The remarkable nature of Qasid’s program carries students far beyond the borders of Jordan and above the obvious linguistic advantages of immersion in an Arab land. Of perhaps even greater importance is the international scope that intrinsically benefits Qasid students for a lifetime. Each in a very personal way.

And that invaluable quality does not come by accident, but by the intention of those who established the institute. It is therefore notable that one of those founders is a former US Fulbright scholar. The same spirit animating the Fulbright program — mutual respect, cultural understanding, and bridge-building — is embodied at Qasid. Far from simply teaching a language, Qasid hopes to play a part in the cooperation of East and West by creating a space that facilitates intellectual and cultural exchange.

Qasid hosts students belonging to a variety of nationalities, professions, and faiths. Our admissions criteria focus just as much on leadership skills and demonstrated civic involvement as they do on GPA. This dynamic convergence of an elect student body, with members representing extraordinarily diverse backgrounds, is in many ways unprecedented in a Middle East-based private, academic institute.

Students act as ambassadors of their home countries to the Arab world, while their experiences at Qasid help give birth to broader perspectives. These future leaders then bring an enriched outlook back to their various communities and institutes, completing the circle of mutual growth and good will.

Seminars and workshops which promote social awareness and discuss contemporary events are held to foster dialogue between varying viewpoints. Qasid’s strategic partnerships with humanitarian organizations, policy of maintaining a neutral atmosphere on campus, and scholarships offered to various academic and faith groups are some of the ways it aims to build the bridges of understanding and respect which are critically needed today.

Our administration also has a vital role to play in the personality of Qasid’s campus. The institute’s operating staff is comprised primarily of American and European expatriates who studied at universities including Harvard, Middlebury, London School of Economics, MIT, UCLA, and the Vatican. And they have been employed by companies as varied as Boeing, the Boston Consulting Group, and the US Marine Corps. This set of attributes adds a unique feel and tangible familiarity to the student’s experience at Qasid, providing a world-class level of service and quality of instruction. The fact that many of the staff are of Arab and | or Muslim heritage also helps to ensure that multicultural understanding and expectations are met in a sensitive and professional manner.

Blending this element of Qasid’s operations with authentic, Arab lingual expertise, the cornerstone of a successful institute is an outstanding faculty. And here, Qasid’s selective hiring process ensures that only the region’s best instructors earn the right to stand before our students. Many of our instructors are qualified to proctor the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ (ACTFL) OPI proficiency examinations, and have taken part in on-campus workshops and trainings with luminaries in the field like Mahdi Alosh, Mahmud Batal, and Zeinab Mehdi. In addition to TAFL, staff expertise include linguistics, economics, poetry, physics, art history, philosophy and Islamic studies, ensuring a well-rounded educational experience for students with a range of interests.