***We regularly run webinars on this unique program and send exciting updates. To receive occasional bulletins about these, sign up for our FIE Peace & Conflict Interest List***
The Conflict and the Struggle for Peace: Explorations in Ireland and the Middle East runs in the summer and works with leading peace and justice scholars in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Jordan. This course offers you the opportunity to critically analyze and examine up-close some of the most formidable diplomatic issues of our time.
The program starts in Dublin, Ireland, and explores the Anglo-Irish peace process. It includes a study tour to Northern Ireland, United Kingdom before moving to Amman, Jordan. Using the Irish peace process as a case study, students examine intractable conflicts in the Middle East but beyond the Israel-Palestine conflict to also examine larger inter-regional as well as inter-tribal conflicts. At the end of the core program students have the option to add intensive Arabic language classes to make it a summer-long program. The round trip Ireland – Jordan flight is included in the program fee!
This unique program is presented in partnership with Amideast Education Abroad, the leading American non-profit organization engaged in international education activities in the Middle East and North Africa, to offer this exceptional opportunity.
If you work at a university and want to explore offering this course to your students, please contact FIE's Senior Director of Institutional Relations, Dr. Grahaeme Hesp:
ABOUT AMIDEAST
For more than two decades, Amideast field offices in the Middle East have supported study abroad programs organized by US colleges and universities and international education organizations such as FIE. Amideast strives to develop intercultural and global competence among students who study abroad in Jordan. They also provide students with safe, secure, and healthy living and learning environments.
Program Outline, Academics, and the Arabic Language Option
The program includes two courses and additional pre-work prior to arrival in Dublin. The two courses are:
- In Dublin: Life Cycle of Peace and Conflict: Lessons Learned in Northern Ireland
- In Amman:
Views from Jordan: Humanity and the Future in the Wake of “Peace” and Uprising
(formerly known as Conflict Resolution and Management: Beyond the Arab-Israeli Conflict)
Arabic Language Option
Students may elect to stay in Amman for an additional 4 weeks to learn Arabic through Amideast. Those that choose this option may be eligible for additional Amideast Education Abroad scholarships.
The intensive language study teaches Arabic using a blended approach, combining Modern Standard and Colloquial Jordanian Arabic in one class. You'll study Arabic with some of the most respected language teachers in the region from the Sijal Institute. Intensive coursework, combined with daily interactions with host families, helps students at all levels to increase their Arabic proficiency in a short period of time. All levels of Blended Arabic are offered, from beginning to advanced.
Anticipated Academic Structure and Co-Curricular Experiences
| Peace & Conflict Resolution Program | Intensive Arabic Language Add-on |
|---|---|
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Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Amman Example Tentative Schedule
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Amman Example Tentative Schedule
Additional information on the Intensive Arabic Course in Amman including Academic Information and Course Descriptions can be found on the Amideast website. |
At the end of the program, students are free to travel either back to their home country or to other locations. After the day indicated as the day students depart (typically following the final day of the program), students are responsible for all of their own transportation, visa, housing, insurance, and other logistical arrangements. Students should note that after the departure day noted on the academic calendar, their program-provided insurance coverage will end and they must arrange for accommodations outside of Amideast shared apartments, Amideast host families, or the hotel in Dublin.
Fees and Scholarships
Fees for the Conflict and the Struggle for Peace: Ireland and the Middle East program can be found on our Program Fees page. Please note your home campus may have different fees - please contact your study abroad advisor.
FIE scholarships for our Peace and Conflict program are to the value of $1000 and must be applied for by mid-February. More details are on our scholarships page.
Those that decide to stay in Amman for the Intensive Arabic add-on will be eligible to apply for Amideast scholarships.
What's included in the program fee?
INCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM FEE
- Comprehensive online pre-departure orientations by FIE and Amideast
- Tuition for the entire program
- FIE US School of Record academic transcript
- Round trip flight from Ireland to Jordan
- Study tours to Northern Ireland and in Jordan
- Various course-related co-curricular activities in Dublin and Amman
- Comprehensive on-site orientations in Dublin and Amman
- Collection and transfer from and to Dublin* and Amman airports
- Housing in Dublin (student residences, serviced apartments, or a long stay hotel with modern amenities) and Amman (homestay)**
- Hotel accommodation in Amman for the first night
- Most meals in Jordan
- Small stipend for local travel costs in Amman
- Hotel accommodation upon arriving back to Ireland at the scheduled end of the program ***
- Comprehensive medical insurance
- 24-hour emergency support
- Wi-Fi access
Your Program Fee Does Not Include:
- Transatlantic airfare
- Passport and visa fees
- Most meals in Ireland
- Personal expenses
- Independent travel and excursions
- Textbooks and academic materials
*Students will be met and transferred by FIE staff at Dublin airport provided they arrive before midday (12:00pm). Those arriving later in the afternoon will be emailed full instructions for making their own way from the airport to their Dublin accommodation.
**Students may opt to stay in a hotel for the Jordan portion of the program for an additional fee -
***At the end of the program students are free to travel either back to their home country or to other locations. After the day indicated as the day students depart (typically following the final day of the program), students are responsible for all of their own transportation, housing, insurance, visa, and other logistical arrangements. Students should note that after the departure day noted on the academic calendar, their program-provided insurance coverage will end and they must arrange for accommodations outside of Amideast shared apartments, Amideast host families, or the hotel in Dublin.
Housing
Dublin
During the Ireland portion of the program, students will be housed in purpose-built student residences, serviced apartments, or a long stay hotel with modern amenities. Students are responsible for the majority of their own meals.
Amman
During your time in Jordan, students live with a Jordanian family. All participating families are screened by Amideast/Jordan from a database of qualified applications. Families usually host two students at a time and provide meals throughout the program. Students may opt to stay in a hotel for the Jordan portion of the program for an additional fee -
Safety in Jordan
Student safety is our number one priority. FIE’s partner in Jordan, Amideast, has been working in the Middle East/North Africa for more than 60 years and maintains a close relationship with embassies in the region. Amideast staff members constantly monitor the political and security situation in Jordan and in other surrounding countries. As part of your pre-departure orientation, you will be advised to register your travel to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Jordan with your home country embassy. (US nationals register via http://step.state.gov)
In January 2018, the US Department of State launched new Travel Advisories and Alerts to make it easier for US citizens to access clear, timely, and reliable safety and security information about every country in the world. For more details and FAQs about these Travel Advisories and Alerts, please see www.travel.state.gov/travelsafely.
Jordan is currently rated the same level as much of Western Europe. For full details, visit: US State Department Country Travel Information - Jordan
The locations in Jordan that the US Department of State recommends travelers avoid have been classified as prohibited locations for all FIE/Amideast students under our joint Travel Policies since the start of the Conflict and the Struggle for Peace program.
All students planning to travel independently MUST submit an online Amideast Travel Information Form in advance of traveling anywhere outside of Amman.
Students should note that some home institutions have policies regarding independent travel. Students are responsible for making themselves aware of all home institution policies regarding travel and to abide by those policies. Regarding independent travel generally and/or travel to a specific location, a home institution’s policies regarding travel may be more or less restrictive than the FIE/Amideast travel policies. In such cases, THE MORE RESTRICTIVE POLICY APPLIES, and FIE/Amideast adheres to home institutions’ policies that are more restrictive.
In general, FIE and Amideast encourage students to be extremely attentive to their surroundings at all times when traveling. Further, it is imperative that students remain abreast of news reports about the locations to which they will travel independently in order to avoid areas of high risk.
Amideast Health & Safety procedures can be found on the Amideast website. General travel information regarding Jordan are on the US Department of State's website.
Any questions regarding safety in Jordan, Ireland, or Northern Ireland should be directed to
Study Tours & Excursions
Study tours and co-curricular experiences bring the theories and concepts learned in class to life. Included in the Peace & Conflict program are a variety of co-curricular experiences and study tours. The following is a list of study tours and co-curricular experiences from prior years. (Please note that logistical issues may cause experiences to be substituted or eliminated.)
DUBLIN
- Three-day excursion to Northern Ireland
- Derry
- Belfast
- Stormont Castle (Northern Ireland Assembly)
- Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge
- Giant's Causeway
- Political walking tour of Dublin
- Visiting historic city sites:
- Leinster House (Irish Parliament)
- Glasnevin Cemetery
- Kilmainham Gaol
- Day trip to the coastal town of Howth
AMMAN
- Visit to the Israeli Embassy
- Meeting with a tribal chief
- Amman City tour
- The Citadel
- Roman Amphitheatre
- Biblical Jordan tour
- Umm Qais
- Jerash
- Mount Nebo
- Overnight excursion to the South
- Wadi Rum desert
- The ancient city of Petra
The student experience
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"The FIE Peace and Conflict program was a great cultural experience and an incredibly eye-opening opportunity. From the discussions with guest speakers to the insights provided by our teachers, Jordanian host families, and everyday conversations with new people, the program provided me with a new viewpoint that has fundamentally changed the way I look at International Affairs. You can attend lectures and study textbooks, but you can’t understand conflict and the ways in which it affects countries and their peoples until you listen to their thoughts, fears, and concerns. I hope anyone interested in the process of conflict resolution or the complicated dynamics of international affairs will strongly consider this program."
- Ryland Arnold, University of Arkansas
Term lengths, eligibility, credit transfer and receiving regular updates
Terms
- Summer Conflict and the Struggle for Peace: Explorations in Ireland and the Middle East program only (5 weeks)
- Summer Conflict and the Struggle for Peace: Explorations in Ireland and the Middle East with Intensive Arabic Language (9 weeks)
Eligibility
- GPA: 2.75
- NOTE: Your home institution may require a higher GPA and other prerequisites
- If you attend a FIE partner institution, contact your study abroad advisor on campus for any additional requirements
- If you do not attend one of our partner institutions,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or concerns
Credit and transcript information
- Check with your study abroad advisor for course equivalencies, credit approval, and transcript information on your campus
For More Information
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