Arabic and North African Studies Program (ARANAS)

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The Arabic and North African Studies (ARANAS) program at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco is an intensive summer program that provides a wide range of opportunities to students from all over the world, at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. Over the last 13 years, more than 650 participants from 36 nationalities, most of them affiliated with North American universities, have come to the Middle Atlas Mountains in Ifrane, Morocco, to develop their Arabic language skills, learn about North Africa, and experience various aspects of Moroccan culture through club activities and field trips to the sand dunes of southern Morocco, the historical medina of Fez, the dazzling city of Marrakech, and more. This number is in addition to the dozens of exchange students who take Arabic courses during their time at Al Akhawayn.

The ARANAS program grants academic credits which can be applied to an individual’s degree program in their home institution. The Arabic language component is an intensive program involving up to 190 contact hours. Diligent students willing to devote themselves to preparing and attending the full morning of classes, and then completing homework assignments, can realistically hope to achieve one full academic year of Arabic language by successfully completing the summer program. Students will experience learning Arabic not only in class and through homework, but also through interaction with students, instructors, staff, as well as members of the Ifrane community. Immersion activities include information-gathering assignments and reports in Arabic on projects involving the local community.

 The North African Studies courses, in which students study alongside Moroccan university students, enable participants to sample academic courses focusing on North Africa and the Middle East. These classes have ranged in topic from Islamic Civilization and Issues in Contemporary North Africa to North African Literature and Moroccan Cinema.

To view the ARANAS flyer, click here