Studying in Basel

Basel's proximity to Germany and France has characterised the city economically and culturally for centuries. Basel has grown into an important commercial and industrial centre, with 700,000 people living in its tri-national agglomeration. The international character of Basel is evidenced by the 150 nationalities living in the city and the high density of internationally active companies, above all the pharmaceutical industry.

Basel as a city of culture is characterised by a wide range of different institutions: Museums, concerts, theatres, cinemas, exhibitions, galleries, festivals and much more are available to the public. As a city of humanism, Basel has a long tradition as a centre of education. The university, founded in 1460, is the oldest in Switzerland and has seven faculties and over seventy institutes. Thanks to its very high quality of life, Basel is also an attractive place to live, where students quickly feel at home.

What does the Near and middle easter program offers the students?

• A broad, exciting and challenging programme of study;
• a solid education in Arabic and Turkish and the ability to work critically and with integrity;
• very good supervision;
• Advice on organising a language stay
• a ‘familiar’ atmosphere in a seminar where students and lecturers know each other personally;
• Study trips to countries in the Middle East;
• an active student council;
• Basel's ideal location makes it easy to attend courses in Bern and Zurich as well as in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

What does a successful degree programme in Middle Eastern Studies require?

• A talent for languages and a love of learning languages;
• Willingness to engage with foreign cultures, including travelling and (if possible, longer) language stays in the Islamic world;
• Self-discipline, perseverance, diligence and willingness to study independently;
• Ability to work independently;
• good knowledge of English and French in order to have access to academic secondary literature from the first semester onwards.

Misconceptions

Middle Eastern Studies aims to open up the region of the Middle East and the Islamic world beyond to academic understanding. They therefore neither serve to immerse students in a romanticised ‘oriental atmosphere’ nor, to name another possible extreme, are they primarily concerned with the ‘clash of civilisations’.

Middle Eastern Studies is not the same as Islamic Studies: the religion of Islam is not placed in the foreground; theological aspects only make up a small part of the programme. First of all, the basics are developed, including a solid knowledge of the obligatory languages and general Islamic history.

Middle Eastern studies open up a huge field of knowledge, but everyone must accept the limits of their knowledge. It is not possible to be even remotely equally competent in all matters relating to the Islamic world at the end of your studies, not even at the end of your Master's degree (nor, incidentally, after a lifetime dedicated to scholarship!): a certain degree of specialisation (e.g. specialisation in Arabic or Turkish during the Master's degree) is essential even during your studies. During the Bachelor's programme, the relatively short duration of studies and the variety of tasks to be mastered (learning two new languages and gaining access to a region that is initially unfamiliar) make it difficult, in our experience, to achieve good oral language skills. It is therefore essential that students take the initiative to take language courses abroad.

I have previous knowledge of the language / I am a native speaker

The basic language module in Arabic or Turkish (Arabic I-III or Turkish I-III) can be waived in full for native speaker students on request, provided that they can provide proof of having completed secondary school education in the respective language area. Individual language courses can be waived in consultation with the relevant lecturers if the student has the relevant prior knowledge.

All students who are (partially) exempted from language courses must in any case take the final examination in Arabic III or Turkish III. Students who are otherwise exempt from the language course must demonstrate in the final exam that they can translate correctly and with attention to detail into German and that they are familiar with the grammatical categories, phenomena and terms in German. Students who successfully complete the written examination for Arabic III or Turkish III receive 3 CP. 

In any case, students must earn an appropriate number of credits as a substitute for the language coursework that has been waived (in addition to the 3 credits already allocated for preparation for and participation in the final exam for Arabic III or Turkish III); it is recommended that these be completed as part of other language courses (German as a foreign language, English, French, etc.), otherwise in the sense of specialisation in the respective subject. In particular, participation in a further seminar in the Bachelor's degree programme in Middle Eastern Studies is recommended, if possible in conjunction with a further seminar paper.

Procedure: Apply for the waiver on the appropriate form. Print it out twice, sign both copies and forward them to the responsible language lecturer. After confirmation (by signature) by the language lecturer, he/she will forward the application to the Teaching Committee (UK), which will apply to the Dean of Studies for the waiver of the corresponding CP for you and return a countersigned copy to you. You are obliged to submit the application to the Office of the Dean of Studies when you apply for your certificate.