Intended specifically for the diplomatic corps and Public Administration staff members, this year it is being held with the goal of facilitating attendance by those outside of Madrid. Therefore, the course is being given online, with the exception of the opening and closing sessions, which will be taking place in person, as well as being shown live on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel.

The course offers an introduction to Islam in a brief form, as well as its different schools of thought and forms of expression in various parts of the world, so as to facilitate an understanding of and interaction with Muslim or Muslim-majority countries and communities. The purpose of the course is to serve as a basic guide for anyone who works or interacts with these places, or with Muslim communities in Spain and Europe. 

Arranged into three themed units, the first is devoted to addressing religious fundamentals and the relationship between religion and political power in Islam, including gender-related issues and cultural diversity, with sessions on Islam in Asia and Africa; the second is dedicated to analyzing the uprise of various Islamist movements, as well as their presence and political participation in local, national and transnational contexts, including Turkey, Iran and the Gulf countries; the third unit focuses on Islam in Spain and Europe both past and present, touching on issues related with immigration, relations with Muslim communities, women and young people, ending with a session on Islamophobia and youth. 

The course is free of charge after successfully completing the selection process. Those candidates who are admitted and complete the course with proper attendance will receive a diploma accrediting their participation.

Time and place of the course 

It is a ten-day course with two classes every day lasting 75 minutes each, for a total of 30 class hours. The classes will be given from April 25 through May 11, Mondays to Thursdays from 5:00 to 8:p.m., remotely (using the Teams platform). The opening and closing sessions will be held at the Casa Árabe headquarters in Madrid (at Calle Alcalá, 62) and will be broadcast live on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel.

The course is intended mainly for diplomats and foreign service personnel, as part of their ongoing education programs, as well as trade technicians and civil servants from Spain’s (Central) Administration. There will also be a number of spaces reserved for professionals from other fields who, in performing their activities, either work with Arab or Muslim-majority countries or come into contact with the nationals from countries with an Arab-Muslim culture (whether regional or local) or Muslim communities. In addition, if any vacancies remain open, we will consider allowing others to attend the course, including students, researchers and members of the academic world interested in the course’s subject matter. 

The deadline to sign up for the course is March 24 at 2:00 p.m. You must apply by submitting the online form using this link, in which you must provide the applicant’s information, along with a CV/résumé and a cover letter stating why you are interested. 

The selection of candidates will be made by a joint committee from the Diplomatic School and Casa Árabe, based on the candidates’ suitability and past record. The tentative list of admitted candidates will be posted on the the Diplomatic School’s website on April 4. 

To make sure they can enroll, the selected candidates must send confirmation stating that they are interested and ensure they will regularly attend the course by sending a message to the email address provided above by Tuesday, April 19 at 2:00 p.m. The spaces of those who fail to confirm will be reassigned in the order of the waiting list, and the final list will be posted on April 21.