Spain & Morocco
Exploring the Coexistence and Challenges of Neighboring Cultures
May 25–June 5, 2009
Itinerary
This 12-day seminar begins and ends in Seville, Spain and includes: Cordoba (Spain), Algeciras, Tangier, Asilah, Rabat, Chefchaouen, and Ceuta (Morocco). Click here to see the Summer 2009 Seminar itinerary.
Seminar Fee
CIEE Member: $3,175 Non-Member: $3,375
Academic Content
Lectures
- Historic and Cultural Links between North Africa and Southern Spain
- History of the Muslim Presence in Spain
- Coexistence of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the Caliphate of Cordoba
- Immigration and the Moroccan Immigrant Experience in Contemporary Spain
- Cultural Diversity, Women's Rights, and Education in Today’s Morocco
- Moroccan Society and Conduct—The Relation of Religion and State
- Cultural Diversity in Morocco—Arabic, Berber, Jewish, and European Influences
- How Moroccan Women Writers Address Social Issues
- The Situation in Poor Urban and Rural Areas and the Practical Impact of Globalization on Morocco
- Moroccan Perspectives on Development Priorities, Progress, and International Aid
Co-curricular Site Visits & Field Trips
- Seville and Cordoba City Tours
- DARNA (Women’s Training and Empowerment Center)
- Asilah, Rabat, and Chefchaouen City Tours
- Ain Baida Mountain Village
- Local Development Association in Chefchaouen
- Rif Mountains and Akchour Canyon
- Meetings with Local Families and Students
Rationale
In our current world climate there is symbolic meaning to crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 miles which separate Africa and Europe, Morocco and Spain, the Muslim and Western worlds. This seminar explores the links between Morocco and Spain on a variety of levels: the rich cultural
and historic heritage from the Al Andalus era, the intersection of the “developing” and “developed” world, and the global impact of terrorism and increasing animosity between historically Muslim and Christian societies. This seminar seeks to make connections with Spanish and Moroccan faculty to discuss the relevant issues of diversity and co-existence, religious and cultural pluralism, history, globalization, economic inequalities, and immigration. Morocco is an appealing destination due to its cultural, ethnic, and geographical richness combined with its safety, good infrastructure, and openness towards the West. In Morocco, participants experience the intersection of Islamic, African, Indigenous, and Western cultures within a safe and open framework.
Host Institutions
The CIEE Study Center in Seville was founded in 1971 and is one of the largest and longest running CIEE Study Centers. It is host to six semester-long programs and two summer programs. The CIEE Study Center is located in a beautifully renovated Sevillano palace dating back to 1725 in the old Jewish Quarter of Seville, known as Barrio Santa Cruz. The seminar is hosted in Morocco by the CIEE Study Center in Rabat.
Seminar Leadership
The seminar leader is Morgan Reiss. Morgan Reiss has worked with the CIEE Study Center in Seville for eleven years. She has an MA from the University of Essex (UK) in Human Rights Law. Her main area of academic research is general immigration patterns and trends in Europe, with special emphasis on Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans in Spain. She currently teaches a course on Social Justice and Human Rights.
Professor A. Zaki, the academic host in Morocco, is on the faculty of the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, and has chaired its Dept. of Languages and Communication. He earned his Ph.D. and post-doctoral Habilitation in Linguistics from Sidi Mohamed ben Abdellah University (Morocco). He has conducted research and evaluations for Moroccan Ministries, US-AID, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. His most recent publications include: Reflections on the Formation of Stereotypes, Attitudes and Opinions on Islam and Arabs.
Click on the links below to learn more about participating on an IFDS.