Noor Majan is dedicated to fostering partnerships with like-minded educational institutions, aiming to enhance professional growth and capacity in the realm of international education. As such, we are proud members of the Forum on Education Abroad and have established collaborative alliances with partners such as the Arab American Language Institute in Morocco (AALIM), Sijal Institute in Amman, Alif Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Al Amana Centre in Muscat, Oman. Furthermore, Noor Majan is honored to serve as a host institution for the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. These partnerships reflect our endeavor to promote excellence and enrich the educational experiences of students from broad backgrounds and interests.
Al Amana Centre & Noor Majan
What is the Al Amana Centre?
Located near the historic Mutrah Souq in Muscat, the Al Amana Centre has been an integral part of Oman’s modern developmental history and is now at the forefront of Christian-Muslim dialogue and relations. With a heritage spanning over 120 years, the center has been deeply engaged in interfaith cooperation.
In 1893, members of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), with the blessing of Sultan Qaboos, arrived in Muscat to serve the people of Oman. With the help of Omanis, the RCA began a program of medical and educational development. Following the nationalization of Oman’s medical and educational sectors in the 1970s, a new vision emerged in response to the challenges of a world in which tensions between Christians and Muslims were on the rise. The Reformed Church in America encouraged the creation of an ecumenical center to work on building bridges of understanding and cooperation between Muslims and Christians. Al Amana was thus born. Today, the center collaborates with religious, educational, civic, and governmental leaders in Oman to develop programs centered on Christian-Muslim dialogue and relations.
Collaboration: Noor Majan & Al Amana Center
The collaboration between the Al Amana Centre and Noor Majan is founded on the shared belief that increased engagement in language and culture paves the way for mutual understanding and respect. This common perspective has led to the development of a distinctive program that combines intensive language studies with interfaith dialogue.
Students who participate in this program have the opportunity to spend a semester in Muscat with a special focus on exploring Muslim-Christian relations. The Arabic language component of the program is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and confidence to actively engage in interfaith dialogue, while also providing them with a solid cultural foundation.
Noor Majan takes pride in its partnership with the Al Amana Centre and is dedicated to fostering understanding through education and language. By joining forces, the two organizations aim to create a unique learning experience that promotes interfaith dialogue, cultural exchange, and a deepening of mutual respect.
For further details about this program and to learn more about the Al Amana Centre, please visit their website.
Noor Majan and AALIM: The Rihla Program
The geographical immensity of the Arabic-speaking world poses challenges for students who wish to gain sufficient exposure to various dialects of Arabic and the cultural diversity of the Arab world. To address this, Noor Majan and the Arab-American Language Institute in Morocco (AALIM) teamed up to provide students the opportunity to study in both Oman and Morocco under one program, the Rihla program, named after the Arabic word for “journey.”
Rihla’s name is also a tribute to Ibn Battuta, the renowned 14th-century Arab explorer, whose seminal travelogue “Al-Rihla” chronicles his remarkable journeys. Ibn Battuta embarked from Morocco and traversed the Arabic-speaking world, reaching Oman as the easternmost point, before venturing onward to India and China. By adopting the name “Rihla,” we invite Arabic students to engage with two opposite ends of the Arab world united by one original language.
Inquiries for the Omani portion of the program should be addressed to
Samira Selle, Noor Majan Training Institute
info[.@.]noormajan-institute.com
Inquiries for the Moroccan portion of the program should be addressed to
Anne Marie Skye, AALIM Executive Office
aalimorocco[.@.]yahoo.com
-Photos featured ( Maggie Dene, 2017 Rihla Summer Program Participant- College of William and Mary)
Noor Majan and the Critical Language Scholarship Program
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a prestigious initiative administered by the U.S. Department of State. Students who are awarded the coveted scholarship for Arabic spend a summer at one of four sites hosting overseas language and cultural immersion experiences for American undergraduate and graduate students. The program’s objective is to expand the pool of Americans proficient in critical languages while fostering connections between the people of the United States and other nations. CLS welcomes students at various levels of language proficiency, ensuring inclusivity and diversity among participants.
Noor Majan has had the privilege of serving as a host institution for the CLS Program since 2014. We extend our sincere gratitude to the American Councils for International Education and the CLS program team for their ongoing support and dedication to enhancing capacity building in Oman. This collaboration has allowed us to contribute to the program’s mission of equipping students with valuable language skills and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
After a three-year period of hosting virtual editions of the CLS program, summer 2023 students will be hosted in person at our Daaris Institute in Nizwa. We extend our gratitude to the CLS Program for their deep collaboration in Oman and look forward to continuing our partnership to provide exceptional language learning opportunities for talented American students.
Critical Language Scholarship Summer, 2017 Participants
Commitment to Professionalism in Education Abroad
Noor Majan is a proud member of the Forum on Education Abroad. Our membership in the Forum enables us to actively professionalize our institute, under the guidance of the Forum’s Standards of Good Practice. Noor Majan is committed to following and implementing these best practices.
For more information about the Forum on Education Abroad, please click here.
