Academic Information Language Courses Gulf Studies Courses Academic Staff Academic Calendar Partner Institution – American University of Kuwait Other Program Information Program Management Apply Now Costs

Located at the northern end of the Gulf, the State of Kuwait is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Iraq and possesses approximately 10% of proven world crude oil reserves.  Historically, Kuwait was a significant harvester of pearls from the waters of the Gulf, but that industry disappeared as oil production became the basis of Kuwait’s economy beginning in the 1940s.  Kuwait is a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990 and the subsequent Gulf War in 1991 to restore Kuwaiti sovereignty and independence left the country devastated, with much of its infrastructure destroyed.  However, its oil wealth allowed Kuwait to recover quickly.  Today the population of approximately 3 million includes Kuwaiti nationals (one-third of the total) and nearly 2 million expatriates, primarily from south Asia and other Arab countries.  More than 80% of Kuwait’s population is Muslim, with significant communities of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs present as well.  Islam is the state religion and Arabic the official language, although English is widely spoken.

Students in AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Program in Kuwait will study at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), a private Kuwaiti liberal arts institution on the American model of higher education that enjoys a close relationship with Dartmouth College.  They will live with Arabic speaking Kuwaiti families.

AUK’s campus includes modern classroom buildings together with library and IT facilities, including a restaurant – The Diner.  It is located in the Salmiya district, in easy walking distance of a vibrant shopping district with theaters, malls and restaurants of all kinds from fast-food to fine dining.  By Kuwaiti law, educational institutions in Kuwait must segregate male and female students in the classroom.  AUK complies with Kuwaiti law.

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Academic Information

Students in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Kuwait enroll in courses totaling 16 credits.  All students enroll in Modern Standard and Kuwaiti Arabic and select other electives from offerings in Gulf Studies in a variety of disciplines.

Language Courses

Arabic (Modern Standard, 4 credits; Kuwaiti, 3 credits)
All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic (4 credits) at a level appropriate to their proficiency.  The following levels are offered:

• Beginning (Arabic 101, 102)
• Intermediate (Arabic 201, 202)
• Advanced (Arabic 301,302)

Special tutorial arrangements are made for students whose proficiency is beyond the advanced level (Arabic 401); depending on student interests, various emphases can be offered in Arabic 401.

Kuwaiti Arabic instruction begins during on-site Orientation and continues throughout the semester.  Students are placed in classes appropriate to their previous knowledge of Arabic (Arabic 131, Arabic 231, or Arabic 331).

Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 4 credits)
This course introduces the Arabic alphabet and sound system forms. Students will be given ample opportunity to practice and produce both the alphabet and the sound system; they will start developing their vocabulary via specific structures presented in the textbook. They will learn simple grammatical structures and gradually listen to authentic and instructional materials that come with the textbook. Most of the exercises and the activities are task-based and student-centered.  By the end of this course, students will be able to

• Distinguish and produce the elements of the sound and writing systems of Arabic; successfully use formulaic and functional phrases.                         
• Follow and extract the gist of short written and spoken texts in the news.
• Learn more aspects of Arabic culture useful in daily life.
• Produce basic formulaic speech in conversations in appropriate contexts.

Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 4 credits)
This course consolidates material learned in Arabic 101, and introduces students to more advanced and more challenging linguistic and cultural material from Al Kitaab Part I as well as locally produced authentic materials.  By the end of this course, students will be able to

• Successfully manage in Arabic, using basic sentence patterns, a number of basic conversational tasks in different social situations. 
• Describe physical entities such as houses, rooms, and buildings in simple sentences.
• Use skimming and scanning techniques to extract essential information on familiar topics from simple texts.

Primary textbooks for Arabic 101 and Arabic 102:

• Alif Baa Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi
• Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs A Textbook for Beginning Arabic: Part One, second edition by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi.
• Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic edited by J.M. Cowan
• Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty.

Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 4 credits)
This course is designed to reinforce all the linguistic skills at both the reception and production levels. Students will also get a wide exposure to many aspects of Arabic culture through integrated outings designed for them to practice Arabic language in genuine contexts. By the end of this course, students will be able to

• Use basic conversational tasks successfully in different social situations.
• Understand and use basic grammatical rules.
• Read mid-size texts.
• Extract the main ideas of non-technical texts.
• Extract the main points in video materials and be able to discuss important ideas.
• Develop conversational skills using a variety of language functions (e.g., description, comparison, cause and effect, arguing for/against, etc.)
• Engage in a variety of daily conversations.
• Give short presentations on topics of interest.

Modern Standard Arabic IV (Arabic 202; 4 credits)
This course is a continuation of Arabic 201. Course objectives are seen in terms of students performing linguistic tasks successfully, gaining self-confidence, and expanding their risk-taking in real-life communicative situations. By the end of this course, students will be able to

• Guess the meaning of new words from contexts.
• Use skimming and scanning techniques.
• Write short paragraphs correctly.
• Read authentic material from Arabic advertisements, short narratives, descriptions of people and places, simple contemporary poetry, topics on Arab culture, etc.
• Write both informal and formal letters.
• Write medium length compositions on familiar topics, including descriptions, and short narratives.

Primary textbooks for Arabic 201 and Arabic 202:

• Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs Part One, second edition by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi.
• Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic edited by J.M. Cowan
• Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. 

Modern Standard Arabic V (Arabic 301; 4 credits)
This course is designed to move learners from a stage where they have achieved the basic grammatical skills, to being able to use language in a wider cultural context. At this stage, learners will be widely exposed to the main issues related to the Arab world and Kuwaiti culture. This course adopts a skill-based approach in which learners gain mastery of the language through the use of authentic materials taken from various sources. Teaching techniques are student-centered, with the instructor as the facilitator, and the goal of teaching to make students independent users of Arabic. Encounters with Arab professionals and visits to relevant institutions will be integrated in the syllabus. Evaluation will be based on both achievement of syllabus materials and success in out of the classroom tasks.  By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand more complex grammatical structures
• Listen to daily news, lectures, take notes, and make comments.
• Describe elaborately things that are close to them.
• Compare issues and show their preferences.
• Express their own viewpoints and defend them.
• Linguistically behave appropriately in various situations

Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 4 credits)
This course provides additional practice at the advanced level to help students attain a higher level of skill development (e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing) and linguistic accuracy. By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Expand more essential vocabulary that helps them to cope with topics of professional interest.
• Obtain information, to understand the ideas presented in a text, to discover the author’s point of view and to seek evidence for their point of view.
• Enrich their grammatical knowledge and apply it as one of the analytical tools in comprehending reading texts.
• Produce lengthy descriptive and argumentative discourse in speaking.
• Summarize texts and express their point of views in writing and speaking.
• Interact with native speakers and engage in discussions of contemporary issues.

 Primary textbooks for Arabic 301 and Arabic 302:

• Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs Part Two, second edition by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi.
• Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic edited by J.M. Cowan
• Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc.   

Directed Studies in Arabic (Arabic 401; 4 credits)
In this course, students use authentic material from literature, academic research and both print and electronic media to develop their abilities to extract essential information and identity linguistic nuances. Students are expected to produce reaction papers where they express their own assessment of the content, the form of the text and the position and the arguments of the author.  Students also are expected to be able to identify figures of style and produce texts demonstrating near native competence.  

Teaching Materials will consist of Al-Kitaab III by Brustad et. al and faculty selected materials from Kuwait and other parts of the Arab world.

Kuwaiti Arabic I (Arabic 141; 3 credits)
Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to    carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Kuwaitis. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Kuwaiti Arabic with native speakers.  Living with a Kuwaiti family provides daily opportunity for practice

Kuwaiti Arabic II (Arabic 241; 3 credits)
Students who have already studied Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life in Kuwait. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Kuwaitis. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in simple as well as complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Kuwaiti Arabic with native speakers about non-academic topics.  Living with a Kuwaiti family provides daily opportunity for practice.

Kuwaiti Arabic III (Arabic 341; 3 credits)
Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in Kuwaiti everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Kuwaitis. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Kuwaiti Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic.  Living with a Kuwaiti family provides daily opportunity for practice.

Gulf Studies Courses

Students select three additional courses each semester from AUK’s offerings in Gulf Studies or from among other courses at the University.  Among the courses in Gulf Studies are:

Among the other course offerings at AUK that may be of interest to AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program students are the following (NOTE:  not all courses are offered every semester):

In addition, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program students may enroll in other courses at the University on a space-available basis.  To see a full list of course offerings you may view the on-line AUK catalog at:

http://www.auk.edu.kw/about_auk/uni_publications/catalogs/catalog_08_09.jsp  

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Academic Staff

Dr. Hesham Al-Awadi, Gulf Studies Center Director
Dr. Hesham Al-Awadi was born in Kuwait and educated in the United Kingdom. He completed his BA (Guildhall University), MA (Kent University), MPhil (Cambridge University) and PhD (Exeter University) in the field of Middle Eastern Politics and History. He taught BA and MA Middle East studies at Exeter University from 2001-2003. Dr Al-Awadi also has a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the Institute of Islamic Studies, Cairo.  Areas of interest and courses taught at AUK include the International Relations of Arab States; Ottoman History; Modern History of Kuwait and the Gulf; History of the Islamic World 622-1900; Modern World History Since 1900; and 20th Century Arab History.

Dr. Al-Awadi joined AUK in 2005 and was appointed Director of the Gulf Studies Center in Summer 2008.

Dr. Marjorie Kelly, Gulf Studies Program Coordinator
Dr. Marjorie Kelly has taught Anthropology at the American University of Kuwait since the institution’s second year of operation and also serves as Coordinator for the Gulf Studies Program.  She has a decades-long interest in the Arab world and is a graduate of UCLA’s Islamic Studies program in addition to holding a Ph.D. in anthropology.  Her specialty is Arab society, and she also teaches courses in gender, tourism, museums, and the anthropology of the arts.  Dr. Kelly’s research focuses on the representation of culture for museum and tourist audiences and she is currently completing a survey of heritage museums in the Gulf. 

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Academic Calendar

Fall 2009 Academic Semester Calendar

* Coincides with local sighting of the new moon

Spring 2010 Academic Semester Calendar

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Partner Institution – American University of Kuwait

The AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in the Arab World partner in Kuwait is the American University of Kuwait (AUK).

AUK is an independent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educational liberal arts institution of higher education located in the Salmiya district of Kuwait. The educational, cultural, and administrative structure, methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning. Instruction is conducted in English.

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) and Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire (USA), have been working together since 2003, when the two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding that facilitated a series of advisory, consultative, and cooperative projects. The relationship reflects AUK’s commitment to creating a premier institution of higher learning, based on the liberal arts model, and Dartmouth’s recognition of the importance of AUK’s mission. Since the relationship began, the two institutions have collaborated on a broad array of programs, including student exchanges, curriculum development, Kuwaiti accreditations and U.S. accreditation processes, and academic and administrative programming.

More information about AUK can be found on its website at http://www.auk.edu.kw.

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Other Program Information

Orientation

Upon arrival in Kuwait, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program students participate in an in-depth, two week-long orientation designed to introduce them to Kuwaiti culture, Arabic, and daily life and familiarize them with the logistics of the program. Students initially stay in a hotel then move in with their Kuwaiti host families. The orientation combines structured informational sessions with organized activities and free time to familiarize participants with Kuwait. Topics such as safety and health, family life in Kuwait, cultural adjustment, program regulations, participant responsibilities and other essential information are all discussed during orientation. During the on-site orientation students also take language placement tests, become familiar with the program’s IT environment and begin their Kuwaiti Arabic classes.

Accommodation and Meals

Students enrolled in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Kuwait will live either with Arabic speaking Kuwaiti families that have been carefully screened by AMIDEAST/Kuwait from a database of qualified applicants or in other shared accommodations arranged by AMIDEAST in conjunction with AUK. All host families are Arabic-speaking but most Kuwaitis speak English, many of them quite fluently.

AMIDEAST matches students with host families using a variety of criteria. While all placement preferences may not be met in every case, AMIDEAST will strive to make the best match to ensure a rewarding and pleasant living experience. In the event of a problem, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program staff members will be available either to mediate or to arrange a new host family placement.  Students living with host families will be provided with all meals by their host families but may find that some days it is not possible to return to the family for lunch because of class schedules.  There is a restaurant – The Diner – on the AUK campus which is located in easy walking distance of numerous restaurants and shopping centers.

Activities

In addition to the academic program, the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Kuwait offers a variety of additional learning opportunities to enhance participants' study abroad experience.

• Civil Society:  Students will encounter a variety of Kuwaiti civil society organizations ranging from NGOs active in a variety of fields to women’s organizations to sports clubs.  AMIDEAST/Kuwait and the Program Manager at AUK will organize special activities to facilitate student connections to these organizations.
• Service-learning: AMIDEAST/Kuwait and AUK coordinate organized service-learning projects either for individual students or for larger groups. With many connections to a wide range of organizations in Kuwait, AMIDEAST can adapt projects individual student interests to ensure a unique and satisfying service-learning experience.
• Cross-cultural learning: Students will find a variety of cross-cultural learning opportunities on the AUK campus where most of the students are Kuwaitis and other long-term Arab residents of Kuwait. AUK has a full range of student clubs all of which are open to AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program students.

Excursions

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Kuwait students participate in program-organized excursions in Kuwait and one excursion to another country in the Gulf region. The excursions are coordinated by AMIDEAST/Kuwait in conjunction with the AUK Gulf Studies program’s staff and are led by a member of the faculty. Organized activities are combined with limited free time, allowing students to explore independently within a safe and structured framework. 

Visas and Immigration

Citizens of the U.S. and 33 other countries have easy entry into Kuwait (visa on arrival at Kuwait International Airport.  AUK will assist with student status certification for students from other countries.

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Program Management

The program is managed jointly by AMIDEAST/Kuwait in conjunction with AMIDEAST headquarters in Washington, D.C. and the American University of Kuwait. AMIDEAST works collaboratively with AUK manage many elements of the program, including the on-site orientation, planning of special events and extra-curricular activities.   AUK manages the academic aspects of the program, while AMIDEAST/Kuwait deals with host family placement and supervision. Finally, AMIDEAST/Kuwait, working together with AUK, provides comprehensive support to both participants and administrators in the event of any problems or unusual circumstances.

America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) was founded in 1951.  It has field offices in 23 cities in 14 countries in the region, giving it a well-developed infrastructure, capacity, and institutional record of successful exchange programs rooted in more than five decades of in-region experience administering scholarships and exchanges on behalf of U.S. and Arab governments, private companies, and individuals.

Since 1992, AMIDEAST has been providing quality educational services in Kuwait, with its office currently in Kuwait’s Salmiya district.  AMIDEAST/Kuwait reaches thousands of students and professionals annually through English language courses, academic advising, standardized testing, and cultural exchange programs. AMIDEAST/Kuwait has designed and administered numerous programs for youth, undergraduates, and educators.

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Apply Now

Eligible applicants:

• Are enrolled at an accredited college or university and have completed one year of post-secondary study
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale); however, applications will be considered holistically
• Are physically and emotionally prepared to spend four months in Kuwait
• Are willing to adapt to a new, potentially challenging environment

Application Deadline: Applications are accepted and considered on a rolling basis until the program is filled. We urge you to complete your application as soon as possible, as well as contact an AMIDEAST staff member prior to submission. Applicants will be notified of admission decisions by the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World Admissions Committee within two weeks of completion of their full application.

• November 1, 2009 – Application deadline for spring 2010

for the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the
Arab World on-line application.

For more information contact:

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Kuwait
1730 M Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 776-9640
Fax: (202) 776-7040
Email: KuwaitStudy@amideast.org

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Costs

Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 Fees (per semester):

Estimated Personal Expenses:

* Some host families will be expatriates, particularly for male students.

Tuition and fees include:

• Courses totaling 16 credits and coursepacks
• All-inclusive one-week orientation
• Housing with a host family
• Most meals
• Program-organized excursions
• Supplementary lectures and special events
• Medical insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation, and political and security evacuation coverage

Tuition and fees are subject to change.

Tuition and Fees do NOT cover:

• International airfare
• Some meals
• Local personal transportation
• Communication and other personal expenses

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