Study Report Rutger Otten (Cairo – Egypt) For the purpose of meeting the requirements of the Marco Polo Fund

Study Report Rutger Otten (Cairo – Egypt) For the purpose of meeting the requirements

of the Marco Polo Fund

My study program

When I started at the NVIC the 28

of I enrolled five different courses, lasting the whole semester.

Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) was the only course containing 10 ECTS. We attended three classes a week, of which one was focussed on the grammar of ECA. In the other classes the focus laid mainly on practicing and improving our oral skills. Our mid-term and final exam was a oral exam as well.

Modern Standard Arabic was taught us by means of Media Arabic. This is a 5 ECTS course. Once a week we studied vocabulary, sentence

constructions, collocations, and more. This were intensive classes.

Examination was by means of a written exam, a mid-term and a final exam.

Gender was 5 ECTS course who required lots of pre-readings. We addressed multiple gender related problems in Egypt, and in general. With a creative project and a paper (10 page minimum) the study load was high.

Migration in Egypt was a divers 5 ECTS course, taught by a teacher who comes from the field of immigration work herself. Main focus of the course was international law on the issue of (im)migration and a Refugee Status Deter-mination (RSD) course. The RSD course was especially in combination with the final paper time consuming, but very interesting and useful for the future.

Archaeology was as well a 5 ECTS course. This was the best structured course, with a nice combination of field work and classical courses. The examination was by means of a final exam and the overall study weight was low.

Language

In the course Arabic 3 (taught in the first semester of the second year) we were introduced to the Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, with one class a week. So at the start of the semester in Cairo our knowledge was minor. The knowledge of English and Modern Standard Arabic (taught us in semester 1 and 2 in our first year of the BA Middle Eastern Studies) was low among most of the

Egyptians. So at first we could not communicate more than on the most basic aspects. Luckily we were taught practical knowledge of ECA at the institute.

So communication with the Egyptians improved further along the road.

Finance and other conditions

Personally I underestimated the costs I’ve made in Egypt. Especially the large amount of small expenses and the missed income benefited from work made it an expensive semester. Although I lived more than pleasant in my time abroad.

Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after

your stay

Communication with the host institution could be improved. Before hand we didn’t know how the courses were set up, what study materials we should bring with us, the methods used in Arabic and who to contact for what issue.

During the stay we didn’t got to know the demands for a passing exams or the possibility for resit, despite repeatedly asking. On the other hand were they overprotective whereas we had to inform them for every movement we made within Egypt.

The communication afterwards was friendly and clear.

Housing

Housing is payable, but problematic in contact and contract. The brokers and house owners try to scam you where possible, while pleading to do the

opposite. Don’t leave a thing unclear in the contract, and fix everything in the contract even when they say very friendly that this is not necessary. Doing this fluently is difficult, being inexperienced in this, and being overwhelmed by the country in the beginning. For example we paid our broker money for gas, water and electricity, while the house owner withdrew it from our deposit. We repeatedly asked to give it back, but she refused. The institute was willing to help but to no purpose. After a even worse dispute between another student and the same broker the institute severed the relation between this broker and the institute.

Culture

Egypt has an extended bargaining culture. Don’t be afraid that you hurt them on their own terrain, although they pretend they are. See it as an game, and everyone will try this on you, everywhere, and anytime. Sometimes it is nice, sometimes it’s tiring. The difference between the Egyptians from Cairo and those from more local places is huge. You will encounter the Arabic hospitality only outside Cairo. The Egyptians often show respect when you say that you study Arabic, and when you dress properly you can engage in nice

conversations. At least, when you are male. My female peers have a whole other experience, whereas the Egyptian women are more judgmental and least talkative.

Free Time

The overall study weight and the holidays made it possible to go out and see the county in our free time. I myself visited Fayoum, Dahab and Saint-

Catherine, Luxor and Aswan during my four months abroad. Alexandria we visited with the institute itself. Furthermore was there plenty of time for one- or half-day visits, to for example Coptic or Islamic Cairo, as well as that I had time to sport.

Traveling

Traveling with taxi is very easy, there are plenty of them on every hour of the day. Be aware that many drivers try to scam you. Women could better sit in the back, for their own reassuring. Metro works very good as well. Traveling by plane is as everywhere else in the world. Traveling long distances by bus or train is easy and not that expensive, but you need a credit card, what was sometimes problematic for me.

Other

The smog is horrible and I didn’t got used to it, even after four months.

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about it, despite some medicine and keep this in mind during physical exercising.

Contact

Name: Rutger Henry Otten

E-mail address: rutger.otten96@gmail.com