Washington, DC Summer Internship Program

May 28 – August 2, 2019

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ Washington, DC Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate and graduate students a ten-week professional, academic, and career opportunity internship in the nation’s capital. The program features a demanding mix of professional involvement, intellectual challenge, career exploration, and cultural encounters designed to provide interns with a rich and varied experience during their time in Washington.

• Professional work experience: Interns are placed with one of over a dozen Near East and Arab world-related organizations in Washington, D.C., where they are expected to work 35-40 hours per week under the direct supervision of their host organizations.
• Academic seminars: Interns take part in twice-weekly seminar sessions designed to provide them with greater depth of knowledge about the Arab world, to underscore the cultural, economic, and political diversity of Arab states, and to explore the intricacies of Arab-U.S. relations. There will be a particular emphasis, though not exclusively, on Arabia and the Gulf.
• Site visits: Interns receive a behind-the-scenes look at many of the central institutions of federal government, national security policymaking, international diplomacy, and international business.

About the Program

The National Council’s Summer Internship Program offers professional work experiences combined with twice-weekly evening seminars that bring academic experts and experienced foreign policy practitioners to meet with the interns in candid off-the-record discussions and dynamic question-and-answer sessions. Its objectives are:

1. to provide a realistic Washington, D.C. work experience that will pave the way to career development;
2. to offer interns firsthand exposure to the foreign policy analysis and advocacy processes in Washington, D.C.;
3. to incorporate a strong academic component focusing on U.S. political, economic, and cultural relations with Arabia and the Gulf region;
4. to help participants begin the process of career networking by introducing them to working professionals in government, business, journalism, and NGOs; and,
5. to highlight the wide range of career opportunities awaiting those who aspire to work in the field of U.S.-Arab relations, as well as to provide counseling on graduate school and fellowship application processes.

As complements to the program, interns will also be exposed to D.C. in a less formal manner via films, cultural events, embassy and museum visits, off-the-record conversations with former diplomats, group dinners, and suggestions for exploring the sights and sounds of Washington, D.C. This allows students to not only experience working in the city, but also encourages them to appreciate the experience of living in a diverse urban environment, and to take advantage of the exciting cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities available in the nation’s capital.

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The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 2018 Washington, DC Summer Internship Program concludes today! Students in the program have spent the past 10 weeks working, reading, writing, and otherwise immersing themselves in the U.S.-Arab relationship. They have visited a range of institutions in the nation’s capital, including government agencies, think tanks, businesses, and foreign missions. Along the way, they have met with individuals working in media, NGOs, research institutes, defense and security offices, and other avenues of foreign policymaking. They leave the program now to return to school, to begin new jobs, and to pursue new opportunities in a variety of fields having gained a deeper understanding of policy analysis and advocacy processes as well as the beginnings of a network to guide them in their future careers.