On December 21, 2016, Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, appeared on Inside Story on Al Jazeera English. The program explored the political and security ramifications of terror attacks in European countries.
Twenty-First Annual Oman Cultural Immersion Program — February 22 – March 8, 2017
Applications Now Being Accepted for the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’
Twenty-First Annual Oman Cultural Immersion Program
February 22 – March 8, 2017
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to offer, through its Joseph J. Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the Twenty-First Annual Oman Cultural Immersion study visit to the Sultanate of Oman, February 24 – March 8, 2017. Fellows are required to participate in and complete a pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. to be held on February 22-23. This unique opportunity will provide a privileged first hand exposure to one of the Arab world’s most demographically, geographically, and socially diverse countries.
The National Council is currently accepting applications to participate in this study visit. APPLY NOW!
American professionals in academia, government, the military, non-governmental organizations, business, religious institutions, the media, civic associations, as well as the fine arts, humanities, and the social sciences are invited to apply.
The Twenty-First Annual Oman Cultural Immersion study visit will provide participants an educational experience that few Westerners and even fewer Americans have had. The program is choreographed to provide Malone Fellows an unparalleled diverse exposure to Oman — one of the most historically and culturally rich of all Arab and Islamic societies. Until relatively recent times, the Sultanate languished in its status as one of the most forgotten corners of all Arabia. Anyone in doubt about the extraordinary opportunity that being able to visit Oman in this manner presents need only consult any of the several National Geographic Magazine features on the country in the past two decades.
End Pictures: inlaid Islamic niches at the Grand Mosque in Oman’s Capital Territory; Middle Pictures: Bedouin Omani girls in the Sharqiyyah Sands.
NCUSAR’s Summer 2017 Washington, DC Internship Program – Applications Due February 24
Washington, DC Summer Internship Program
May 30 – August 4, 2017
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:
- to provide a realistic Washington, D.C. work experience that will pave the way to career development;
- to offer interns firsthand exposure to the foreign policy analysis and advocacy processes in Washington, D.C.;
- to incorporate a strong academic component focusing on U.S. political, economic, and cultural relations with Arabia and the Gulf region;
- to help participants begin the process of career networking by introducing them to working professionals in government, business, journalism, and NGOs; and,
- 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.
Listen to the 2016 Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
Complete audio recordings from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 2016 Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, “The Next U.S. Presidency and U.S.-Arab Relations: Probabilities, Possibilities, Potential Pitfalls,” are now available from the Council. Listen to and download each session below, or visit the National Council’s podcast feed through iTunes or FeedBurner to access recordings from the conference along with other Council programs.
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Welcome and Introductions
With Mr. John Pratt and Dr. John Duke Anthony.
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Remarks from the Office of the Vice President of the U.S.
With Mr. Greg Simon.
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The Palestine Future
With Mr. Omar Faqih.
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A Conversation With Dr. Khalaf Al-Habtoor
With Dr. Khalaf Al-Habtoor and Ms. Randa Fahmy.
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Egyptian-U.S. Relations: A View from Cairo
With Mr. Mohamed M. Abou El Enein and Mr. Oilver Zandona.
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Have The U.S. and The GCC Countries Become Oil Rivals?
With Dr. Herman Franssen, Mr. Nathaniel Kern, and Dr. Paul Sullivan.
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Remarks from National Council Findley Fellows
With Ms. Lucy Greer and Mr. William Christou.
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Luncheon Welcoming Remarks
With Ms. Cate Luzio.
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Keynote Address by HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal
With HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal.
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Remarks from Secretary Chuck Hagel
With The Honorable Chuck Hagel.
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Arab-U.S. Defense Cooperation
With Mr. Dave Des Roches, Mr. John “Fozzie” Miller, The Honorable Buck McKeon, Dr. Anthony Cordesman, and Mr. Nawaf Al Thari.
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The GCC: Role in Regional Dynamics
With Dr. John Duke Anthony, Dr. Khalid Al-Jaber, Dr. Abdullah Al Shayji, Dr. Joseph Kechichian, and Mr. Khaled Almaeena.
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A View from Yemen
With H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak.
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Updates from the GCC-U.S. Business Groups
With Mr. Danny Sebright, Mr. Edward Burton, Ambassador (Ret.) Patrick Theros, and Ms. Shireen Said.
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Looking Closer at Saudi Arabia Vision 2030
With Dr. John Duke Anthony, Mr. John Pratt, Ambassador (Ret.) James Smith, Ms. Seema Khan, Ms. Julie Monaco, and Mr. Newton Howard.
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Remarks from National Council Student Interns
With NCUSAR Student Interns.
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Keynote Address by HH Prince Abdullah Al-Saud
With HH Prince Abdullah Al-Saud and Mr. William Bodie.
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A Conversation with H.E. Adel Al Toraifi
With H.E Adel Al Toraifi and Mr. David Ignatius.
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Perspectives on the Arab-U.S. Relationship from the Media
With Dr. David Ottaway, H.E. Adel Al Toraifi, Mr. David Ignatius, Ms. Yara Bayoumy, Ms. Raghida Dergham, and Mr. Julian Pecquet.
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Arab-U.S. Relations and the Next U.S. Presidency
With Dr. Abderrahim Foukara, The Honorable Mona Makram-Ebeid, Ambassador (Ret.) Robert Ford, Ms. Elisa Catalano Ewers, Mr. Saed Moujtahed, and Mr. Steve Clemons.
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A Keynote Conversation with General (Ret.) David Petraeus
With H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, Gen (Ret.) David Petaeus, and Professor David Des Roches.
Visit the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in iTunes.
General (Ret.) David Petraeus Joins NCUSAR International Advisory Committee
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS WELCOMES GENERAL (RET.) DAVID PETRAEUS TO INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
General Petraeus Joins Collective of National Council Advisors Guiding U.S.-Arab Relations Educational Programs
Washington, DC: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations [ncusar.org], founded in 1983, is pleased to announce that General (Ret.) David H. Petraeus has been named a member of the Council’s International Advisory Committee. While the Committee does not formally govern the organization, its members make suggestions and recommendations, assist with the Council’s development objectives, and provide strategic support to the Council’s board of directors together with its president and chief executive officer.
In announcing the appointment, National Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony said, “We are honored to welcome General Petraeus to this important position. His exemplary record of public service, extensive leadership experience, and understanding of the Arab world’s strategic and geopolitical challenges and opportunities are virtually unmatched. General Petraeus will be a valuable resource and advisor as we work to strengthen and expand the Council’s U.S.-Arab relations leadership development and bridge-building educational efforts.”
Opening Keynote Address at the Seventh Annual Gulf Research Meeting
By His Excellency Dr. Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council
Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
August 16, 2016
Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Saqer, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you once again for inviting me to this beautiful city and allowing me to say a few words. My friend Dr. Abdul Aziz, I speak on behalf of all of us gathered here when I say how grateful we are to you and your staff for organizing this annual event to debate matters of such importance and urgency in an atmosphere of academic calm.
H.E. Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani with National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony at the Seventh Annual Gulf Research Meeting in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Photo: National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
This is now the sixth year that I have spoken here and in preparing for today I reflected on the intervening years. Despite some of the most challenging times, there is a consistent strand, namely that we are always striving to make our region a better and more secure place for all our citizens – we are looking at where we want to be.
Here, I think that the GCC vision that sums it up is: “To achieve and maintain prosperity in the widest sense of the word.” In other words, economic wealth for each nation and citizen; opportunities to satisfy personal aspirations; equal opportunities for health, education, employment, and social services, all within a safe and secure environment; and political stability.
This, with one important addition – which is “and to live in harmony despite differences in philosophy and ideology” – is surely the vision for the whole region? The citizens of the region are crying out for an end to violence and a return to normality, peace, and security – so why is this so elusive? Your workshops are wide-ranging, and all in one way or another will impact on this important question. Today, I will look at some of the social, economic, and political factors involved but concentrate mainly on security, with the hope of adding focus to your discussions.
Firstly, there are social issues where there are huge challenges, but probably the greatest social challenge for all of us is our youth – because they are our future. Without appropriate education, employment, and guidance they will be lost souls, easily manipulated, and prone to being turned into a destructive element in society. It is for this reason that the nations of the GCC place youth at the top of the social priority list. But I ask you to give thought on what can be done in a proactive way to consider helping the youth in the region’s trouble spots. They are a seriously endangered species!
Probably the greatest social challenge for all of us is our youth – because they are our future. Without appropriate education, employment, and guidance they will be lost souls, easily manipulated, and prone to being turned into a destructive element in society.
Remarks from the Seventh Annual Gulf Research Meeting
The National Council is pleased to share remarks from specialists who participated in the Seventh Annual Gulf Research Meeting in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
For the many who are unaware of the Annual Gulf Research Meetings (GRM) in Cambridge, it is a gold mine of information, insight, knowledge, and understanding regarding the Gulf. Among the many yearly international conferences that focus on Arabia and the Gulf, arguably at once the world’s most strategically vital yet least understood region, few if any come close to this one.
Certainly, no comparably focused international forum is known to match the timeliness and context, or the nature, background, and preparation, that go into the planning and administration of the GRM’s annual three-day event, which is held in one of the loveliest, liveliest, and most intellectually stimulating settings imaginable.
Participants at the Seventh Annual Gulf Research Meeting at Cambridge University. Photo: Gulf Research Center.
In this regard, the Seventh Annual GRM was no different. Included were eleven separate and simultaneous workshops. And, as in each of the previous years, 300 participants, among whom again were fewer than 20 Americans, actively engaged in the give and take of the discussion periods and the question and answer sessions integral to the proceedings.
Each of the presentations at the annual GRMs occurs only after nearly an entire year’s preparation.The brainchild of the GRM is Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, founder of the Gulf Research Center (GRC), with offices in Jeddah, Geneva, and Cambridge (About whom, see more below).
The National Council is proud to be a partner with the GRC as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding entered into in 2015.
The GRM has quickly established itself as an extraordinary example of what can transpire if the visionaries are extraordinary, the topics exceptionally timely and relevant, and the workshops carefully organized to exhibit the best of existing scholarship on the region from scholars from throughout the world, especially younger scholars, analysts, and academics among tomorrow’s emerging leaders. In all, more than two thousand scholars have participated in the seven GRMs to date. Some forty books produced and distributed by some of the world’s most prominent publishers have been but one among others of the remarkable results of the yearly proceedings.
GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al Zayani addresses a meeting organized by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and its U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee on September 18, 2015, in Washington, DC. Seated to the right of the Secretary General is H.E. Shaikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Ambassador of Bahrain to the U.S., and seated to the left of the Secretary General is National Council Founding President and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony. Photo: National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
In order to place the GRC and the GRM in context, three short, incisive pieces follow. The first is extracted from the Council Chronicle, the periodic newsletter of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. The second is the GRM’s introductory address by Stuart Laing, former Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kuwait and Oman, Cambridge University Deputy Vice Chancellor, and Master of Corpus Christi College. The third, which will follow separately, is the keynote address at the opening session of the Seventh Annual Gulf Research Meeting by H.E. Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Founding President and CEO
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
Washington, DC
Fall 2016 Model Arab League Opportunities
2016-17 Model Arab League registration is open!
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations cordially invites you and your students to participate in a Model Arab League conference this fall. Model Arab League is a debate-based simulation of the 22-member League of Arab States open to both high school and university students.
Each year thousands of students participate in Model Arab Leagues across the United States and the world. Through participation in the Model Arab League program students develop essential skills from leadership and public speaking to critical thinking and writing, all while also gaining practical, immediate knowledge about a critical region – the Middle East and the Arab world.
