Cambridge to Host Inaugural Summer Learning Program on Middle East Heritage

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 24, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The first one-month long programme of Heritage Summers will be held at Girton College in Cambridge and will be open to secondary school students aged 16-19 years from around the world who have a passion for learning, an interest in this region, and the eagerness to explore diversity of subjects.

"Having taught students of all ages, I had previously found a void in academic offerings to young adults seeking to have their horizons expanded," said Dr. Siddiki, founder and director of Heritage Summers based in Dubai, UAE. "Heritage Summers aims to remedy this trend at a time when awareness of the history of the Arab world and the interconnectedness of civilizations is woefully wanting."

Courses will be taught as 'tutorials', the style of learning, which is the hallmark not only of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, but also, of both the Islamic and Hellenistic scholastic traditions.

Applications to Heritage Summers are now open to high school students to benefit from this unique opportunity to experience the life of an Oxbridge undergraduate for one month at Cambridge, one of the world's leading centres of excellence and oldest universities.

At Heritage Summers, most (though not all) courses are designed to attempt reference to Islamic heritage and relevance to the Arab world if relevant. The courses are ideal for students interested in the interconnectedness of disciplines and most address perspectives not typically explored at other institutions.

"As a graduate of Oxford University, familiar with the inspiration that accompanies the experience of being surrounded by a history of learning and an idyllic environment, I urge you to consider taking advantage of this unique opportunity," said Dr. Siddiki, one of the first Saudi women of her generation to receive a doctorate from Oxford University.

Each student applying to Heritage Summers must choose a concentration course and a minor course. Little or no prior knowledge of any course subject is required but students have to be able to demonstrate a love of learning through their applications. A Certificate of Completion is given at the end of the programme.

Concentration courses include Advanced English, Architecture, Brain and Cognition, Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century, Perspectives in History, Power and Politics, and Literature through the Ages. Minor courses include Art & Art History, The Formation of Islamic Thought and Scholarship, An Introduction to the History of Ideas, Social Psychology and An Introduction to Economics.

The Oxbridge tutorial system which Heritage Summers uses aims to ensure students have the chance to apply themselves fully. Sessions are designed to be intensive and can be facilitated through selected readings and guided discussions by tutors who are currently involved with research in the subject areas they teach.

Tutors at Heritage Summers are typically pursuing their doctoral research, or will have earned their doctorates, at the University of Cambridge or another prestigious institution of higher learning in the United Kingdom or North America. Similarly, resident coordinators at the programme are well prepared to supervise the students adequately to ensure their safety, comfort and wellbeing.

The programme will incorporate reference to the Arab world through guest lectures, group activities and study tours in the beautiful historical city of Cambridge and beyond. Each week guest speakers ranging from writers, historians, poets, lawyers, businessmen, economists, journalists to filmmakers will be invited to give talks to the students of the programme.

Heritage Summers will be hosted at the prestigious Cambridge University, ideally suited for the programme with its rich history, famous Colleges and University buildings, its museums and collections and the many treasures that attract visitors from all over the world to marvel at the scholarly activities and milestone achievements of its academics and students, continuing to the present day.

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