Study Abroad in Rabat

IAU's 6-week summer study abroad program in Morocco's capital, Rabat focuses on human rights to explore the complex historical, cultural, and political relationships between the Islamic world and the West, including migration and asylum dynamics in the Mediterranean.

Program Dates

June 2 - July 11, 2025

Core Coursework

All students must enroll in the following course:

- The History of the Mediterranean (View syllabus)

This intensive 6-week course is designed to provide students with the historical background to make sense of today’s issues, conflicts and challenges concerning the region.

In addition to The History of the Mediterranean course, students must also choose between the two following courses:

- Islam and the West: Historical Encounters and Contemporary Challenges (View syllabus)
This course examines the complex historical, cultural, and political relationship between the Islamic world and the West.

- Migration and Asylum in the Mediterranean (View syllabus)
This course delves into the laws, policies and practices that shape migration and asylum dynamics in the Mediterranean. Taking Morocco as a case study, it studies how migration and asylum laws, policies and practices interact on the ground.

Service Learning

In addition to coursework, students will participate in service learning activities while abroad.

The service-learning component of the six-week summer program in Rabat offers students an opportunity to merge academic learning with community engagement. Students spend three afternoons a week (three hours each) contributing to local organizations that align with their chosen track: Refugees, Migrants, and Human Rights or Islam & Europe. Activities abroad may include assisting in education programs, conducting research, providing logistical support, or facilitating cultural exchange. Students will engage in weekly reflection sessions led by program coordinators to discuss challenges, insights, and applications of academic concepts to connect the service-learning component to their academic coursework. This experience fosters cultural understanding, professional skills, and a deeper appreciation of global challenges and solutions.

Program Inclusions: Housing, cultural and academic course activities, service-learning, weekend trips, plus three meals a day during the week (weekends may vary)

Housing and Study Site

Students will be housed and attend courses at the Riad Senso.

About the Professor

Aboubakr Jamaï has been the Dean of the IAU School of Business and International Relations since 2014. Professor Jamaï's professional career spans the business sectors of finance, economics, and journalism. As a professor, he teaches political science and international journalism at IAU and other American institutions of higher education. Among the many prizes and distinctions he has received, Professor Jamaï was named Harvard University’s Nieman Fellow in 2007 and Mason Fellow in 2008. He was also awarded the 2008 Tully Center Free Speech Prize, Newhouse School of Communication, Syracuse University, and the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. In 2016 he was honored by the Project on Middle East Democracy. Professor Jamaï has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Higher Institute of Commerce and Management in Casablanca, Morocco, a MBA from Oxford University, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. He speaks Arabic, French, and English.

Student Testimonial

"My internship with Fondation Orient-Occident (FOO) in Rabat was a formative experience in my career, significantly expanding my understanding of the complexities within the humanitarian and development sectors. It deepened my awareness of the needs of crisis-affected and marginalized populations, particularly displaced persons. I also developed cross-cultural communication skills that continue to help me navigate complex, multicultural environments.

The experience with FOO led me to pursue a role with an NGO in Iraq, where I supported a livelihood program for refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as a position with USAID, where I had the privilege of deploying in response to crises in Afghanistan, Gaza, the Horn of Africa, and Ukraine.

I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with Fondation Orient-Occident, as it laid the foundation for my continued work in humanitarian aid."

— Jena Borel, ACM MAIR 2017 graduate