The Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce inaugurated the first regional Model Arab League (MAL) conference on April 4-5, 2008. The MAL provides university students the opportunity to represent Arab nations in a simulation of the League of Arab States. Mrs. Diana Untermeyer, wife of former US Ambassador to Qatar, was featured as Keynote Speaker, and Dr. Mike McMullen from the University of Houston Clear Lake was acting Secretary General. Over 75 area student delegates from seven participating universities attended the two day conference along with members of the business community, consular corps, and academia.

Lamar University was awarded with Overall Outstanding Delegation for their representation of Syria and Texas A&M was awarded Honorable Mention Outstanding Delegation for their representation of Tunisia. The University of St. Thomas in Houston was this year’s host university. Student delegates from this year’s Model Arab League have gone on to study abroad in Egypt, Yemen, Qatar, and to receive acceptance to the American University of Cairo.

The MAL is in partnership with the National Council on US-Arab Relations. We are expanding the program to include universities from Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kansas as well as launching the high school level conference in 2009.

Click here for more information on the Model Arab League.

Egypt
On June 11, 2008 twenty graduate students and faculty from the University of Houston Clear Lake will embark on our 3rd annual Study Abroad Exchange trip to Egypt. This program is designed as a secondary cultural immersion component structured to reinforce academic learning that has taken place in the classroom. Students are given an opportunity to participate in activities designed to teach them about society, culture, and history of Egypt.

Qatar
The Bilateral is pleased to be supporting Sam Houston State University’s study abroad trip to Qatar. Eleven students and one advisor will be engaging in comprehensive Arabic language immersion summer programs enhanced by dual language credit classes that explore contemporary issues in Arab society. At the end of their four week program they are expected to write a research paper in Arabic covering a current socio-political issue affecting the Arab world. The students will be making a stop in Dubai en route for a few days of Arab hospitality. Their time spent in the UAE and Qatar will include site visits to cultural, industrial, and business points of interest.

In 2008, the Bilateral Arabic Language Project in conjunction with Concordia Language Institute recruited five exceptional middle and high school students in the State of Texas for the Al-Waha Villages program. Over $10,000 in grant monies were distributed. These generous grants were made possible by the US Department of State’s critical language scholarship program, Global Star Talk.