On March 25, 2014, Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, appeared on Al Youm on Al Hurra TV. The discussion touched on Iran, Syria, and President Obama’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia. [Program in Arabic.]
NCUSAR’s 2013 Washington, DC Summer Internship Program Recap
![National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Washington, DC Summer Internship Program participants with Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony.](http://ncusar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/intern20.jpg)
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Washington, DC Summer Internship Program participants with Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony.
The National Council’s Model Arab League/Arab-U.S. Relations Youth Leadership Development Program, highlighted recently in Council Chronicle Vol. 7, No. 1, has been linked for many years to the Council’s Annual University Student Washington, DC Summer Internship Program. The Summer Intern Program’s participants are alumni of the Models and other rising young American and Arab leaders of tomorrow. U.S. Ambassador (Ret.) Edward Gnehm made it possible for the 2013 program to be administered again in association with The George Washington University’s (GWU) Institute for Middle East Studies in the Elliott School of International Affairs. Ambassador Gnehm is a member of the GWU faculty where he is the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs. As in previous years, the 2013 Internship Program provided fertile training ground and an invaluable firsthand professional work experience for young American leaders interested in a career devoted to improving U.S.-Arab relations.
The program, which lasted from June 3 – August 9, provided 25 students an opportunity to work in the nation’s capital at 18 organizations involved in one way or another in efforts to improve Arab-U.S. relations. The experience is one that could not possibly be duplicated or paralleled by the students’ university studies on campus. In addition to their time assisting with the office routines of their host organizations, the interns met and were briefed as well as mentored several times a week by some of America’s most renowned specialists in international relations as they pertain to the Arab world.
Upcoming Event: “Qatar: ‘Understood’ and ‘Misunderstood’” – April 1 in Washington, DC
![President Barack Obama and His Excellency Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari](http://ncusar.org/images/obama-kuwari-300x200.jpg)
President Barack Obama receives the credentials of His Excellency Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari as Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States at the White House in March 2014.
Few Arab countries are as misunderstood as the State of Qatar. Selected by FIFA to host the 2022 World Cup; allegedly the world’s richest country per capita; site of ten branch university campuses of some of the world’s most prominent institutions of higher education; renowned as the leading supplier of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) to the rest of the world and accounting for a quarter of the world’s LNG exports; forward deployed headquarters of the US Central Command, from which the air components of the American-led military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq were coordinated; and of Arabia and the Gulf’s nine countries, arguably the one to have experienced the least disruptive restructuring of its pre-oil economic and political moorings – Qatar is all these things and more. It is hard to know how or where to begin in any effort to describe and explain the dynamics of change and constancy within Qatar’s government, the country’s economics, political dynamics, and key foreign policies as well as its relations with its neighbors and beyond.
DATE & TIME:
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. – Refreshments / Networking
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. – Remarks / Q&A
LOCATION:
Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-339
45 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20515
REGISTRATION:
The event is free but R.S.V.P. (acceptances only) via email to rsvp@ncusar.org is required.
Please note: seating capacity is limited. Include the following information when you R.S.V.P.:
Name:
Company:
Title:
Phone:
Email:
If you have any questions you can call the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations at (202) 293-6466.
Council Chronicle Vol. 7, No. 3 (2013) Now Available
The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to provide the twenty-second edition of the Council Chronicle, the Council’s periodic newsletter. The Chronicle seeks to keep the Council’s alumni, donors, and other supporters informed and updated. One among other efforts to do so on an ongoing basis is achieved by presenting highlights and special reports on the Council’s programs, events, and activities. For new readers interested in learning more about the Council’s vision and mission, together with the ways and means it utilizes to pursue both objectives, please visit the Council’s website at ncusar.org.
ACCESS Council Chronicle Vol. 7, No. 3 (2013) (.pdf)
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Gulf in the News – February 27, 2014
UAE, Japan sign MoU on nuclear energy
Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)
General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, on Wednesday witnessed the signing ceremony of a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The two sides signed the schedules on amending the Air Services Agreement between the UAE and Japan. The deal was signed by Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, and Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two foreign ministers also signed a MoU on the development of joint cooperation committee work between the UAE’s Ministry of Development and International Cooperation and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Gulf in the News – February 26, 2014
The full story of the Saudi arms gift to Lebanon
Source: Al-Monitor (Read full story)
Despite the insistence of Beirut and Riyadh on the rapid implementation of Saudi Arabia’s $3 billion plan to arm the Lebanese army and strengthen its defensive capabilities, the French are approaching this issue from the standpoint of the interests of Israel and other international matters, mainly how to maintain the status quo in southern Lebanon in the face of the Israeli enemy. This tripartite political deal suggests that the world and the Gulf want to strengthen the Lebanese army and enable it to control the border so as not to repeat the example of Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian crisis.
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Summer Intensive Arabic Language Study Abroad Opportunities
Summer Intensive Language Program at The Arab-American Language Institute in Morocco
The National Council, in collaboration with The Arab-American Language Institute in Morocco (AALIM) for the summer of 2014, is pleased to announce a Summer Language Program in the Kingdom of Morocco. Students will spend six weeks in historic Meknes, Morocco taking part in intensive Arabic language instruction. Students at all levels of Arabic proficiency are encouraged to apply. The AALIM center is a host to a community of Arabic learners throughout the summer, providing for a fully immersive program. Those selected will also gain direct personal expertise in Moroccan culture, history, and society through a variety of day excursions, local outings, workshops, and demonstrations.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/14-aalim
2014 AALIM Application (.pdf)
Students should submit completed applications to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Applications are due April 10, 2014.
Intensive Arabic Language Programs at the Center for International Learning in Oman
The National Council is pleased to offer students a partial scholarship opportunity for intensive Arabic language study with our partner organization in Muscat, Oman, the Center for International Learning (CIL). Comprised of Americans and Omanis with PhD and Masters Degrees, the CIL faculty facilitates experiential education, cultural exchange, and comparative studies to deepen understanding, promote common interests, and explore the shared aspirations of people from different cultures. CIL offers all three levels of Modern Standard Arabic (beginner, intermediate, and advanced), as well as Omani dialect, media Arabic, and skills classes. A limited number of partial scholarships to study at CIL are available through the National Council.
For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/14-cil
2014-15 CIL Application (.pdf)
Students should submit completed applications to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
Arabic Language & Area Studies Programs in Sana’a at the Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies
The Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies (YCMES) is a fully accredited, non-profit college that provides students and scholars from around the world the opportunity to develop a complex knowledge of the Arabic language and the contemporary Middle East. Students can study at YCMES for 5, 10, or 15 weeks, or more — programs are tailored to meet students’ needs. Sana’a, Yemen is an ideal location for language acquisition and cultural immersion. Unlike many other Middle Eastern cities where English or French or both are pervasive, Sana’a is one of the few remaining places in the world where Arabic is spoken exclusively. In short, it is nearly impossible to remain isolated in a Western bubble.
For more information, visit:
http://ncusar.org/study-abroad/ycmes
For more information:
If you have questions or need more information about any of the National Council’s student programs you can contact the Council’s Director of Student Programs Megan Geissler (megan@ncusar.org) or Deputy Director of Student Programs Josh Hilbrand (josh@ncusar.org).
Gulf in the News – February 25, 2014
Riyadh briefed on Geneva talks
Source: Arab News (Read full story)
American and Saudi officials held top-level talks Sunday on the visit by US President Barack Obama in March. US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman met with senior Saudi and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) officials at the meeting. Sherman, who led the American negotiating team at talks in Vienna aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program, also discussed this issue and other regional and bilateral matters with Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister. “Sherman met with Foreign Minister Prince Saud and discussed regional issues, bilateral cooperation, and the upcoming visits of President Obama and senior US officials,” said a statement released by the US Embassy on Monday.
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