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Summer School · 24 August – 22 September 2026

Arabic, Darija, and the living culture of the MENA region, studied where it lives.

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Explore the Program
Duration Four Weeks
Location Fez, Morocco
Levels Beginner to Advanced
2026
Cohort
28
Days in Fez
7
Cities Visited
≤ 24
Selected Students
Program Overview
What if this summer changed how you see the world?
البصيرة
al-baṣīra · insight, discernment

Al-Bassira is a four-week immersion in Arabic language, Moroccan Darija, and the living culture of the MENA region, set in the ancient heart of Fez.

It brings together curious, driven students from all backgrounds and levels, not just to study the Arab world, but to experience it. Mornings in the classroom. Afternoons in deep conversation. Evenings lost in one of the most extraordinary medinas on earth. Weekends across Morocco.

This is not a language course. This is a shift in perspective.

Who Joins Al-Bassira?

A small, hand-selected group of curious students from across the world.

Al-Bassira brings together a carefully selected group of students from diverse international backgrounds and academic disciplines, from complete beginners to advanced Arabic learners. Participants are chosen not just for their academic profile, but for their curiosity, openness, and genuine desire to engage with the Arab world. The result is a rich, multilingual learning environment where every voice adds something to the conversation.

The Rhythm of a Day

Focused mornings. Open afternoons. Evenings in the medina.

I · 09:00 – 13:00
Morning
Darija warm-up, grammar focus, guided reading, and translation workshop. The core of the academic work.
II · 14:30 – 16:30
Afternoon
Lectures in history, literature, or politics. Seminar discussion and group work.
III · Evenings
Life in Fez
Daily outings. Explore the medina. Local cafés. Shared dinners with classmates.
IV · Weekends
Excursions
Chefchaouen, the Atlas, Rabat, Volubilis — every weekend a new face of Morocco.
Core Learning Units

Six interconnected areas of study

I
Arabic Language & Darija
MSA grammar and syntax alongside Moroccan Darija for everyday communication. Diglossia and sociolinguistic variation.
II
Literature & Cultural Expression
Classical texts, modern Arabic literature, and the oral storytelling traditions passed down across generations.
III
Translation Studies
Arabic ↔ English and French. Cultural nuance and equivalence. Literary versus journalistic translation.
IV
History & Intellectual Traditions
From pre-Islamic Arabia to postcolonial states. Arab intellectual thought, reform movements, nationalism.
V
Politics & Society
Colonial legacies and state formation. Language politics — Arabic, Darija, Amazigh, French. Gender, migration, identity.
VI
Media & Cultural Production
Film, music, digital culture. The role of Darija in contemporary Moroccan media.
"
Al-Bassira is where academic insight meets real-life experience. Arrive with questions, and leave seeing the world a little differently.
Applications Open · Cohort Closes 20 July 2026

Experience Morocco beyond the surface.

Four weeks in Fez. Twenty-four students, hand-selected. Tuition from €2,950, all-inclusive of accommodation, weekend excursions, and airport transfers.

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Apply by
20 July 2026
Program runs
24 Aug — 22 Sep
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