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Aula Árabe Universitaria VIII
From August 21, 2026 until April 30, 2027
MADRID, CÓRDOBA, GRANADA, SEVILLE AND ONLINE.
See details on venues and times for each lecture.
During the 2026–27 academic year, Casa Árabe is launching the eighth edition of the “Aula Árabe Universitaria” lecture series, organized with the support of Masar al’An / Masar Ahora—the regional program for cooperation with the Arab world run by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)—and in partnership with IEMed’s “Aula Mediterrània.” See the information below.
This year’s lecture series features the collaboration of 33 undergraduate and graduate programs from twelve universities in Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Córdoba, Granada, Salamanca, Segovia, and Seville, as well as the UNED, through 16 lectures in Madrid, three in Córdoba, and one each in Seville and Granada. The lectures cover a wide range of topics—from geopolitics and oil to social movements, water issues, heritage protection, and conflicts, as well as archaeology, history, literature, and film—allowing students to explore the Arab world alongside experts in each field.
The opening ceremony for this eighth edition will take place on Monday, September 28, at 6:30 p.m., featuring an official opening ceremony and a lecture by Karima Dirèche, research director at the TELEMNe Laboratory (Temps, Espaces, Langages, Europe Méridionale, Méditerranée) of the CNRS (Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme, Aix-en-Provence), on “Contemporary Maghreb Societies: Transformations and Resistance.”
As in the previous edition, this eighth installment for the 2026–27 academic year is organized in collaboration with Masar al’an / Masar Ahora, the regional program for cooperation with the Arab world run by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), with the shared goal of fostering knowledge and dialogue regarding sustainable development in Arab countries.
Aula Árabe Universitaria is also partnered with the Aula Mediterrània lecture series, organized by the IEMed in collaboration with university programs in Barcelona, facilitating the exchange of speakers between the two lecture series and organizing joint meetings between faculty and students from the respective university programs.
To help students navigate the journey of participating in the lecture series, they receive a passport—the “Passport to the Arab World”—which they personalize with their name the first time they attend a session and where their attendance at each session is stamped.
Once the series is over, and as proof of the experience gained during the journey, all students (whether from programs participating in AAU or not) who have attended more than 40% of the lectures may apply for the Aula Árabe Universitaria certificate.
Students from the Community of Madrid must verify their attendance in person through the Passport to the Arab World.
Students from other regions, including those in programs associated with Aula Mediterránea, must verify their attendance online by filling out a form that will be posted on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel, where the lectures are streamed live.
As in previous years, thanks to the partnership between Aula Árabe Universitaria and Aula Mediterrània, students can also have their attendance at lectures in this series organized by the IEMed in Barcelona recognized—either online or in person—up to a maximum of two lectures. In other words, if students from Aula Árabe Universitaria log in online to an Aula Mediterrània lecture, that attendance will be recognized toward earning the Aula Árabe Universitaria certificate. Similarly, students from Aula Mediterrània who attend an Aula Árabe lecture online will have that attendance recognized toward their Aula Mediterrània certificate.
The lectures will be held at a venue to be determined. They are open to the general public and available as videos on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel and as podcasts on SoundCloud and Spotify.
To receive announcements and updates about each AAU lecture, subscribe to Casa Árabe’s newsletter and select “Aula Árabe Universitaria” under “Interests.”
Previous editions:
AAU1 (2019-20)
AAU2 (2020-21)
AAU3 (2021-22)
AAU4 (2022-23)
AAU5 (2023-24)
AAU6 (2024-25)
AAU7 (2025-26)
The opening ceremony for this eighth edition will take place on Monday, September 28, at 6:30 p.m., featuring an official opening ceremony and a lecture by Karima Dirèche, research director at the TELEMNe Laboratory (Temps, Espaces, Langages, Europe Méridionale, Méditerranée) of the CNRS (Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme, Aix-en-Provence), on “Contemporary Maghreb Societies: Transformations and Resistance.”
As in the previous edition, this eighth installment for the 2026–27 academic year is organized in collaboration with Masar al’an / Masar Ahora, the regional program for cooperation with the Arab world run by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), with the shared goal of fostering knowledge and dialogue regarding sustainable development in Arab countries.
Aula Árabe Universitaria is also partnered with the Aula Mediterrània lecture series, organized by the IEMed in collaboration with university programs in Barcelona, facilitating the exchange of speakers between the two lecture series and organizing joint meetings between faculty and students from the respective university programs.
To help students navigate the journey of participating in the lecture series, they receive a passport—the “Passport to the Arab World”—which they personalize with their name the first time they attend a session and where their attendance at each session is stamped.
Once the series is over, and as proof of the experience gained during the journey, all students (whether from programs participating in AAU or not) who have attended more than 40% of the lectures may apply for the Aula Árabe Universitaria certificate.
Students from the Community of Madrid must verify their attendance in person through the Passport to the Arab World.
Students from other regions, including those in programs associated with Aula Mediterránea, must verify their attendance online by filling out a form that will be posted on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel, where the lectures are streamed live.
As in previous years, thanks to the partnership between Aula Árabe Universitaria and Aula Mediterrània, students can also have their attendance at lectures in this series organized by the IEMed in Barcelona recognized—either online or in person—up to a maximum of two lectures. In other words, if students from Aula Árabe Universitaria log in online to an Aula Mediterrània lecture, that attendance will be recognized toward earning the Aula Árabe Universitaria certificate. Similarly, students from Aula Mediterrània who attend an Aula Árabe lecture online will have that attendance recognized toward their Aula Mediterrània certificate.
The lectures will be held at a venue to be determined. They are open to the general public and available as videos on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel and as podcasts on SoundCloud and Spotify.
To receive announcements and updates about each AAU lecture, subscribe to Casa Árabe’s newsletter and select “Aula Árabe Universitaria” under “Interests.”
Previous editions:
AAU1 (2019-20)
AAU2 (2020-21)
AAU3 (2021-22)
AAU4 (2022-23)
AAU5 (2023-24)
AAU6 (2024-25)
AAU7 (2025-26)
