SQCC Summer Arabic Language and Media (SALAM)

Since 2009 SQCC has offered scholarships for study in Oman for advanced Arabic language students.  The SQCC Summer Arabic Language and Media program (SQCC SALAM) has been held in Dhofar, Nizwa, and Muscat, and this year, Manah. The program involves intensive Arabic language coursework in an immersive environment, as well as cultural components and trips around Oman.

The Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center (SQCC) is delighted to announce its 2013 Summer Arabic Language and Media (SALAM) program, a fully-funded intensive Arabic language scholarship program. SQCC supports Arabic language study for students through its annual SALAM program. This intensive Arabic language program will allow students to gain a deeper knowledge of Arabic, while becoming familiar with Omani history and culture.

Eligibility: All applicants must be U.S. citizens, enrolled in a degree seeking program (BA, MA or PhD) in spring 2013, and have completed four semesters (or the equivalent) of university-level Arabic coursework.

Program dates: May 17-July 5, 2013

Location: Manah, Oman at the Sultan Qaboos College for Teaching Arabic Language to Non-Native Speakers

Cost: SQCC will cover international travel to and from Washington, D.C. and Muscat, Oman, program language classes, room, board, SALAM-sponsored travel for weekend excursions, and all entrance fees for program activities. Students will be required to purchase international health and medical evacuation insurance.

Classes: Held 8:00am-1:30pm Saturday to Wednesday; Modern Standard Arabic—3 hours, media Arabic—1 hour, and the Omani dialect—1 hour.

Outside of class: Students will have access to Omani peer language partners, organized weekend trips around Oman, extracurricular activities, and weekly lectures.

Housing: Shared student housing, provided by the program.

The program also provides: three meals a day, transportation to and from student housing and the university, internet access, and laundry and gym facilities onsite.

The 2013 application period is now closed.

SQCC Research Fellowship

In 2010, SQCC began accepting applications for its newly formed Research Fellowship program.  The 2011 SQCC Research Fellow was Dr. Anne Rasmussen of the College of William & Mary.  As an Associate Professor and Chair of the Ethnomusicology Department at W&M, Anne studied the diverse music and dance traditions in Oman that have their roots in Arab, African, Persian, and bedouin culture.  The 2012 Research Fellowship was awarded to William Zimmerle, an archaeologist out of the University of Pennsylvania who is currently studying the ancient frankincense altar in its cuboid form, and its evolution into the Omani majmars we see today.  He hopes to make the assertion that the cuboid form originated in Oman.

The 2013 SQCC Research Fellowship application period is now closed.