Students return from Arabic language internship in Morocco

The internship on Arabic language and Moroccan culture in the city of Tétouan has been completed. The internship was organized by the Al-Khadara Center for Arab Culture of the Institute of International Relations of Kazan Federal University, together with a leading Moroccan University, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University. The program was attended by 60 people, including students from 14 universities in Russia, as well as Belarus and Kazakhstan.

“Throughout their time in Morocco, students study Arabic under the guidance of university professors and practice with the local population on the streets of the city, which allows students to fully immerse themselves in the cultural environment,” said Mohammed Saleh Al-Ammari, Associate Professor of the Department of Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies and Afro-Asian Studies and Director of the Al-Khadara Center for Arab Culture.

Within the framework of the internship, the participants visited more than 15 cities in Morocco: Tétouan, Tangier, M’diq, Fnideq, Martil, El Jebha, Oued Laou, Fez, Ifrane, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Asilah, Chefchaouen, and others. Meetings with representatives of the diplomatic mission of the Russian Federation in Morocco, a visit to the Russian Embassy in Rabat and a meeting with Ambassador Vladimir Baibakov were organized for the students. There were also debates, a calligraphy master class, sports days, movie nights, hikes in the mountains, a visit to the Orthodox Church in Rabat, a six-day tour of the imperial cities of Morocco, and much more.

One of the key events of the Al-Khadara Center’s internships is the organization of the Festival of Cultures of the Peoples of Russia. As part of it, students act as organizers, introducing local residents to the culture of the people they represent, showing the ethnic diversity of Russia.

This year, the Festival of Cultures of the Peoples of Russia gathered more than 100 participants, among whom were faculty and staff of the university and their families. The guests of honor were Alexander Sen, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in the Kingdom of Morocco, Mikhail Chernenko, Deputy Trade Representative of the Russian Federation, and Vera Pavlova, Second Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Morocco. The festival featured creative numbers: poems in Avar, Tatar and Kazakh languages, Tatar and Russian songs. The students also introduced the Moroccans to the cuisine of the peoples of Russia. The guests were lucky enough to taste Tula gingerbread, Russian pancakes, North Caucasian chudu and Tatar qystybyi accompanied by black tea with milk.

“The internships on the study and practice of the Arabic language, which are organized by Kazan Federal University today, are known throughout Russia. They are attended by students from leading Russian universities where Arabic is taught. The internships are aimed not only at learning the language, but also at immersion in the cultural context of the country. Previously, similar internships have taken place in Syria, Egypt and Oman, as well as in other Arab countries. I am sure that the practice of holding them will often develop. It is important that the visiting students also familiarize our Arab partner universities with Russian and Tatar cultures, cultures of other peoples of our country. This expands the horizons of our interaction,” noted Timirkhan Alishev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs.

At the end of the studies, the internship was solemnly closed; the special guest of the ceremony was the Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union, Mr. Tarek Ben Salem. The students were awarded certificates of completion of the course, and the teachers and the most active students received letters of appreciation and certificates from the Center of Arab Culture. At the end of the internship, a farewell party was organized where the students shared their positive feedback.

The first summer internship was organized by the Al-Khadara Center for Arab Culture in 1999 in the Syrian Arab Republic. Since 2011, Kazan University began to cooperate with one of the largest educational institutions in Morocco – Abdelmalek Essaâdi University., and summer internships in Arabic language and culture began to be held annually in Morocco.