary Arabic will be offered in the first summer session (May 25-July 1, 2011), and Intermediate Arabic will be offered in the second summer session (July 5-August 12, 2011), so students have to option of taking two years' worth of coursework in one 12-week summer.
To register please visit: ase.tufts.edu/summer
For more information about courses contact:
Rana Abdul-Aziz (elementary Arabic): rana.abdulaziz@gmail.com
Valerie Anishchenkova (intermediate Arabic): valerie.anishchenkova@tufts.edu
Summer Intensive Arabic at Beloit
Beloit College, Wisconsin
Join us in learning a new language with our summer intensive language school. Our four week or eight week courses are designed to immerse you in the language of your choice with high-level instruction and quality resources located in Wisconsin's first College - Beloit College. In the Arabic program, students play an active role in the language tables, study together in groups, and highlight their artistic or culinary talents during the evening of international poetry and song or the international dinner. None of these goals—high-level, fast-paced language acquisition and cultural enrichment —would be possible, however, without the fine instructors of Arabic whom we have had over the years. Students consider their instructors’ talent and creativity, willingness to help students, and dedication to the teaching of Arabic language and culture to be some of the greatest qualities of our program.
Features offered include academic credit, small classes with a maximum of twelve students each, language conversation tables at lunch and dinner, housing with other students of Arabic, and flexibility of sessions.
Who can attend. Programs are open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students; advanced high school students (17 minimum age limit); educators; business persons; and adults interested in language study for academic purposes, career and personal enrichment. The Center for Language Studies is ideal for people preparing to work or study abroad.
When. The Summer 2011 8-week session lasts from June 11 to August 5. The 4-week session lasts from June 11 to July 9.
Now accepting applications on a rolling basis.
For more information, and to apply, visit the program’s website at http://www.beloit.edu/cls/program/arabic/
Intensive Summer Arabic in the Middle East
Ambergh Education
Ambergh provides numerous opportunities for students of Arabic in the Middle East, with programs or partners in Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Most program dates are flexible. Check back at the website for updates about specific locations' course offerings and dates.
For more information, please visit: http://www.arabic-studies.com/english/learn_arabic/index.asp.
2010
Arabic Music Retreat
Arab American Arts Institute
Discover Arabic music with Simon Shaheen, DR. A.J. Racy, and the master instructors at the 14th Annual Arabic Music Retreat, August 14-21, 2010 at Mount Holyoke College.
This week-long intensive session in Arabic music includes lessons on ear-training, music theory and analysis, and music literature as well as private and group instrumental/vocal lessons, and coached ensembles and large orchestra.
To register, or for more information, visit www.simonshaheen.com.
Eco-Cultural Expedition to Morocco
Global Learning Across Borders (LAB) and Georgetown University Outdoor Education
Global LAB and Georgetown University Outdoor Education invite US college students (including incoming freshmen) to join an eco-cultural expedition from May 23 - June 3, 2010.
This educational itinerary will traverse: commercial Casablanca with its magnificent Hassan II mosque; the refined, cosmopolitan seaside capital of Rabat; Fes, with its timeless medina or “old city”, an Arab locus of commerce, religion, and art during the Middle Ages; the laid-back mountain village of Chefchaouen, famous for its picturesque, blue-on-whitewashed medina; the rugged wilderness of the Rif Mountains, home to peaks in excess of 8,000 ft and a traditional redoubt of the Imazighen (literally “The Free Men”), the indigenous peoples of North Africa, also referred to as “Berber”; and the bustling port and cross-roads city of Tangier, a mere 17 miles from Spain.
In the spirit of Global LAB’s experiential semester programs, this expedition will include: guest lectures; home-stays; workshops; a few days of trekking; community service; guided tours—and countless opportunities to interact with warm Moroccans (and practice your Arabic, French, or even Spanish). The late King Hassan II described Morocco’s complexity and essence best: “Rooted in Africa, watered by Islam and rustled by the winds of Europe.” Join us and witness this fascinating mosaic for yourself.
Program fee is $1,995, excluding airfare. Application and program fee due by April 12. More details and an itinerary can be found at: http://outdoored.georgetown.edu/morocco.
International Development Summer Institute - Africa Program (IDSI-AP)
University of Pennsylvania
IDSI-AP provides students with the opportunity to have an applied learning and cultural experience abroad. The program consists of 5-weeks of pre-program preparation at Penn and a 4-week long training program on the campus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.
The program is open to all undergraduates. Application deadline is March 19, visit the program website to print out the application form. For questions, please contact Megan Doherty, megand@seas.upenn.edu.
Zaytuna Summer Arabic Intensive June 21 to August 13
Berkeley, California
The Zaytuna Summer Arabic Intensive provides introductory- and intermediate-level students with a rigorous, complete-immersion language experience in an Arabic-only environment, integrating the acquisition of listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills at an accelerated pace. In eight weeks, students acquire the equivalent of one year of university-level Arabic and meet the objectives of a ten-unit summer intensive program.
The Zaytuna Arabic Intensive does not stress a "classical vs. modern" dichotomy; instead, it focuses on the itnersections and contiutities between classical Arabic and MSA. Zaytuna instructors place a strong emphasis on acquiritng a solid foundation in classical Arabic grammar, while simultaneously developing smooth conversational and reading skills, which are enhanced by the Arabic-only immersion policy.
For more information and to download and application form, please visit the Zaytuna website.
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