The Contemporary Egyptian Politics program offers students a comprehensive understanding of the political and social scene in Egypt today.  Students engage in a wide range of onsite lectures, starting with the founding of modern Egypt by Muhammad Ali in the early 19^th century, continuing through British occupation, the Egyptian monarchy,  the revolution in 1952, and the events surrounding the Arab Spring.

In addition to the formal lectures and meetings, students will be introduced to the Egyptian Colloquial Arabic language, engage their Egyptian peers in dialogues, participate in numerous cultural activities, visit historical sites in and out of Cairo, and meet with representatives from Egyptian governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Academic Information

The course (Political Science 368, 3 credits) traces the development of the republican government through the presidencies of Gamal Abdul Nasser, Anwar Sadat, and Hosni Mubarak in establishing political legitimacy. It then continues by examining the January 25th Revolution of 2011 and its aftermath.  Lectures will also focus on Egypt’s regional and international role, the system of governance, elections, civil society, gender and human rights, political parties, Islamic movements, and media.  The objective of the course is to understand the historical, cultural, economic, social, and political forces in Egypt today as it evolves from a stable authoritarian regime into a new democracy.  Guest lecturers come from civil society organizations, think tanks and political groupings, and students will visit key organizations as well.

Arabic Language Extension

In addition to the 3-week Contemporary Egyptian Politics program, students can also choose to continue their experience in Egypt by participating in the 4-week Intensive Arabic Summer Session II which begins one week following the close of the Politics course.

Classes meet 5 hours per day, 5 days per week. Each student will receive 100 hours of Arabic language instruction in each session, including both Modern Standard Arabic and colloquial Arabic. One summer session covers the material usually presented in one semester on a U.S. campus.

Students are given placement tests on arrival and placed in the level appropriate for their Arabic language proficiency. The following levels are offered:

Arabic I (Arabic 101; 6 credits)*
Arabic II (Arabic 102; 6 credits)
Arabic III (Arabic 201; 6 credits)
Arabic IV (Arabic 202; 6 credits)
Arabic V (Arabic 301; 6 credits)
Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 6 credits)

Full course descriptions will be posted by February 1, 2012. All courses will be taught using the Al Kitaab series. Arabic I, II, III, and IV will use the third edition; Arabic V and VI will use the second edition.

For students whose proficiency is beyond the advanced level, a tutorial program will be arranged to address their specific interests (Media Arabic; Arabic literature; Classical Arabic texts, etc.)