Study Abroad in the Arab World
• NAFSA
• Region VIII
• November 2009
Presenters
• Jerome B. Bookin-Weiner – AMIDEAST
• Lucia Cucinotta – George Washington
University
• Christine Menand – Carnegie Mellon
University, Coordinator of Study Abroad
and Exchange Programs
• Valerie Jeremijenko – Virginia
Commonwealth University-Qatar campus
(VCUQatar)
Agenda
• Overview
• Presentation:
– AMIDEAST
– George Washington University
– Carnegie Mellon University
– Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
• Survey review
• Q&A
Region
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Algeria
Bahrain
Comoros
Djibouti
Egypt
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
•Oman
•Palestinian
Authority
•Qatar
•Saudi Arabia
•Somalia
•Sudan
•Syria
•Tunisia
•UAE
•Yemen
The Numbers…
• Spring 2009 - 18 million students enrolled in
US higher education institutions (2-4 year
colleges/universities)
• 240,000 studied abroad
• 2,200 studied abroad in the Arabic speaking
world (22,549 students came from the Arabic
speaking world (to the US)
• Over 80% of the 2,200 studied in three
countries:
– Egypt (50%)
– Morocco (21%)
– Jordan (11%).
Data from 2006/2007
Open Doors
Leading Destinations of U.S. Study Abroad
Students 2006/07
Arab World Destinations
for U.S. Study Abroad
students
From “Expanding U.S. Study Abroad in the Arab World: Challenges and
Opportunities”, Institute for International Education. The study abroad white
paper series, issue number 4, February 2009.
Academics
• Often, language is the main academic
focus of study in the Arab region
• Between 2002-2007 Arabic enrollment
increased by 127% *
• Arabic Language is now in the Top 10
for language enrollment
• More US institutions offering Arabic
– In 2002, 264 institutions offered Arabic
– In 2006, 466 offered Arabic
*Modern Language Association,
http://www.mla.org/pdf/flpressrelease_final.pdf,
Language Enrollments
U.S. Study Abroad students 2006/2007
Increase Worldwide
• 21,509 international students in Jordan
in 2006 (increase of 36% since 2003)
• 17,199 in Lebanon in 2006 (41%
increase)
• 6,049 in Morocco in 2006 (18%
increase)
Barriers
• Safety and security (real & perceived)
• Credit Transfer
• Culture differences and lack of
preparation
• Resources (funding, support,
marketing)
• Homestays
AMIDEAST
AMIDEAST
• Private, nonprofit
organization
• Established 1951
• Headquarters in
Washington, DC
• 24 field and project
offices in 13 countries
• Over 600 professional
staff
AMIDEAST
Program areas include—
– English language training
– Professional training and
development
– Educational advising
– Testing
– Exchange programs
– Institutional development
– Outreach to Americans
AMIDEAST
AMIDEAST
• Became involved in Education Abroad in
serious way in 2007
• Current offerings include:
– Semester/Academic Year programs
– Summer programs
– Customized faculty-led programs for
institutions ranging in length from a few days
to two months, both summer and during the
academic year
AMIDEAST
• Morocco
• Rabat: Modern Middle East/North African Studies
(semester/academic year)
• Rabat: Intensive Arabic (summer)
• Ifrane: Al Akhawayn University (semester/ academic year)
• Customized faculty-led programs
• Egypt
• Cairo: Modern Middle East/North African Studies
(semester/academic year)
• Cairo: Egyptology (semester/academic year)
• Cairo: History of Engineering (summer)
• Customized faculty-led programs
AMIDEAST
• Tunisia
• Tunis & Nabeul: Learn & Serve (summer)
• Kuwait
• Salmiya: American University of Kuwait (semester/academic
year)
• Jordan
• Amman: Modern Middle East/North African Studies
(semester/academic year)
• Amman: Intensive Arabic (summer)
• Amman: Desert Ecology (summer)
• Customized faculty-led programs
George Washington
University
Approximately 25,000 students
– 10,000 Undergraduate
– 14,000 Graduate
– 1,000 Non-degree
(2,100 international undergraduate and
graduate students from over 100 countries)
About 60% of GW undergraduate
students study abroad
George Washington
University
•
During the fall or spring semester undergraduate students can only
participated in study abroad programs on our approved list (we have over
300 programs). During the summer undergraduate students can apply to
any program as long as it is with an accredited academic institution or
program.
•
At GW, a study abroad semester is comparably priced to an on-campus
semester, including full-time tuition and a study abroad program fee. Most
sources of financial aid, including most GW awards, merit scholarships, and
loans, can be utilized during study abroad. Students who study abroad in
the summer pay their programs directly.
•
To receive credit for study abroad courses students must:
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Attend an approved study abroad program (unless studying in the
summer).
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Submit the Study Abroad Registration Forms online prior to departure
and be registered for study abroad status (semester only).
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Take a course for a letter grade and receive a passing grade of C or
higher
–
Not duplicate coursework (especially language levels) already
completed at GW.
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Send our office an official transcript and submit course approval forms
for all the courses listed on the transcript.
George Washington
University
George Washington
University
George Washington
University
George Washington
University
•
Issues:
– Language Philosophy of Programs: when students return to campus have their
skills improved, stayed the same, or gotten worse?
– State Department Travel Warnings and Safety: students who go to Israel need to
sign a Consent of Risk and Release form, students who want to go to Lebanon (AUB)
need to petition (AUB is approved for graduate students) and sign a Consent of Risk
and Release form
– Student and Parent Concerns
– Administrative and Cultural Differences (e.g. AUC and University of Damascus)
•
Goals:
– Add more academically challenging programs with strong language
components to our approved program list! Usually if a program runs successfully
for two to four semester we will add it to our approved program list. If it is with a
program provider we work with often it’s added automatically, if not the GW Study
Abroad Academic Advisor Council determines if it should be added or not.
– Tie our scholar-to-scholar and institution-to-institution relationships to our
study abroad opportunities to the extent we can (e.g. AUB at the ESIA).
– Educate students about programs in the Middle East.
– Prepare a new generation of scholars, diplomats, and informed citizens.
Carnegie Mellon University
Statistics:
• 10,700 students
– 5,700 UG
– 5,000 Grad
• International
– 40% Grad
– 12% Undergrad
• Language study not required – though 49% study
a language. High for a research institution.
• Arabic – offered as of Fall 2008. Previously
cross register at the University of Pittsburgh.
Carnegie Mellon University
• Background:
– Open policy towards study abroad
– Academic year study abroad
• Exchange Program
• Sponsored Programs
• Direct/External Enrollment
– Summer/Spring Break study abroad most popular
• Prior to 2008, interest small in region (2-3
students per year)
• Qatar campus – increased interest
Carnegie Mellon University
Growing interest…
• Morocco (Summer 2008)
• Qatar (Spring 2010)
• Lebanon (Summer 2009)
• Tunisia (Summer 2009)
• Egypt (Summer 2009)
• Palestine (Summer 2009)
• CIEE Jordan (Spring 2010)
Carnegie Mellon University
Morocco, 4 Tunisia, 1
Palestin
e, 1
Egypt, 10
Oman, 1
Qatar
Lebano
n, 1
Israel
Lebanon
Israel, 8
Qatar, 46
Oman
Palestine
Egypt
Morocco
Tunisia
Data from 2006-2009
Carnegie Mellon University
Short-term programs in the region:
• School of Architecture – Egypt
• IMPAQT – Qatar
– Initiating Meaningful Pittsburgh and Qatar Ties
• Tepper MBA (student groups)– Dubai,
UAE & Doha, Qatar.
CMU-Q
http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/
• Since 2004
• Offers
– Computer Science
– Business
– Information Systems
• 1st graduating class May 2008
• Pre-Spring 2010
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Course Assistants (CA) travelled abroad from Pittsburgh
Received full-tuition/housing plus stipend and car allowance
Inhibited students from going on exchange
Now CMU-Q utilizes local CAs
• Spring 2010
– 3 general students, plus 8 Architecture students
Education City-Doha, Qatar
Part of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community
Development
– Virginia Commonwealth School of the Arts in Qatar [1997]
• Graphic, Interior, and Fashion Design
– Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar [2002]
• Pre Medical and Medical
– Texas A&M University at Qatar [2003]
• Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, and Petroleum Engineering
– Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar [2004]
• Business Administration, Computer Science, Information Systems
– Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar [2005]
• International Politics
– Northwestern University [2007]
• Journalism, Communication
Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar
Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar
The Branch Campus Experience
A recent educational phenomenon focused in the Middle East
•
Includes NYU and Paris Sorbonne
in Abu Dhabi, University of
Michigan and University of
Connecticut in Dubai, upcoming
University of Nevada in Oman,
Education City in Qatar.
•
In 2006 there were more then 82
international branch campuses
with 1//2 of them launched by US
universities.
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Exchanges between branch
campuses will have a different
focus and nature altogether from
study abroad programs.
Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar
Exchange Programs:
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Semester Exchange Program for VCU students in Fashion, Interior,
Graphics (and Painting and Printmaking in 2010.)
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Tasmeen Conference Exchange Program
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16 students come from Richmond for an international design conference. This
alternates with a Charette exchange where students come from Richmond to do a
studio project.
Student Government Exchange Program
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6 students go to Richmond, 6 students come from Richmond each year
President and Vice President of Richmond SGA come to Qatar to provide
leadership training to Qatar SGA
Internships – a developing program for graduate students in Student
Affairs
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Developing a program for 2 graduate assistants from Richmond each semester.
None of these programs are language focused although Arabic language programs are
available for semester exchange programs by cross registering into Georgetown University.
Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar
The students/ the challenges
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Funding
Orientation
Ramadan
Transportation in the Middle East
Gender Segregations
•Class Sizes
•Cross Registration
•Doha Debates
•Additional travel opportunities
•In the lime light
•Students Staying/Returning/
Transferring
Survey Results
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1. Does your institution have study abroad programs in Arabicspeaking countries?
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2. Do you currently have students studying abroad in Arabic-speaking
regions?
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3. What is the current interest level of students potentially studying
abroad in Arabic-speaking regions?
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4. Do you offer Arabic on-campus?
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5. Knowing that you, your students, and your students’ families will
have concerns about study abroad in all regions of the world, do you
have particular concerns that are specific to study abroad in Arabicspeaking regions?
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6. Which programs and providers does your institution approve for
students to study in the Arab world?
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7. Have you added new destinations to Arabic-speaking regions in the
past five years? If so, which cities or countries have you added?
Moving forward…
• Scholarships
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Need based
Merit based
Academic study based
Religious based
• Working with smaller Institutions/less
frequented countries
• Collaboration among US institutions – utilize
returned students at a variety of US
institutions
• Hollings Center
Q&A