Studying in the Middle East
The study program SiMO ( From German: Studien im Mittleren Osten) and the program extension SiMO+ enable students as well as graduates to study, research and work in Lebanon for a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 12 months.
The Study Programs
SiMO and SiMO+ offer students and graduates the opportunity to live and study at the tradition-steeped Protestant Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon. Additionally, internships can be completed in local church and civil society NGOs with different target groups. Both programs offer the unique opportunity to explore the cultural and religious diversity of Lebanon and to have a unique experience abroad in the Middle Eastern metropolis of Beirut.
SiMO
The full study experience at the Near East School of Theology
- A complete academic year (approx. October – June) in Beirut
- Interesting theological courses on topics such as Eastern churches and Christian-Muslim relations
- Living in dorms with students from the region as well as international students
- Excursions to churches, mosques, monasteries and other institutions and unique places
SiMO+
Flexible short-term stays at the Near East School of Theology
- 3 to 6 months research or internship in Beirut
- Research at NEST, for example for seminar papers or theses
- Internships with Lebanese partner organizations
- Participation in courses offered by NEST
- Living in dorms with students from the region as well as international students
About the Near East School of Theology
Protestants from various Middle Eastern countries like Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Armenia, whether Armenian Protestant, Anglican, Lutheran or Reformed, live and study at the Near East School of Theology. The university is the only Protestant educational institution in the region, apart from a seminary in Cairo, where young people are trained as pastors or religious educators from the Protestant churches mentioned above.
Various state degrees can be obtained at NEST, which qualify students for service in the churches or for further research.
NEST is located in the western part of Beirut, in the neighborhood of important educational and cultural institutions. Its library contains around 42,000 volumes in English, Arabic, Armenian, French and German.
What alumni say
For more than 20 years, more than 80 students have participated in the “Study in the Middle East” program at the Protestant and interconfessional Near East School of Theology in Beirut.
I came to Beirut with many expectations and hopes
I came to Beirut with many expectations and hopes, but also with many prejudices and a great deal of ignorance. In nine months at NEST, I learnt an incredible amount: about Lebanon, the Middle East, the religious diversity and, last but not least, about myself.
To share everyday life with people of different denominations
After my studies, SiMO+ enabled me to combine an internship at the Middle Eastern Council of Churches in Beirut with life at NEST. During my stay, I attended various church services and was able to share everyday life with people of different denominations, celebrate devotions and experience ecumenism at first hand. In my free time, I was able to discover the great cultural and scenic diversity of Lebanon!
Learned an immense amount
The 9 months of the SiMO programme turned into a total of 2 years in Lebanon, during which I learned an immense amount about religion(s), politics and society. The time in Beirut triggered changes and developments in me that can hardly be overstated, especially through the wonderful, very diverse people I was able to meet there.
Many treasures in my heart
I return enthusiastic, critical, touched, (even) more open, questioning, thoughtful, even saddened (about the arbitrariness, corruption and hopelessness in Lebanon), with many treasures in my heart, experiences, time with God and relationships with loved ones.
