Project Week

Project Week provides a welcome change to the normal class routine so students can acquaint themselves with interesting topics related to hot socio-political and cultural issues in Jordan and the Middle East. During the week, students are involved in experiential activities, site visits, talks, and discussions with a diverse group of experts, activists, and communities from different local and international organizations in Jordan. These diverse activities help students learn more about Jordanian society and culture through exploring specific topics. These topics have included tribes and tribalism, refugees, countering violent extremism, environmental issues, sustainability and development, youth culture, and urban planning in Jordan. Following Project Week, students continue to explore their theme by writing a research paper/recording a speech as part of their MSA course.

Below are some of the activities and student thoughts from previous Project Weeks.

Spring 2024

One group of students focused on learning about Tribes and had interesting meetings with university students, researchers, public figures, political party members and a tribe leader (sheikh). Students were interested in a whole spectrum of things, from the political influence of tribes on the Jordanian government to their coffee drinking traditions, to which our guests tried their best to answer and our students tried their best to understand, all being in Arabic. It was a challenging week nonetheless, as students prepared in advance to be able to keep up with all the new and interesting influx of information. They studied vocab lists, were given readings, and underwent a dedicated class on the topic, as well having homework to do during the week. 

As for the week’s final project, students researched more about their chosen topic of interest in order to better understand this complex component of Jordanian society as they write about it.

The other group focused on Jordan’s unique history as a country that has received refugees for over a century. At the start of the week, our students were able to research a different refugee population in Jordan and present to their peers the most interesting information they had learned about refugees’ reasons for seeking asylum, their journeys to Jordan, and their experiences after they arrived. Over the course of the week, the refugee group’s interesting program included a visit to an international organization (International Rescue Committee-IRC) and two local refugee-run organizations, our partners Souriyat Across Borders and Sawiyan. After presentations about each organization’s work and challenges, we invited beneficiaries from the latter two to a half-day trip outside Amman to visit thee historic village of Iraq al-Amir and have Iftar together. This gave our students the opportunity to get to know them in pairs or small groups and hear about their personal experiences as refugees in Jordan. We also visited the Azraq refugee camp with CARE International. Students then researched a specific topic related to what they had learned throughout the week, from belonging and integration in Jordan as a host country to the use of art in processing trauma. Due to some scheduling difficulties, the final visit to a Palestinian urban camp in the heart of Amman was postponed to several weeks after the official Project Week.

Fall 2023

Fall 2023 students received a comprehensive introduction to “Tribes & Tribalism in Jordan”, which covered social, political and historical aspects of this defining feature of Jordanian society. They met with a researcher on the topic, activists representing different generations, a Sheikh (tribe leader), a former member of parliament, and groups of women and university students, all to explore, discuss and learn from them about their perspectives on the past, present, and future of tribes in Jordan.

Spring 2023

For Project Week in Spring 2023, students explored two different themes:

• the current landscape of refugees in Jordan, and
• the interplay between environmental issues and urban planning 

The former group learned about the challenges that refugees and organizations that serve them face, with a particular focus on the differences between the resources and services available to refugees of different nationalities. They were able to speak with representatives of the UNHCR, the Ministry of the Interior, an international NGO, a grassroots community initiative, an islamic charity, and a local NGO that focuses on using art to empower marginalized groups. 

The latter group spent the week learning about the issues of climate change, green energy, urban planning and transportation, as well as the challenges facing the Red and Dead Seas. They heard about Jordan’s plans to adapt to climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and the solutions currently offered by government and private agencies. They also met with some architecture engineering students at the University of Jordan and toured the city of Amman, partly on the Amman Bus Rapid Transit, to learn about its historical context, transportation methods and urban planning. 

Since this semester the week fell during the month of Ramadan, students also enjoyed an Iftar together with some of our guests!

Fall 2022

Theme for Fall 2022 Project Week: The Diverse Character of Jordan: From local tribes to recent immigrants.

This semester’s Project Week started with an overview of the history of Jordan with regard to welcoming refugees and migrants over the last few centuries. Students learned about the history of the Circassian community in Jordan and enjoyed the tasty food at Samawer restaurant. They learned about the legal framework for receiving refugees; the role of mosques and churches in embracing refugees from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and other countries in the more recent past; and the work of international and local organizations in refugee camps and in Amman. Our students also explored Jabal Amman with some members of Souriyat Across Borders and made some yummy Knafeh on a rooftop.

Fall 2019

During Fall 2019 Project Week, students explored the following themes:

• Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) in Jordan
• Tribes and Tribal Society in Jordan
• Refugees in Jordan

The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) group visited the Princess Salma Center for Childhood and the Naya Community Network. The week also included hosting several expert guest speakers. These visits and talks covered topics such as the underlying causes of extremism, the relationship between education and extremism, and the tools to combat extremism in Jordan. The program also screened the movie Paradise Now, which profiles the life of two men planning a suicidal attack.

The Tribes and Tribalism group had a unique chance to visit and talk to some local tribal figures. They were able to learn about the historical, social, political, and legal aspects of Jordanian tribes. They gained a significant amount of information on tribal traditions and laws, the role of women in the tribes, the younger generation’s views on tribalism in Jordan, among other aspects.

The group studying refugees in Jordan had visits to the Jordanian Parliament and the UNHCR. Hosted guest speakers were from the Norwegian Refugee Council, IRAP, and the Refugee Affairs Coordinator at the Ministry of the Interior. Sessions and visits discussed the legal aspect of asylum and resettlement, refugee policy as well as the impact of asylum seekers on Jordan, and education programs offered for refugees in Jordan.

Spring 2019

During Spring 2019 Project Week, students explored three core themes:

• Refugees in Jordan
• Environment and Development in Jordan 
• Tribes and Tribal Society in Jordan

The Environment and Development group visited the Municipality of Greater Amman, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the Center for Energy Research in the Royal Scientific Society, and Engicon, a global engineering consulting firm, among others. During these visits, students explored issues related to urban planning and green spaces, water scarcity, energy efficiency and alternative power, and challenges of transportation in Amman.

The Tribes and Tribalism group got a comprehensive introduction on “Tribes & Tribalism in Jordan”, which covered social, political and historical aspects of this defining feature of Jordanian society. They learned about tribal law and women in tribes, and visited Jordan Heritage, a group of young Jordanians who have set out to preserve the Jordanian heritage in various fields, to name just a few activities.

The group studying refugees in Jordan had visits to the UNHCR, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and HOPES, an organization that seeks to provide better access to quality further and higher education opportunities for refugees from Syria, as well as young people in the host communities. They also screened films about life in refugee camps and as refugees in Amman, and met with young Syrian filmmakers.  

Fall 2018

During Fall 2018 Project Week, students explored the following themes:

• Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) in Jordan
• Tribes and Tribal Society in Jordan
• Refugees in Jordan

The CVE group visited the Division of Child Education in the Ministry of Culture, Peace Community Center, Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development, Jordanian Center for the Fight Against Intellectual Extremism in Zarqa governorate, and the mayor and Security Council in Ma’an governorate. During these visits, students explored issues related to CVE through culture and art, the challenges and successes of the Jordanian government and NGOs with regard to CVE, and the role of the military in CVE.

The Tribes and Tribalism group visited tribes and clans in different cities in Jordan. They were invited to meet with representatives of the Al-Majali tribe in Al-Kerak where they not only discussed various issues but were also offered the traditional Jordanian mansaf. They also explored issues related to women and tribal law, tribal structures and the relation between tribes, the relationship between the government and tribes, and the tribes’ contribution to the political and civic life in Jordan.

The group studying refugees visited the International Refugee Assistant Project (IRAP), Sawiyan, UNHCR, the Parliament, Happiness Again, and the Norwegian Refugee Council. During these visits, students explored issues related to resettlement and legal issues concerning refugees in Jordan, minority refugees in Jordan, and the challenges that face refugees, NGOs, and the government in Jordan.

In the weeks following Project Week, each student developed a research paper/recording on a topic related to their group’s theme. As in previous semesters, the paper/recording was an MSA course requirement, and the best paper/recording in each MSA class was awarded a prize.