Discover Transformative Study Abroad Opportunities in North Africa and the Middle East with SIT.

Phone:
888.272.7881 (toll-free in US)
802.258.3212

TTY:
802.258.3388

Fax:
802.258.3296

Mailing Address:
PO Box 676, 1 Kipling Road
Brattleboro, VT 05302 USA

Download the catalog: 2013 Programs in North Africa and the Middle East (PDF)

North Africa and the Middle East Programs

Selected SIT Study Abroad Programs
Egypt: Modern Cairo, Urban Development, and Social Change
Jordan: Health and Community Development
Jordan: Intensive Arabic Language Studies (Summer)
Jordan: Modernization and Social Change
Morocco: Arabic Language and Community Service (Summer)
Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media
Morocco: Migration and Transnational Identity
Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights
Tunisia: Emerging Identities in North Africa

"My experience in Tunisia with SIT was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The academic content was tremendously enriching, and I expanded myself greatly intellectually."

Lindsay Novis, Fordham University

Watch SIT students showcase their Arabic language
skills on Jordan’s nationally televised morning show,
Yawm Jadeed (New Day).

Spelman College students “witness revolution up close” on SIT’s spring 2011 Tunisia and Morocco programs. Read about it here.

Study the impact of recent social revolutions on identity construction and nation-building. Learn about a region at the heart of contemporary global politics. Witness how peoples and local communities negotiate the weight of historical trajectories, the richness of spirituality, and the demands of modern life. Address colonial legacies of language, education, and political geographies. Explore a diversity of cultures and shared experience of Islam while being immersed in an Arabic-speaking environment.

CHOOSE FROM TOPICAL AREAS OF STUDY INCLUDING:

Multiculturalism, journalism, and human rights.
Study the intertwined relationship between the promotion of cultural diversity and human rights education in Morocco. Examine multiple uses of new media technologies by youth in North Africa and the Middle East.Develop your journalistic skills by working under the guidance of seasoned journalists in Morocco.
Health, development, and political culture.
Study health policies and practices, and learn about the health status of unique population groups in Jordan such as refugees and desert and Bedouin tribes; study Islam in relation to discourses of development in Jordan or the effects of social revolutions on political culture in Egypt and Tunisia.
Modernization, cultural pluralism, and social change.
Study the role of women and youth in the development of civil society in Tunisia or Jordan. Examine the interplay between Islam, secularism, and everyday life in the Middle East.
Modernity, tradition, and identity politics.
Explore the tensions of emergent political Islam in Tunisia or the confluences of postcolonialism and Berber identity in Morocco; learn about the interface between art, tradition, and political culture.
Migration, refugees, and political geography.
Examine globalization from the perspective of transnational movements of migrants from Morocco to Europe. Learn from the narratives of migrants from Africa south of the Sahara. Study the impacts of regional conflicts and the displacement of peoples from Palestine and Iraq to Jordan.
Language, society, and intercultural communication.
Enhance your skills in Arabic or French while learning about social etiquette in the Middle East and North Africa; learn about the underpinnings of literary production in Moroccan Arabic and the interconnectedness between Arabic, Islam, and everyday life in the Middle East.

RAPIDLY LEARN OR IMPROVE ARABIC LANGUAGE SKILLS
SIT provides students of wide-ranging levels, including beginners, the opportunity to learn Arabic through full integration in a local culture. Consider an intensive summer language and community service program in Rabat. Explore the political and cultural dimensions of media Arabic in Jordan. Spend a semester learning Arabic while also studying development, migration, human rights, health, or another influential topic.

ACQUIRE OR ENHANCE FRENCH LANGUAGE SKILLS
In addition to improving skills in Modern Standard Arabic, students can study French in Tunisia or Morocco.

CONDUCT INDEPENDENT FIELD RESEARCH ON A TOPIC OF YOUR CHOICE
Undertake independent research and primary data collection on an approved topic of interest, spanning issues as diverse as youth and political change in the Middle East; clandestine migration in Morocco; the impact of ecotourism on Bedouin communities in Jordan; the politics of veiling in Tunisia; or poverty and healthcare in Jordan. Partner with a local journalism student to write a feature story on an aspect of life, culture, or politics in Morocco.

FORGE RECIPROCIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH IN-COUNTRY CONTACTS
Form meaningful, lasting relationships with local academics, peers, mentors, and host family members, utilizing SIT’s extensive in-country contacts. Learn from prominent faculty, political leaders, scholars, and civil society activists. Acquire informed local perspectives from those actively engaged in rethinking and remaking their communities. Visit the Moroccan-American Journalism Partnership Facebook page created by the Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media students and their Moroccan peers at the Higher Institute of Information and Communication in Rabat, Morocco.

"I was drawn to SIT Morocco because of the heavy concentration on language. Today, my Arabic is polished, professional, and competent, which has opened many doors. I’m now considering a research Fulbright in Morocco knowing I could pursue my academic interests with the confidence of being able to communicate well. I LOVED every part of the SIT Morocco program."

Asil Yassine,
Austin College

%nbsp;