Summer Travel Program
Nubia Today: Continuity & Change
Modern Egyptian society rests upon an extremely ancient historical foundation informed by diverse religious, linguistic, and cultural traditions that continue to the present day to impact this nation’s social, economic and political structures. The study of Egypt’s complex history and diverse society promises to yield lessons for all global communities that are currently undergoing demographic and cultural change.
About the Program
This summer the Africana Studies Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston will offer a unique academic program on location in Egypt. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the history, culture, sociology, and current political realities of both Egypt’s southern, culturally older, and northern regions. This program will expose participants to a wide horizon of research opportunities through cultural immersion, participation in archeological digs and academic lectures, and the opportunity to connect with grassroots families as well as credentialed scholars. The program will also help researchers engender scholarly collaborations with important historical institutions in Egypt.
The amazing antiquity of this historic nation, with its complex development marked by a dialectic of cultural retention and transformation, offers a wonderful opportunity for researchers and students interested in examining how continuity and change determine social relationships and political realities. Three major religious traditions, Pharonic, Coptic, and Islamic, along with their related languages and cultures, remain essential to the on-going development of the contemporary Egypt. The Pharonic religion of Kemet (ancient Egypt) is one of the greatest spiritual legacies ever developed by the human mind. The religious intelligentsia of the Coptic Church of Egypt, as theologians have recognized, contributed significantly to the foundational principles of Christianity. Finally, the Muslim religion has flourished in Egypt for centuries. Population shifts over the course of time have generated demographic changes impacting the language, religion, and culture of the original Nubian population in the southern region of Egypt. This program will focus on the influence of these major religious and linguistic traditions on the expressions of cultural change in the Egypt of today and, in particular, on the political effects of change in the social identity of its Nubian and Arab populations.
Program Structure
The program begins in the southern region of Egypt with stays in the cities of Aswan and Luxor, home to Nubian and Arab populations, for 7 and 5 days respectively, then moves north to Cairo for its final three days. Homestay experiences in Aswan and Luxor will provide an ideal occasion for participants to gauge the nature and quality of Arab-Nubian relations. Here, participants will visit ancient temples such as Kom Ombos, Philae, Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Valley of the Queens and Valley of the Kings, and participate in archeological digs and lectures by Egyptian scholars and lay experts. In Cairo, the attention will turn to the flourishing of the three great religious legacies and the associated rich historic sites of the northern region, including the Giza plateau, Sakkara, Memphis, St. Girgis Coptic Church complex, and the Mosque of Mohammad Ali. Participants will reside in hotels but have the opportunity to do homestays for several nights in Aswan and Luxor.
Prior to travel, there will be two class meetings in June on the UMass Boston campus consisting of practical travel information, as well as lectures, readings and discussions designed to give students an overview of the cultural, economic, political and social contexts in Egypt.
Faculty & Staff
Professor Vicki Meredith (UMass Boston Lead Faculty), UMass Africana Studies Department. Principal researcher of Alternative Unlimited; Northeastern Coordinator for the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization.
Dr. Abd El_Malak (Aswan), noted Egyptologist employed by The Aswan Museum. Key member of the Nabta Playa archeological discovery team that definitively proved the southern origin of the Pharonic culture.
Saber Ahmeen Mohammad (Aswan), Nubian Cultural historian and program facilitator.
Ayad Barbary (Luxor), brilliant and well-known Art Restorer with thirty years of experience as staff member of The Luxor Temple. In his capacity, as a government expert, he has been a key member of numerous archeological digs affiliated with prestigious international universities as well as those conducted by the Egyptian government led by Dr. Zahi Hawass. Using art as his focus, Mr. Barbary will deliver three lectures on the melding of the three religious traditions ( Pharonic, Coptic/Christian, Muslim) that continue to influence the development of Egyptian society.) Under the auspices of the Chicago House (a research institution/ a satellite of University of Chicago ) and the Karnak Temple (a research division of the Egyptian government), Mr. Barbary will also facilitate the visitations to current archeological digs, that illustrate the different layers of social developments related to the introduction of these religious streams ( Pharonic, Coptic/Christian, Muslim)that continue to influence the development of Egyptian society.
Academic Credit
Upon successful completion, students earn 3 credits in AFRSTY 480, Special Topics: Nubia Today (included in program fee), and may opt for an additional 3 credits by completing AFRSTY 478, Independent Study (for an additional fee of $450), by arrangement with Professor Meredith.
In some cases, students may be interested in applying for additional credit in other academic disciplines through the independent study option by petitioning academic department faculty and receiving prior approval.
Graduate level credit is also possible by special arrangement and appropriate permissions.