The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to co-sponsor the Saudi Arabia Exchange Fellowship/Malone Fellowship for Model Arab League alumni. Ten American university students and five collegiate professors are typically selected for this program, which lasts for one calendar year. The Fellowship consists of a Pre-Departure Preparation period, a Study Visit to Saudi Arabia, and a subsequent Fellowship Year where participants engage in a variety of activities to share their new-found knowledge of Saudi Arabia with the American public, multiplying the educational impact of the program.
Applicants must have previously participated in the Model Arab League program as a student delegate or a faculty adviser. The Study Visit is expense-paid. Applicants must be U.S. citizens holding a valid U.S. Passport. Student applicants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university for the duration of the program, and faculty adviser applicants must be teaching at an accredited post-secondary institution for the duration of the program.
Dates and application will be posted when available.
Fellowship Year: Ideas from Past Projects
Examples of Past Fellowship Projects (.pdf)
Testimonials
“The [program] was incredible, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even going back again, I would not be able to acquire the same breadth of information or deep understanding of the country that I did in those ten days. History, politics, social affairs, culture…the visit was a whirlwind of information that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
“Study-visits are the greatest way individuals can learn about an area they may be interested in. No book, movie, or magazine can prepare you for the sights, smells, tastes, and feels of a new place. The National Council’s study-visits have always had a reputation for providing life-changing experiences for its students, and having now traveled with the Council, I can say the reputation is valid.”
“The NCUSAR Exchange Fellowship helped me to understand the multifaceted and complex issues facing the country. This experience helped strengthen my understanding of Saudi Arabian culture and helped me grow as a student and as a global citizen.”
“This study visit was one of the most rewarding ways to extract knowledge regarding the Arab world, but in particular, the country we visited. My entire perspective of the country has been altered…in the best way possible.”
“During this visit, I found the people I met to be warm and hospitable and willing to engage in discussion about complex issues even on ones where we may disagree. The society is certainly different from our own, so we are at fault when we seek to view our culture through the same lens with which we view our own and expect the same political and social responses as in the U.S.”