Education Abroad in the MENA

It's been great to welcome the newest cohort of students from the FIE/Amideast joint program 'Conflict and the Struggle for Peace' to Amman! Fresh from two weeks in Dublin and Northern Ireland, the group spent their first days getting to know their new host country with a tour of Amman and moved in with their host families.


FIE: Foundation for International Education

From Iraq to the UAE, check out these catchy songs in our new Khaleeji playlist! 🎵

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6S2xTUVxnGY96aqGdUQyto?si=c6ddcbfea0a74c69

This quarter’s theme, “Promoting Mutual Understanding,” comes straight from Amideast’s mission statement and is a critical component to everything we do in education abroad – but what does it mean in practice? Crucially, mutual understanding begins with cultural humility, an essential trait for a successful and rewarding study abroad experience and one which Amideast works to cultivate in every program. Our intentionally designed programs prioritize interactions with local peers, host families, and community organizations, creating opportunities for dialogue and exchange. Participants learn local dialects to facilitate a deeper understanding of the host community and the individuals within it. With these foundations, participants can listen earnestly, and build long-lasting connections with people they would not have encountered at home. These relationships open opportunities for everyone involved to reevaluate preconceived ideas and find commonalities.

Last month, David participated in our CASE program in Tunisia and wrote about his day-to-day experience in this blog! amideastedabroad.org/home/case-day-by-day

Another successful CASE program is in the books! Early this month, students from around the country traveled to to learn from scholars, activists, and community members about environmentalism, feminism, migration, labor, race, political activism, and so much more. We're excited to see how this group of participants use their experiences to benefit their home communities.

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with WorldKind, a leader in pre-departure training and technology. Together, we are committed to supporting students and promoting educational and cultural exchange opportunities.

Eid al-Adha Mubarak from Amideast Education Abroad! We're wishing everyone a peaceful and blessed Eid.

Sometimes it's good just to stop and appreciate the little things about your study abroad experience. Rutgers University blogger Laila did just that in this "Ode to the Strays of the Medina". Read it here: amideast.org/home/bosta-blog5 Rutgers Global - Study Abroad @

Attention high school students! Are you interested in learning Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Russian, or Turkish?

Great news! The 2024 Virtual National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Program is now accepting applications. This is your chance to participate in a virtual exchange program and learn a new language. The application deadline is June 10, 2024. As part of the Virtual NSLI-Y program, you will be placed in a virtual classroom and attend 90-minute language sessions twice a week, taught by experienced language teachers. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! For more information, visit https://www.nsliforyouth.org/virtual/

Lebanese designers are leaving their mark on the contemporary design scene. Check out this week's share featuring some of the innovative pieces displayed at the We Design Beirut event this past week: https://www.admiddleeast.com/story/36-lebanese-designers-spotlight-beiruts-dynamic-creative-scene-at-villa-audi

Studying abroad is an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and Fordham University blogger Sabrin did exactly that during her program amideastedabroad.org/home/sultana-blog-comfort-zone Fordham Study Abroad Office

Learning about and recognizing traditional clothing and jewelry can be a great opportunity to learn more about your host country. American University blogger Molly takes us with her on a recent trip to the National Museum of Jewelry and Adornment amideastedabroad.org/home/janicki-blog4-jewelry AU Abroad - American University

What does a weekend look like in the life of an Amideast student in Jordan? GW blogger Asiyah takes us with her during her weekend excursion amideastedabroad.org/home/ball-blog4 The George Washington University GW Office for Study Abroad and Student Exchange

Missed our Community College Month panel discussion? Check out the recording in this week's to hear more about the importance of community college and two-year degree institution engagement in the MENA.

https://youtu.be/WrqI9Oyb4nE

Certains des premiers exemples de henné ont été observés dans l'Afrique du Nord. Appliqué de différentes manières comme art corporel, il est souvent associé à des célébrations occasions spéciales. L'art de henné est caractérisé par la présence de motifs géométriques ou naturels, et varie d'un pays à l'autre.

During the fall, University of Southern California blogger Tal had a chance to meet, and talk to, the Tea Man of Fez. Sometimes you can learn a lot from meeting people where they are and using your local language skills. amideastedabroad.org/home/slon-blog4-tea USC Office of Overseas Studies

"How much you take from your time here really depends on how eager you are to put yourself out there, ask questions, and learn." Learning a local language is an important tool to engage with people in your community. University of Nebraska-Lincoln blogger Danny gives tips for active Arabic learning in this blog amideastedabroad.org/home/vinton-blog1-arabic UNL Global Experiences

To conclude this week's sessions on community colleges in the MENA, we're joined by Dr. Dima Steitieh, the Deputy Dean at Ammon Applied University College, for a discussion on the operational model used by Jordanian community colleges. Watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRSfQ0L2xhQ

For Community College Month (and every month), we celebrate the important contributions of these institutions to enhancing opportunity and education internationally!

Amideast/Jordan

This , we are highlighting Yahya Ashour, Palestinian poet, award winning author, and Amideast alumnus. You can read more about him via the Thaqafa Thursday link in our bio.

Yahya will also be holding a poetry reading in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 29th at 6 pm. RSVP at whattheworldssilencesaysa.rsvpify.com.

Join us for the second session of in celebration of Community College Month! In today's discussion, we hear from Anis Rouissi with Tunisia's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research about the ISET model and the impact of community colleges in the country. To watch, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObkB3m3HNOo

Can you guess which country will take the spotlight in tomorrow's session?

Amideast/Tunisia

Making friends in your host city can be one of the best ways to learn about your new community, but it can also be intimidating. Emma wrote about how she found friends in Tunis in her blog, hopefully it helps you form new connections too! amideastedabroad.org/home/finding-friends

As we conclude celebrations of Community College Month, we're excited to announce the first of our three-part discussion series highlighting community colleges in the MENA region! In this series, our featured guests, including educators and experts in the region, share their insights into the value of community colleges in a national context. Today, we hear from Dr. Randa Diab with Kuwait Technical College as she discusses the achievements, challenges, and innovative approaches for community college inclusion and equitable opportunity in the region. Watch the full discussion at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkNhytGQrs8

Stay tuned tomorrow and Thursday for new sessions on the MENA community college scene!

To finish off celebrations, we invite you to also join us this Thursday, April 25th at 2 pm ET for our hybrid event, Inclusive Pathways: Fostering U.S. Community College Engagement in the MENA Region, to hear more about the value of community colleges in international education and study abroad. RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/xRLD1mRETR

Amideast Kuwait

For Arab American Heritage Month, we recognize the many contemporary Arab American artists contributing to arts and culture in the US. Check out this week's article, featuring Doris Bittar, to hear how art can be used to communicate history, heritage, and identity.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2487926/lifestyle