Center for Contemporary Arab Studies

The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States is a notable academic center "distinguished by its emphasis on study of the contemporary Arab world and its rigorous Arabic language training."[1] Part of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, CCAS was founded in 1975 and noted scholars Hanna Batatu and Hisham Sharabi were part of its founding. The initial money for the center came from the U.S. government as well as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman;[2] shortly afterwards,Libya donated $750,000 for to endow a chair that went to historian Hisham Sharabai, a close associate of Yasser Arafat.[2][3] A further $275,000 of the center's founding donations came from American corporations with business ties to the Middle East.[3] Previous directors of the CCAS have included Michael C. Hudson, Barbara Stowasser, and Ibrahim Ibrahim. The current director is Rochelle Davis.

CCAS offers an MA degree in Arab Studies as well as certificates in Arab Studies to undergraduates and graduate students. CCAS' MA program also has joint degrees with the Law School. MA in Arab Studies students can also get certificates in a number of other programs including International Business Diplomacy and Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies.

Funding

The Center is funded by the university, by grants, and by private donors including the governments of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Libya, as well as corporations with business interests in the Middle East.[2][3] Since 1997, CCAS has served as the core of Georgetown University's National Resource Center on the Middle East and North Africa, funded by a Title VI grant from the US Department of Education. In addition, the Center hosts endowed chairs from Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, along with a chair in Human Development.[4][5] A number of other private donors support scholarships for students and public lectures and symposium.

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2013-01-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Khalil, Osamah F. (2016). America’s Dream Palace: Middle East Expertise and the Rise of the National Security State. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674971578.
  3. Feinberg, Lawrence (1980-05-12). "United Arab Emirates Gives GU $750,000 for A Chair in Arab Studies". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  4. Nour USA (11 December 2007). "International Business Leader A. Huda Farouki Commends Georgetown University Chair Dr. Fida..." prnewswire.com. VIENNA, Va.
  5. "Kuwait Endows $1 Million Chair | News | the Harvard Crimson".


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