Modern Standard Arabic Summer Courses Program 2011 (.pdf: 250 ko)
Some photos of Damascus university (Arabic Language Center)
To subscribe, you have to goon the spot at the "Office of Registration & Students' Affairs (ORSA)" room B-24, groun floor and the required documents are:
- Photo-copy of the Passport (personal data page & visa page)
- 4 passport photos
- A letter from your home embassy in Damascus certifying that the embassy has no objection that you register in the Center (see map )
- le formulaire d'inscription rempli en bonne et du forme (le récupérer à l'ORSA)
- Certified Photo-Copy of your AIDS test results from the AIDS Laboratory in Damascus “Markaz Fahes Al AIDS” situated in the Zablatany area( address to show to the taxi to go there). The ORSA will give you a paper not to pay the fees. Be careful, you have to go on the spot to receive the results the day after tomorrow at 13 o'clock ( example of result).
It is better to come in Damascus 3 or 4 days before the beginning of the courses to have enough time to register. But you can also send a mail to announce that you want to register and miss the first days to gather the required documents.
For those who want to register in a better level than "beginner 1", there is a "placement test" which costs 500 S£. I chose to attend "beginner 1" courses and I had to buy a boook (300 S£).
Each session lasts one month and it is forbidden to miss more than 4 school if you want to obtain the "certificate" which is required to attend following levels. There are courses all days from sunday to thuesday, from 9 am to 13 pm. So you can visit Damascus during afternoon and the rest of the country during weekends. "Beginner" are given in English and in Arabic as often as possible.
To go from the old town to the university, you have to take a taxi (20-25 S£) giving him the right address (below) because the driver won't understand if you just say him to go to the université (there are several departments). You can also take "services" (5 S£) which are small vans (pretty hard to catch). Be careful, you have first to choose the direction جوبر ـ مزة (in yellow).
University address
Some "services"
There is also a bus going from Bab Sharki area to the university: the round trip ticket costs 10 S£. But the trip lasts more. It is funny because you have to knock on the roof to stop the bus!!