Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Mosque in foreground with Student Union and Library behind. Photo: Wadia Ait Hamza

The Network, a consortium of universities led by Montana State University (MSU), is committed to expanding opportunities for students to study Arabic language and Islamic culture. The Network fosters the efforts of U.S. higher education to promote better relations with the Arab world, to address U.S. national security needs, and to assist students to prepare for careers relating to the Arab world.

While many institutions would like to offer Arabic, the costs of a traditional Arabic program in today's fiscal environment often makes that impossible. The Network offers an affordable, innovative, and effective instructional alternative that was developed by MSU over the last five years. The expansion of the Network is being supported by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) of the U.S. Department of Education.

The MSU Arabic language program was the 2002 winner of the Institute for International Education, Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. Students learning Arabic through the Network's program have tested consistently at or above the proficiency levels of students learning Arabic in more traditional learning environments.