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Program Overview
The Conflict and the Struggle for Peace: Explorations in Ireland and the Middle East program runs in the summer and works with leading peace and justice experts 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. This unique program is presented in partnership with a leading non-profit organization based on site in Amman engaged in international education activities in the Middle East and North Africa.
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.
Want to know more? Sign up to our FIE Peace & Conflict Interest List for a deeper dive in to this life-changing experience.
Eligibility
- Minimum 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
Terms
- The Peace & Conflict program is scheduled to run again in Summer 2027
- The core Summer Conflict and the Struggle for Peace: Explorations in Ireland and the Middle East program is 5 weeks in duration
- The optional Arabic language course is 4 weeks in duration
- Please visit our Program Datespage for the latest information on dates
Academics
Students enrolled in the program will undertake two courses:
- 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
Students may elect to stay in Amman for an additional 4 weeks to learn Arabic. 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.
Credit and Transcript Information
Your two courses are each worth 3 US credit hours. Should you choose to undertake the optional Arabic language course, this course is worth 6 US credit hours. Your transcript will be issued by FIE’s School of Record, Drexel University, listing all courses undertaken.
Housing and Accommodations
Whilst in Ireland, 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. 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.
Student Life
From historic streets in Dublin to the bustling neighborhoods of Amman, student life in this program is defined by discovery, connection, and hands-on learning, an unforgettable journey that brings global perspectives on peace, conflict, and culture into sharp, lived focus.
The program begins in Dublin, where students settle into their new environment with orientation, a guided walking tour, and the start of classes. From the outset, learning extends beyond the classroom through engaging co-curricular activities and study excursions, including a three-day trip to Northern Ireland that brings themes of peacebuilding and reconciliation vividly to life. In Dublin, students will also enjoy a political walking tour, visits to historic city sites, and a day trip to the scenic coastal town of Howth blending academic insight with cultural exploration.
Midway through the program, students depart Dublin and arrive in Amman, marking the beginning of the Middle Eastern phase of their experience. The round trip Ireland – Jordan flight is included in the program fee! Here, student life takes on a new rhythm as classes resume alongside an exciting slate of co-curricular activities. Highlights include a comprehensive Amman city tour, a Biblical Jordan tour, an overnight excursion to the south of the country, and a rare opportunity to meet with a tribal chief providing firsthand perspectives on Jordanian society, leadership, and regional dynamics. These experiential, field-based components are designed to connect theory with practice, allowing students to engage directly with the people, places, and issues they study.
For students who choose the Intensive Arabic Language Add-on, the Amman experience becomes even richer. Following orientation, students dive into their first day of Arabic classes, complemented by a variety of co-curricular excursions that reinforce language learning through real-world interaction. The program concludes with a final exam and reflection period, encouraging students to consolidate their linguistic and cultural growth before departing Amman and returning to Dublin.
At the end of the program, students are free to return to their home country or continue traveling independently.
Health, Safety, and Support
As specialists in local life and culture, our local staff and partners on the ground are proud to help students realize their potential abroad. Your health, safety, and well-being are of the utmost importance to us here at FIE. Through preparation, orientation, and an open-door support policy, we ensure that you are fully supported throughout your entire study abroad experience. In addition to being covered by comprehensive, easy-to-utilize international travel insurance, students also have access to professional counseling services if needed.
For further information please visit our Health in Dublin and Safety in Jordan webpages. Questions? Reach out to FIE's Senior Director of Institutional Relations,
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 - contact your study abroad advisor to confirm.
FIE scholarships for our Peace and Conflict program are available 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 may be eligible to apply for other scholarships.
