Political Economy of the Middle East
Sharjah, UAE
Program Dates: June 8 - July 3, 2008
Program Director: Isa Blumi
Core Seminar: 3 credits
Internship (optional): 3 credits
Arabic language instruction (optional): non-credit bearing

Experience the cross-roads of the Middle East where Islamic tradition meets modernization and robust economic development. As an AU student, you will join Arab students to explore the political, ideological, and socioeconomic dynamics of the Middle East from the expansion of European power in the 16th Century to present.

This four-week seminar, organized in cooperation with American University of Sharjah, will introduce students to the major political and socioeconomic challenges facing Middle Eastern states and societies. Students will analyze the literature focusing on the debates shaping the discipline of Middle Eastern and Gulf studies and evaluate key policy debates impacting the region today. Among the themes explored in the seminar will include Orientalism and Arab nationalism; the politics of ethnic, religious, and sectarian identities; the challenges of political liberalization and economic restructuring; and the impact of internal and external calls for reform.

During the seminar, students will also have the opportunity to study beginning Arabic with an instructor at American University of Sharjah. Students already possessing some knowledge of Arabic may also be able to work privately with a tutor to achieve mastery of the language.

Students in the seminar will also enjoy site visits to the U.S. Embassy, the Gulf Research Center in Dubai, and the UAE Foreign Ministry in Abu Dhabi, among other locations. Sharjah is located between Dubai and Ajman in the UAE, a location which affords students the opportunity to visit other Emirates of the peninsula during their stay.

New for Summer 08! At the close of the seminar, students will have an opportunity to intern with organizations in business, educational development, media, investment and finance, and political research, among others. These internship positions will allow students to experience the booming economy of the UAE from within the walls of its top companies and organizations.

Prof. Isa Blumi earned his PhD from New York University, where he concentrated in Ottoman history. Currently Assistant Professor of History at Georgia State University and Visiting Professor at American University of Sharjah, Prof. Blumi has written more than two dozen articles on the late Ottoman Empire, Political Islam in the Balkans, International Relations and Modern Yemen as well as authored two books—Rethinking the Late Ottoman Empire (2003) and Redefining Balkan Nationalism (2008). His current research includes monitoring the emergence of insurgencies in late imperial contexts such as in Arabia/Red Sea/Persian Gulf at the end of the 19th century as well as the complex social and commercial networks established between the Balkans and Middle East during the rise of modern political Islam.

Find out more about the Middle East and apply to the program by downloading the program guide [584kb PDF].

Opportunities for Funding
Students who plan to spend at least six weeks on this program (through at least one course plus internship) may be eligible for outside funding through the Christianson Grant. The application for the grant is due March 15, 2008.