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Rabat is one of Morocco’s “imperial cities,”
and its modern capital. It is home to the leading
educational institutions in the country and
offers students opportunities to move from the
shops and cafes of the “European” city to the
winding alleys and exciting markets of the old
medina in a few minutes’ walk. The
AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Rabat offers
a diverse set of courses, semi-intensive instruction
in Modern Standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic.
Students in the program live either with Arabic-speaking
Moroccan families or in a private Moroccan student
residence hall and attend their classes both
at AMIDEAST’s facilities in the bustling Agdal
area of the city and in the buildings of AMIDEAST’s
partner, the College of Letters and Humanities
of Mohammed V University – Agdal, near the Royal
Palace. Courses are taught by English-speaking
Moroccan faculty members from the University
and other universities in Rabat and neighboring
cities.
Students in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program
in Rabat carry a 16 credit hour load each semester.
All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic
and Moroccan Arabic and select other electives
from offerings in Middle East and North African
studies in a variety of disciplines. Students
must have the equivalent of four college semesters
of French or more in order to take a French
course. All courses are taught exclusively for
the AMIDEAST program, and students take classes
only with other program participants.
All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic
at a level appropriate to their proficiency,
to be determined by the results of a placement
exam administered during on-site orientation.
Moroccan 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 111,
Arabic 211, or Arabic 311).
Media Arabic is also available as an elective
(3 credits) at both the 200- and 300- levels.
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. Students
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. The course will
cover the material in Alif Baa and
Al-Kitaab, Part One, Chapters
1-7. By the end of this course, students
will be able to:
- Distinguish and pronounce all Arabic sounds;
- write accurately from dictation;
- initiate social interactions, ask for basic
information, and be aware of basic cultural
aspects of social interaction in the Arab
world;
- talk about themselves, their education,
and their family with native speakers of Arabic;
- comprehend simple written texts on familiar
topics;
- comprehend simple audio/video texts on familiar
topics;
- compose simple paragraphs about themselves;
and
- be familiar with some of the differences
between formal and spoken Arabic.
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 One, Chapters 8-18 as well
as locally produced authentic materials.
By the end of this course, students will be
able to:
- Activate the learned vocabulary through
interactive activities;
- understand basic grammatical structures
in Arabic;
- produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative
discourse in speaking;
- express their opinions and show their preferences
using structured language;
- follow and understand short written and
spoken texts in the news in the TV;
- read mid-size texts, using skimming techniques
appropriate for their level; and
- learn more aspects of Arabic culture.
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
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.
The material covered in this course is from
Al-Kitaab Part One, Chapters
19-20 and Al-Kitaab, Part Two,
Chapters 1-3. 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;
- understand basic grammatical rules and structures
in Modern Standard Arabic;
- converse in Arabic using a variety of language
functions appropriate for their level; and
- acquire knowledge about major aspects of
Arab and Islamic culture.
Primary textbooks for Arabic 201:
- Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with
DVDs Part One, second edition by
Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas
Al-Tonsi
- 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
- Locally produced materials, selected by
program faculty
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. This
course covers the material in Al-Kitaab,
Part Two, Chapters 4-10.
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, short narratives,
etc;
- master and distinguish Arabic sentence structures;
- understand and construct simple paragraphs
and simple texts;
- enrich his/her vocabulary;
- understand some Arabic spoken situations;
- read and understand short paragraphs and
short texts;
- write correct sentences and correct paragraphs
and short texts; and
- begin to acquire more developed ideas about
Arab and Islamic Culture.
Primary textbooks for Arabic 202:
- 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.
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 Moroccan 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.
This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab,
Part Three, Chapters 1-5. 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; and
- linguistically behave appropriately in various
situations.
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. This course covers the material in
Al-Kitaab, Part Three,
Chapters 6-10. 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 points
of view in writing and speaking; and
- 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 Three, 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.
In this course, students use authentic material
from literature, academic research and the press
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 literature,
texts,and materials assembled by faculty from
Morocco and other parts of the Arab world.
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 Moroccans. 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 Moroccan
Arabic with native speakers. Living with
a Moroccan family or in a student residence
hall with Moroccan students provides daily opportunity
for practice.
Students who have already studied Modern
Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions,
and structures used frequently in everyday life
in Morocco. 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 Moroccans. 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 Moroccan Arabic
with native speakers about non-academic topics.
Living with a Moroccan family or in a student
residence hall with Moroccan students provides
daily opportunity for practice.
Students with a strong background in
Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to vocabulary,
expressions, and structures used frequently
in Moroccan 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 Moroccans. 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 Moroccan Arabic with
native speakers about a wide range of topics,
both academic and non-academic. Living
with a Moroccan family or in a student residence
hall with Moroccan students provides daily opportunity
for practice.
The course introduces students to the Arabic
used in the media. The course is designed to
assist students to read simple news items in
different newspapers from Arab countries; listen
to and understand broadcast news; and understand
the role of media in shaping Arab thought. All
of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis
on the Moroccan media.
This course exposes students to the Arabic used
in the media. It focuses on mastering basic
vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic
media, developing the ability to read and understand
Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary,
developing the ability to listen to radio and
television news broadcasts, writing short summaries
of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing
current economic, political and social issues
covered in the Arabic media. All of the material
used is authentic, with an emphasis on the Moroccan
media.
Please note that not all courses are offered
every semester. These course descriptions are
intended to give students a general sense of
the scope and focus of the program.
Students
will examine the major social issues impacting
contemporary Morocco. The class focuses on such
topics as gender and family, modernization in
the political and economic arenas, urbanization
versus rural development, and socioeconomic
inequalities. Students will also examine Moroccan
society in the context of its Arab-Islamic origins
and the impact of Arab cultural identity on
Moroccan national development.
This course
focuses on the evolution of modern Morocco,
specifically Morocco's integration into the
world system during the last two centuries and
its influence on traditional society and state
growth. Major topics include the traditional
Moroccan society and state, Moroccan reactions
to Western expansion, Morocco under colonial
rule, the emergence of nationalism, politics
and society after independence, and the Islamist
revival.
In this course students will examine the historical
background of relations between Islam and Europe
from the 7th century to the present in order
for them to understand better the present debate
over the Clash of Civilizations thesis. The
initial Islamic expansion, the Crusades and
the confrontation between the Ottoman Empire
and the Habsburgs took place during an extended
period that was also marked by major cultural
exchanges in art, architecture, philosophy and
other fields. Later, imperialism and colonization
added new dimensions to the interaction and
new forms of Islamic reform and extremism developed
in response to growing materialism, the spread
of European mores and values, and the imbalance
of power between East and West from the 19th
century on. The rise of al-Qaeda and the September
11, 2001 attacks once again hardened relations
between the Islamic world and the West.
This course introduces visiting US-American
students to the different facets of contemporary
Moroccan culture. Being caught between the North
and the South, the East and the West, Moroccan
culture has embraced a wide diversity of cultural
variants and has integrated them into a homegrown
cultural hybrid. Pre-Islamic, African, Berber,
European, and modern technological cultures
have intermingled to create contemporary Moroccan
society. This hybridizing process has resulted
in a number of fascinating mixes and paradoxes
(linguistic, cultural, religious, ethnic, and
political). Among the topics covered in this
course are Moroccan traditional culture in the
cyber age; current popular culture: religious
rituals; youth culture; media culture of newspapers,
T.V., and radio stations; the impact of modernization
on Moroccan social practices; perceptions of
time, space and the body; changes in the culture
of womanhood; recent reforms in Morocco (education,
women, human rights, labor laws); culture of
dress, fashion, and traditional clothing; arts,
music, and painting; intellectual production
in different areas; the language question (Arabic,
Amazigh, French, English…); and facing globalization:
the Moroccans' conception of the past, the present,
and the future (religious, cultural, philosophical,
and political implications).
This
course outlines the history of the Imazighen
(or Berbers, North Africa’s indigenous people)
since ancient times. It covers how early Berbers
founded the scattered Libyan kingdoms of classical
antiquity, later interacting with outsiders
(Phoenician, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Vandal,
Byzantine) until the decisive Arab conquest.
It then traces their adaptation to Arab culture
and Islam, highlighted by the prestigious medieval
Berber empires that made a bilingual Arabo-Berber
Morocco a force to be reckoned with in the Mediterranean
world, and the all-pervading growth of Sufism,
before an inward-looking sultanate in decline
(XVIIth-XIXth centuries) paved the way for colonial
domination. The remainder of the course is devoted
to the linguistic erosion suffered by the Berber
tongue, the anti-colonial resistance period
(1908-1934), not to mention the Amazigh renaissance
of the post-1980s and today’s identity crisis.
Although not a language course, some rudiments
of Tamazight (Berber) will be imparted, together
with its oral poetry. The course will basically
consist of lectures, with assigned readings
and preparation for oral presentations by students,
plus oral question-and-answer sessions, relevant
power-point projections, and scope for one or
two field-trips into the Middle Atlas. It is
also imperative that time be allotted for instructor
to meet students and provide advice with research
papers. NOT OFFERED IN FALL 2009
This
course will provide a survey of the major Maghrebi
Francophone writers from the pre-colonial, colonial
and postcolonial periods, highlighting the significant
changes and influences that North African literature
has gone through. The course will adopt a historicist/comparative
approach, selecting representative writers from
each decade, starting from the1950s to the late
1990s and scrutinizing the similarities/differences
in style, content and approach of these writers
throughout these historical moments/stages in
the development of the textual identity
of this literature. The course will be divided
into three main parts. The first part of the
course serves as an introduction to the historical
as well as the socio-cultural environment that
fostered the birth, survival and thriving of
this diasporic literary movement that will be
later on acknowledged and called Maghrebi literature.
Part two will focus on the literature of resistance
and struggle against all forms of oppression,
patriarchy and colonialism from the 1950s and
1960s. Part three will include postcolonial
and modernist writers of the 1970s through the
1990s.
This course is an overview of Maghribi politics
with a focus on the political dynamics and system
of post-independence Morocco. It begins
with the historical background of the region
(Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)) focusing on the
20th century. Then it moves on to an outline
of the general conditions that shape the formation
of modern Maghribi states : colonial and international
interests, regional geopolitics, anti-colonialism
and the impact of Arab nationalism, cultural
factors including Berberism, the conflict over
the western Sahara and the rise of Islamism.
Case studies of Maghribi political systems will
create a comparative perspective with other
states in the Arab. Following this introductory
and comparative look, the course will focus
on the Moroccan political system from the 1950s
to the present. In a historical perspective,
this part will investigate the evolution of
the kingdom from the authoritarianism of the
“years of lead” to a relative democracy at the
turn of the century. We will examine also the
interplay of the monarchy, the political parties,
civil society organizations and the Islamist
movements.
This
course will take a multidisciplinary look at
gender within the context of Muslim majority
countries with a particular focus on Morocco.
A major part of the course will be fieldwork
oriented. Some of the class sessions will be
visits to women’s associations, both secular
and Islamic. Discussion will focus on
the processes of empowerment and disempowerment
that are engendered by Islamic and secular women’s
activism in Morocco. The overall objective is
introduce students to contemporary scholarship
on women’s issues, feminist activism in both
a secular and Islamic context and the nature
of women’s engagement with power in the Islamic
world. In addition to fieldwork visits
to some Moroccan women’s associations, students
will read texts written by academic and activist
feminists.
Ce séminaire s’adresse aux
étudiants qui souhaitent découvrir une nouvelle
forme d’écriture romanesque francophone du Maghreb,
améliorer leur prise de parole en français et
aborder la littérature comme vecteur permettant
d’interroger une société et à travers elle,
un mode de pensée et de culture artistique,
religieuse, spirituelle et mythique. Ce séminaire
vise trois objectifs: 1. Présenter l’historique
des littératures francophones du Maghreb (histoire
de la colonisation française, mouvements politiques
qui ont déterminé l’engagement en littérature,
le genre autobiographique comme modèle de société,
esthétiques de la langue française comme guerilla
linguistique, etc.). 2. Permettre une analyse
prudente et progressive des textes au programme
en privilégiant l’aspect découverte d’un mode
d’écriture et insister sur l’universalité de
l’approche de la lecture méthodique qui se construit
au contact de références littéraires et théoriques
quelle qu’en soit l’origine (intertextualité,
thématiques de l’exil, de la lecture, du choix
de la langue d’écriture de l’écrivain, des religions,
des mythes, de la quête de l’identité. 3. favoriser
une ambiance de confiance et de sérénité capable
d’encourager les étudiants à s’exprimer librement
en utilisant la langue française comme unique
moyen de communication en classe pour les conduire
progressivement à débattre et écrire dans cette
langue qu’ils cherchent à maîtriser. Les oeuvres
au programme sont:
- Rachid MIMOUNI, Une peine à vivre (1991)
- Souad BAHECHAR. Ni fleurs, ni couronnes
(2000)
- Assia DJEBAR, La Disparition
de la langue française (2003).
- Abdelkébir KHATIBI. Pèlerinage d’un
artiste amoureux (2003).
- Colette FELLOUS, Aujourd’hui (2005)
- Mohamed LEFTAH, Au bonheur des limbes
(2006).
- Abdelfattah KILITO. Le Cheval de Nietzsche
(2007)
Dr. Mohammed Ezroura is Professor of English
and former Vice Dean of the College of Arts
and Humanities, Mohammed V University-Agdal.
He earned his PhD in Comparative Literature
and Critical Theory from the University of British
Columbia (Canada), his MA in the Sociology of
Literature from Essex University (UK) and his
undergraduate degree in English from Mohammed
V University. He served for many years as resident
director of the Vassar College study abroad
program in Morocco and has been a visiting scholar
or professor at the University of California,
Santa Barbara, the American Studies Research
Center in Hyderabad, India, University of British
Columbia, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee,
Vassar College, Lincoln University, Connecticut
College, Seoul National University (Korea),
Cairo University (Egypt), Edinburgh University
(UK) and Stirling University (UK).
Dr. Mohamed Aafif is Professor of History in
the College of Arts and Humanities, Mohammed
V University-Agdal. He earned his PhD in History
at Mohammed V University-Agdal, MPhil in Anthropology
at New York University, Master’s and undergraduate
degrees at Mohammed V University in History
and Geography respectively. He is a widely published
scholar who has also translated important scholarly
works on Morocco and Japan into Arabic. A Fulbright
Scholar and a Japan Foundation Fellow, Dr. Aafif
has been a visiting scholar and professor at
Seikei University (Japan), Sophia University
(Japan), University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee,
University of Michigan, National Museum of Ethnology
in Osaka (Japan), and Joensuu University (Finland).
Ms. Doha Aitahmedearnedher bachelor’s
degree in Englishfrom Ibnou Zohr University
in Agadir in 2000. Since then she has been working
for the Peace Corps as a trainer, teaching modern
standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic and Tashelhit
to volunteers headed for placements in areas
related to economic development and social affairs.
Ms. Aitahmed is very involved in social programs,
and has often facilitated the participation
of international volunteers and project leaders
by preparing intensive Arabic programs and cross-cultural
seminars. She has participated in a youth
development training project every summer since
2001, in collaboration with the Ministry of
Youth and Sports and Youth Centers in Morocco
and is a member of the AIDS Awareness Development
Committee. Ms. Aitahmed brings experience,
enthusiasm and knowledge of society to her Moroccan
Arabic classes.
Ms. Naima Bary graduated from Mohammed
V University – Agdal in Rabat with master’s
degree in applied linguistics and foreign language
teaching methodologies. Since then, she has
been teaching English in several academic and
foreign professional institutions. Her research
interests include second language acquisition,
education in multicultural societies and applied
learning technologies. Ms. Bary is deeply involved
in teacher training and has participated in
a number of workshops in Egypt, Washington D.C,
Miami and Texas and has represented Morocco
at the First International Annual Leadership
Conference in Ocala, Florida. In 2006, she was
a Fulbright scholar at Florida Atlantic University.
She was on the staff of the summer Arabic and
North African Studies program at Al Akhawayn
University in 2007 and 2008. Ms. Bary is a member
of the American Association of University
Supervisors and Coordinators and the African
Language Teachers Association.
Ms. Assia Belhabib is Professor of French in
the College of Arts and Humanities of Ibn Tofail
University in Kenitra, Morocco. She earned her
undergraduate and graduate degrees in French
language and literature at Mohammed V University
in Rabat. She has been teaching at Ibn Tofail
University since 1992, where she teaches courses
on Francophone North African literature, the
contemporary French novel, contemporary French
poetry, techniques of communication, French
theatre, composition, print media and reading
of literary and non-literary texts. She involved
in a Franco-Moroccan curriculum project to reform
the teaching of French and is in charge of revising
the History of Ideas course that is part of
the Master of Literature program at Ibn Tofail
University. Ms. Belhabib is member of several
professional organizations including the International
Council of Francophone Studies, and the Association
for the Study of African Literatures, and is
a member of the International Seminar of Francophone
Studies, a partnership of the University of
Connecticut and several Moroccan universities.
Dr. Ettibari Bouasla is Professor of
Sociology in the College of Arts and Humanities,
Mohammed V University-Agdal. He earned his PhD
at the University of East Anglia (UK), a post-graduate
degree at René Decartes University (France)
and his undergraduate degree from Mohammed V
University. He is a widely published scholar
who has served as a visiting professor at the
U.N. Social Defense Research Institute (Rome
and Saudi Arabia) and at Sultan Qaboos University
(Oman).
Dr. Souad Eddouada is a faculty
member in the English Department at Ibn Tofail
University in Kenitra, Morocco. She earned
her undergraduate and graduate degrees from
Mohammed V University – Agdal in Rabat.
Dr. Eddouada’s doctoral dissertation focussed
on women, gender and the state, and her current
research is on feminist activism in Morocco
in the aftermath of the changes in the family
code. She has post-doctoral research at
Lund University in Sweden and the Institute
of Advanced Studies at Princeton University
where she was a Fulbright Post-Doctoral Research
Scholar in the fall semester 2008.
Dr. Najib Mokhtari is a former professor
of English at the College of Arts and Humanities
of Mohammed V University – Agdal. He earned
his doctoral degree in cross-cultural studies,
comparative literatures and hybrid cultures
at the University of Texas at Austin. His doctoral
dissertation on “The Hybridization of Cultures
and Literatures in North African Post-colonial
Novel” crosses traditional disciplinary lines
between the history of Arabo-Islamic literary
scholarship, literary criticism and cultural
studies to explore untouched intellectual and
oftentimes diasporic linguistic, cultural and
ideological trends in order to show how new,
Western (colonial) concepts drawn from cultural
studies and social anthropology entered indigenous,
popular, folk culture and literature to influence
20th century Maghrebi (North African) refashioning
of aesthetics, language, socio-cultural patterns,
political trends and literary genres.
Dr. Maâti Monjibis a researcher at
the Institute of African Studies in Rabat.
Born in Morocco, he earned his first Ph.D in
France (North African history) and another one
from Dakar University in African comparative
history. He published articles and studies on
the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan
Africa. He has taught at universities in Morocco,
Senegal and the U.S. His publications
include : The Moroccan Monarchy and
the Struggle for Power (Paris, L’Harmattan,
1992), a political biography of Mehdi Ben
Barka, with. Z. Daoud (Paris, Editions
Michalon, 1996-2000), and Islamists versus
Secularists in Morocco (ed.) (Amsterdam,
IKV, 2008). He is currently preparing a political
biography of the west African politician Mamadou
Dia.
Dr. Michael Peyron is a visiting professor
at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco.
He was born and attended primary and secondary
schools in the United Kingdom. He earned
his undergraduate and graduate degrees in France
(at the universities of Bordeaux and Grenoble).
His doctoral thesis was on an Amazigh area in
the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Dr.
Peyron taught at the Faculty of Letters of Mohammed
V University in Rabat 1973-1988) and in the
English Department at Grenoble University (1988-95).
In the late 1980s, the focus of his career switched
form English to Amazigh studies. From 1995 to1997
he was a guest lecturer at King Fahd School
for Translation (Tangier, Morocco), and since
1997 has been a visiting professor at Al-Akhawayn
University. Dr. Peyron’s publications
include numerous articles and half a dozen books
in French and English on Amazigh-related affairs,
including, two volumes of bi-lingual Berber-French
poetry; a collection of folktales in a Berber-English
edition; four edited conference proceedings
on Amazigh culture; since 1985, he has regularly
contributed entries to the multi-volume Encyclopédie
Berbère; and, he put together an Amazigh
Studies Reader (2006) which he uses in
his teaching.
Dr. Stuart Schaar is Professor Emeritus
of Middle East and North African History at
Brooklyn College of the City University of New
York. After earning his bachelor’s degree in
history from the City College of New York, he
did his graduate work at Princeton University
where he received a joint Ph.D. in western European
history and Middle East Studies. He specialized
in North African history and wrote his doctoral
thesis on “Conflict and Change in Nineteenth
Century Morocco”. He was a guest student for
nine months at the North African Center at the
University of Aix-en-Provence in France and
first went to North Africa in 1960. He wrote
his dissertation and lived in Morocco for two
years on a Ford Foundation grant and landed
his first job in the Comparative Tropical History
Program at the University of Wisconsin (Madison).
He then worked and wrote articles for two years
for the American Universities Field Staff covering
North Africa, the Middle East and East Africa,
living for six months in Nairobi, Kenya and
lecturing at the University of Nairobi, University
of Dar es-Salam (Tanzania) and Makerere University
(Uganda). As part of the AUFS touring
scholar program, he lectured for a year at ten
universities throughout the United States including
the California Institute of Technology, Dartmouth
College, Indiana University, Michigan State
University, Southern University, Tulane University,
and the University of Wisconsin, among others.
He taught at Brooklyn College from 1968 until
February 2007 when he retired and moved to Rabat,
Morocco. A recipient of four John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation grants, Dr. Schaar is
co-editor of The Middle East and Islamic
World Reader (New York: Grove Press, 2003).
Spring 2010
Friday,
January 8
Saturday, January 9
Sunday, January 10
Thursday, January 14
Monday, January 18
Friday, February 26
Saturday, May 1
Friday, May 7
May 10-14
Saturday, May 15 |
Depart
the U.S.
Arrive and check into hotel
Orientation begins
Move in with host family
Classes begin
Prophet's Birthday (no classes)
Labor Day (no classes)
Final day of classes
Final exams
Depart Morocco |
Fall 2010 (Tentative)
Friday,
August 20
Saturday, August 21
Sunday, August 22
Thursday, August 26
Monday, August 30
September 10-11 (approx)
Saturday, November 6
Tuesday, November 16
Thursday, November 18(approx)
Friday, December 10
December 13-17
Saturday, December 18 |
Depart
the U.S.
Arrive and check into hotel
Orientation begins
Move in with host family
Classes begin
Eid al-Fitr (no classes)
Green March Day
Eid al-Adha (no classes) (approx)
Independence Day (no classes)
Final day of classes
Final exams
Depart Morocco |
Spring 2011 (Tentative)
Friday,
January 7
Saturday, January 8
Sunday, January 9
Wednesday, January 12
Monday, January 17
Friday, February 25
Friday, May 6
May 9-13
Saturday, May 14 |
Depart
the U.S.
Arrive and check into hotel
Orientation begins
Move in with host family
Classes begin
Prophet's Birthday (no classes)
Final day of classes
Final exams
Depart Morocco |
The AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in the
Arab World partner in Rabat, Morocco is Mohammed
V University – Agdal.
Founded in 1917 in Rabat, Mohammed V University-Agdal
is Morocco's most prestigious public university.
It has over 25,000 students in its various schools,
and over 10,000 in its College of Letters and
Humanities, where the AMIDEAST Education Abroad
Program is focused. Its faculty includes many
of Morocco's pre-eminent scholars, while its
students are among the most promising in the
nation.
Mohammed V University-Agdal is an international
academic leader, and is committed to the global
exchange of ideas and people. In particular,
it participates in a wide variety of bi-lateral
and multi-lateral research initiatives, hosts
visiting scholars from throughout the world,
and works cooperatively with several international
organizations, most notably the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). The University is also home to a growing
number of international students, most of them
from African and Asian countries.
AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program courses in
Rabat are taught by a select group of Moroccan
professors from the College of Letters and Humanities
as well as others from other colleges of the
University and from other institutions in Rabat
and neighboring cities. All have both fluency
in English and experience teaching in English.
Participating faculty earned post-graduate degrees
at universities in North America and Europe
or have spent extended periods at English-medium
institutions as students, visiting faculty or
visiting researchers.
More information about Mohammed V University
– Agdal can be found on its website: http://www.um5a.ac.ma/SiteAnglais/index.php
Upon arrival in Rabat, AMIDEAST Education Abroad
Program students participate in an in-depth,
week-long orientation designed to introduce
them to Moroccan culture and daily life, and
familiarize them with the logistics of the program.
During orientation students also are introduced
to the principles of intercultural communication.
Students stay in a hotel in central Rabat during
orientation, and move to their accommodation
for the semester at the end of the first week.
The orientation combines structured informational
sessions with organized activities and free
time to familiarize participants with the city
of Rabat. Topics such as safety and health,
family life in Morocco, cultural adjustment,
program regulations, participant responsibilities
and other essential information are all discussed
during orientation. During the on-site orientation
students also meet their professors, take language
placement tests, and become familiar with the
program’s IT environment.
Students enrolled in the AMIDEAST Education
Abroad Program in Rabat, Morocco have a choice
of living arrangements and meal plans.
Living with a Moroccan Family – students who
select this option will live with a Moroccan
family that has been carefully screened by AMIDEAST/Morocco
from a database of qualified applicants. Students
usually are placed with families who have previous
experience hosting American students through
AMIDEAST. Few, if any, families speak English.
Most host family members speak Arabic as a first
language and also speak French; a small number
of family members also speak Spanish or Amazigh
(Berber) as well. 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.
Living in a student residence with a Moroccan
roommate – students who select this option will
live in a private Moroccan student residence
hall that opened in 2007. Each double room has
a private bathroom and toilet, small refrigerator
and cooking facilities and internet access.
There are separate buildings for male and female
students and strict gender segregation is enforced.
The residence hall is located in the university
quarter of the city and students living there
should expect to take public transportation
to and from classes. A student cafeteria is
located across the street and students may eat
there, prepare their own meals in their rooms,
or eat in restaurants.
Please note that the availability of residence
hall rooms is limited; therefore, AMIDEAST cannot
guarantee that students who select this option
can be placed there. Students who are not assigned
a residence hall room will be placed with host
families.
In addition to the academic program, the AMIDEAST
Education Abroad Program in Rabat offers a variety
of additional learning opportunities to enhance
participants' study abroad experience.
- Civil Society: Students will encounter a
variety of Moroccan civil society organizations
ranging from political and human rights groups
to women’s organizations to sports clubs.
AMIDEAST will organize special activities
to facilitate student connections to these
organizations.
- Service-learning: AMIDEAST coordinates organized
service-learning projects either for individual
students or for larger groups. With many connections
to a wide range of organizations in Morocco,
AMIDEAST can adapt projects individual student
interests to ensure a unique and satisfying
service-learning experience.
- Cross-cultural learning: AMIDEAST and Mohammed
V University-Agdal organize a variety of cross-cultural
learning opportunities. Ranging from meet-and-greets
to formal presentations, these events give
participants the chance to interact with Moroccan
students, to learn more about Morocco, and
to introduce others to American culture.
AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Rabat
students participate in three program-organized
excursions outside of Rabat to visit major cities
and historical sites in Morocco. The excursions
are coordinated by AMIDEAST/Morocco in conjunction
with the program’s academic staff from Mohammed
V University-Agdal 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.
- Three days/two nights in Marrakesh.
- Three days/two nights in and around Fez.
- Three days/two nights in northern Morocco.
There is also an optional excursion (at additional
cost) to the desert (including one night in
tents among dunes).
American citizens must present a valid passport,
but they are not required to obtain a visa to
travel to Morocco. Visitors may remain in Morocco
for up to three months, after which time they
must leave the country or apply for a residency
permit. AMIDEAST will coordinate the visa extension
process when necessary.
Citizens of other countries should check with
AMIDEAST during the application process to ascertain
what visa requirements they may face.
The program is managed by AMIDEAST/Morocco
in conjunction with AMIDEAST headquarters in
Washington, D.C. AMIDEAST works collaboratively
with Mohammed V University-Agdal to oversee
the academic curriculum and implementation of
the program. It also manages all logistical
elements of the program, including the on-site
orientation, host family placement and supervision,
arrangements for optional travel excursions,
and the planning of special events and extra-curricular
activities. Finally, AMIDEAST 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 145 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 1979, AMIDEAST has been providing quality
educational services in Morocco. With offices
in Rabat and Casablanca, AMIDEAST reaches thousands
of students and professionals annually through
English and Arabic language courses, academic
advising, standardized testing, and cultural
exchange programs. AMIDEAST/Morocco has designed
and administered numerous programs for youth,
undergraduates, and educators, and has arranged
homestays, transportation, excursions, community
service, language training, professional meetings,
and lectures for groups of American students.
Doha Ait Ahmed serves as Program Manager for
AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in Rabat.
A Moroccan citizen, Doha grew up in Agadir in
southern Morocco and has lived in Rabat for
the past eight years. After graduating in 2000
from Ibnou Zouhr University in Agadir with a
bachelor’s degree in English, she taught English
and classical Arabic at two schools in Agadir
before moving to Rabat to work with the U.S.
Peace Corps. While working with the Peace Corps
from 2001 until 2008, Doha was a Moroccan Arabic
and Tashelhit (an Amazigh dialect) teacher,
cross-cultural trainer and home stay coordinator.
She also worked each summer with a youth development
training center in Fez. Doha joined AMIDEAST
in June 2008 as a group leader for American
high school students from Seattle in Morocco
for an intercultural experience. She began teaching
Moroccan Arabic in the fall 2008 semester, facilitated
cross-cultural training sessions and organized
academic program excursions. In the summer of
2009 she taught both Moroccan Arabic and Modern
Standard Arabic as part of the AMIDEAST Summer
Intensive Arabic Program in Rabat. In the fall
semester 2009 she became Program Manager.
- 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 Morocco
- Are willing to adapt to a new, potentially
challenging environment
Application Deadline: In order to allow prospective students ample time to apply for our new AMIDEAST Arab Heritage Fund Scholarships, applications to the semester program in Rabat, Morocco, will be accepted on a rolling basis until our new deadline of April 1, 2010. Please note that because applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, the program may fill up prior to this date. Interested students are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
for the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in
the
Arab World on-line application.
AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Rabat
1730 M Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 776-9640
Fax: (202) 776-7040
Email: MoroccoStudy@amideast.org
Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 Fees (per semester):
|
Fall |
Spring |
Academic Yr |
Tuition & fees |
$11,050 |
$11,050 |
$20,850 |
Room & board |
$2,450 |
$2,450 |
$4,900 |
TOTAL |
$13,500 |
$13,500 |
$25,750 |
Estimated Personal Expenses:
|
Fall |
Spring |
Academic Yr |
International airfare1 |
$1,500 |
$1,500 |
$1,5002 |
Local transportation |
$320 |
$320 |
$640 |
Personal expenses3 |
$900 |
$900 |
$1,800 |
Books |
$200 |
$200 |
$400 |
TOTAL |
$2,920 |
$2,920 |
$4,340 |
1 International airfare will vary depending on departure city.
2 Academic year students who choose to go home for the semester break will incur the cost of an additional flight.
3 This includes an estimated $320/semester for meals not covered by the room and board charge.
Tuition and fees include:
- Courses totaling 16 credits and course packs
- All-inclusive one-week orientation
- Housing (either with a host family or in a student residence hall)
- Most meals (if with a host family) or a meal stipend (if in residence hall)
- 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
- Local personal transportation
- Communication and other personal expenses
- Books
- Some meals
Morocco is a gateway to Africa and the Arab
world. A meeting point for civilizations and
continents situated on the northwest tip of
Africa, contemporary Morocco, with its nearly
35 million people, is a unique fusion of Middle
Eastern, European, and African cultural influences.
Here, visitors have the opportunity to experience
life in a Muslim country while exploring the
distinct society and traditions of the Maghreb.
Whether enjoying a croissant and mint tea at
a cafe, visiting Amazigh (Berber) villages or
wandering through the medinas and their
souqs, each experience in Morocco offers
rich insight into its remarkable culture. With
its striking topography, vibrant culture, and
distinctive history, Morocco is an ideal destination
for cross-cultural interchange and learning.
Morocco's physical landscape is as varied as
its culture, ranging from sun-scorched deserts
to temperate coastal plains, mountain peaks
to sandy beaches. Visitors can even ski on the
snowy slopes of the Atlas Mountains in winter.
A mild, Mediterranean climate predominates in
most parts of the country, with hot, sunny summers,
and cool, moist winters.
Islam heavily influences daily life in Morocco.
From the fasts of Ramadan to the five daily
calls to prayer, it is a significant force in
virtually all aspects of Moroccan life. It has
been the dominant religion in the region for
nearly fourteen hundred years and the official
religion of the modern state since Morocco regained
its independence in 1956. The population is
overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, adhering to the
moderate Maliki school of Islamic law.
Moroccan Islam has attracted considerable attention
from scholars for its openness to democratic
reforms (support for multi-party democracy,
human rights, women's rights, and acceptance
of liberalism in government). American anthropology
as a field has been strongly influenced by fieldwork
carried out in Morocco by pre-eminent scholars
such as Clifford Geertz, Lawrence Rosen, Paul
Rabinow, Vincent Crapanzano, Daisy Dwyer, and
others. The diversity of the hybrid cultural
variants in the country is fascinating. Not
only in religious practice but also in music,
folklore, rituals, architecture, and ethnic
interactions. The new emphasis on Amazigh (Berber)
culture is another area of increasing interest
in many fields as well.
Morocco is one of the most politically stable
countries in the Arab world, and a long-time
ally of the United States and Europe. It is
accessible to visitors, with a thriving tourist
industry and a generally friendly attitude towards
foreigners. Governed as a constitutional monarchy,
the current head of state is King Mohammed VI,
who ascended the throne in 1999. His reign has
been marked by political and social reform,
economic liberalization, and an increasingly
active role in international politics.
Rapid urbanization is changing the appearance
and character of contemporary Morocco, with
over half of the population now residing in
cities. Casablanca, situated on the Atlantic
coast, is the country's largest city and economic
capital, with a population of nearly four million.
Rabat, the nation's capital and its second-largest
city, is located about sixty miles to the north.
Other major urban areas include the popular
tourist destinations of Fez, Marrakesh, Tangier,
and Agadir.
AMIDEAST’s programs are based in Rabat, Morocco’s
cosmopolitan capital. Situated at the confluence
of the Bou Regreg River and Atlantic Ocean,
Rabat is a relaxed, yet stately metropolitan
community of 1.7 million people. Steeped in
rich history, Rabat is one of Morocco’s four
imperial cities. Its medina (old city) is easy
to navigate and includes housing as well as
shops and traditional craftsmen plying their
trade, The modern city, dating to the early
20th century has wide, pedestrian-friendly,
tree-lined boulevards and many green spaces,
and houses the political and administrative
offices of Morocco’s government as well as its
parliament, supreme court and Royal Palace..
Settled in the third century BC, Rabat subsequently
was ruled by the Romans, Berbers, Arabs, and
lastly the French before Morocco’s independence
in 1956.
In addition to government offices, Rabat is
home to Morocco’s most prestigious academic
institutions and numerous non-governmental and
international organizations, including ISESCO
(the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization). Mohammed V University – Agdal
was Morocco’s first modern university and is
joined in Rabat by such prestigious institutions
as the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy, National
Administration School, and Applied Statistics
Institute. A recent addition to Rabat’s research
and cultural institutions is the Royal Institute
of Amazigh Culture.
Rabat’s waterfront is undergoing a total makeover
with construction of a marina, apartment and
commercial complexes, and a landscaped walkway
along the riverside. A light rail system is
under construction and soon will link Rabat
with Salé, its rival twin city across the river,
and extend through the modern city to Madinat
al-Irfan (City of Knowledge, or university quarter).
With tens of thousands of students and a vibrant
cultural life, Rabat is an exciting place to
live and study.
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