Study Abroad - Europe and the Islamic World

Morocco • Spain • France • Gibraltar

December 28, 2019 - January 14, 2020

The Europe and the Islamic World Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in France, Morocco, and Spain. Students participate in a series of briefings from leading academic, literary, and political experts on the European relationship with the Islamic world. In each city, students attend daily lectures and meetings with distinguished scholars from IAU in addition to local guides and experts in the fields of politics, art history, history, and culture. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of immigration to Europe and its current socio-cultural implications on the region.

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• Art History 395: Classical Islam and the European Renaissance
• Cross Cultural Studies 395: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World
• French 395: Cultural History of France and the Islamic World
• History 395: Cultural History of Europe and the Islamic World
• Political Science 395: European Politics and the Islamic World
• Religious Studies 395: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Europe and the Islamic World
• Spanish 395: Cultural History of Spain and the Islamic World

Sites visited include:

• France: Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille
• Morocco: Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier
• Spain: Seville, Granada, and Cordoba
• United Kingdom: Gibraltar

View the 2020 itinerary here. Please note, the schedule is tentative and subject to change. 

View the 2020 syllabus here. Please note that details are subject to change.

"What really made the trip and learning experiences unique were the professors and site visits. I’ve never had classes that were as thought provoking as the lectures we had. I had never thought as critically, either. I felt challenged and that I had to think of things from every perspective. This may have been because I’m a business major, but I think the professors made the classes interesting. If I had to take this at my home university, I don’t think I would have learned or had been engaged as much. There is something about experiential learning that is unique and lasting." - Cinara, University of Akron

About the Professor

Dr. Carl Jubran, a 1992 alumnus of The Aix Center and previous member of IAU’s Council of Academic Advisors, became IAU’s fifth President in May 2011.  He completed his undergraduate education in linguistics, participated in a Master’s program at the Sorbonne, Paris IV through New York University, and later earned his M.A. in Spanish Linguistics and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of California. Dr. Jubran was a professor of Language and Literature at the University of San Diego (USD) and also served as Associate Provost for International Affairs. He has developed courses in French, Spanish, Arabic, world civilizations and global studies and has led and overseen programs in France, Mexico, Morocco, and Spain. Dr. Jubran’s multilingual fluency in French, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Hebrew positions him well to lead students, faculty, and staff in developing multicultural understanding and learning the essential importance of the interconnections among social equity and justice, economic viability, and environmental vitality in building sustainable community in today’s world.

Program Fees

January 2020: $5,845

Program fees include tuition for 3 credits, lodging, medical insurance, entrance fees to all museums and guest lecture venues, transportation to and from each city, breakfast daily and most dinners.

Students who enroll in a January Term Seminar and the spring semester in Aix-en-Provence consecutively are eligible to receive a $2,000 grant credited to their spring semester invoice. In order to be eligible to receive the grant, students must participate in the Early Start Program during the week between the end of the January Term Seminar and the start of the spring semester. The Early Start Program allows students to move in with their French hosts a week before the semester begins, receive French language instruction, and participate in local cultural activities! Visit IAU's Scholarship website for additional details.