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.

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On April 1, 2014, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is hosting a public affairs briefing on “Qatar – ‘Understood’ And ‘Misunderstood’: A Conversation with His Excellency Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari, Ambassador of Qatar to the United States.” Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, will serve as moderator.

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.

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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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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.

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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.

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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

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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).