Study Abroad in Jordan: Intensive Arabic Language & Culture Studies in Irbid – Faculty & Staff

Jordan Faculty

Language faculty come from the host university, Yarmouk University. Instructors have extensive experience teaching US students and are trained in the most recent methodologies.

Area studies faculty either come from Yarmouk University or are hired independently by CET. Most have experience teaching US students. All have either completed or are working towards an advanced degree within their field.

Jordan Staff

CET maintains full-time, bilingual staff at each of its locations.

The Academic Director, based in Jordan, oversees the language curriculum for all CET programs in the Middle East and North Africa. S/he manages academics, trains faculty and monitors courses. S/he works with faculty to accommodate specific student needs.

The Resident Director manages housing, local roommates, activities and student acclimation, health and welfare. S/he is trained to prevent and handle student emergencies.

Staff Bios

Manal Yosef, Academic Director
Ms. Manal Yosef has nearly ten years of experience teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Her previous positions include Academic Director and Senior Instructor for the Arabic Flagship Overseas program; Senior Instructor, Course Coordinator and Curriculum Developer for the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) program; and several other leadership roles for international programs at the University of Damascus. Manal has participated in extensive teacher training workshops through The Ohio State University and the University of Maryland. As Director of Arabic Curriculum, Manal manages all issues related to Arabic curricula, including selecting language instructors, developing syllabi and lesson plans, overseeing language instruction, managing the language partner program, conducting teacher training seminars and responding to student academic concerns.

Mazen Berneih, Resident Director
Mazen’s interest in international education began in 2008 when he began working as a coordinator for the Arabic Overseas Flagship program at the University of Damascus. He quickly realized his passion for helping foreign students adapt to life in the Middle East. While overseeing the Flagship program, Mazen also served as an administrative coordinator for the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) program in Damascus. Relying on this experience, Mazen now helps CET students adjust to their host culture in Irbid, Jordan. In addition to running the language partner and roommate programs, Mazen administers all non-academic aspects of the program in Irbid. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, learning about other cultures, reading, football and the occasional sheesha.

Morgan Byrne-Diakun, Resident Advisor
Morgan graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 2012. His BA is in International Relations and Middle Eastern Languages. As a student, he studied abroad on the pilot semester of the CET Intensive Arabic Language & Culture Studies program in Irbid. When he returned to UVa after his time abroad, Morgan worked in student affairs on campus. He now draws upon that experience as the CET Irbid program Resident Advisor, where he serves as a language and cultural resource for students and liaises with US faculty and study abroad administrators who visit the program. He also helps implement all program activities and manages student emergencies.

Jordan Alumni

Hear what CET Jordan program alumni have to say! Click here to contact a former student.

Academic Advisory Board

CET maintains an advisory board of US-based scholars. The Middle East and North Africa Advisory Board meets annually to discuss curriculum and derive teaching standards. Board members visit the program in order to evaluate it and, when possible, teach courses or conduct teacher-training workshops.

Nesreen Akhtarkhavari
Director of Arabic Studies; Assistant Professor of Arabic, DePaul University

Kristin Smith Diwan
Assistant Professor of Comparative and Regional Studies, American University

John Eisele
Associate Professor of Arabic Studies, College of William and Mary

Joshua Landis
Director of the Center for Middle East Studies; Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oklahoma

Nashwa Taher
Arabic Language Specialist, George Washington University

Max Weiss
Assistant Professor of History and Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University

Paul Wulfsberg
Preceptor in Arabic, Harvard University

Munther Younes
Reis Senior Lecturer in Arabic Language and Linguistics; Director of Arabic Program, Cornell University