Creation of the The World Leadership Program at the University of Michigan for students from AI Azhar University. Conceived in the spirit of President Barack Hussein Obama’s commitment to a new relationship between the United States and the Arab and Muslim world, this scholarship program is dedicated to bringing together young civic leaders, intellectuals and students of religion from American universities and seminaries with their counterparts from al-Azhar University. The aim of the program is to promote familiarity, mutual respect, trust and understanding through education and inter-personal exchange. The program is being funded by United Arab Emirates.

Professor Sherman Jackson of the University of Michigan will oversee programming and operations at the University of Michigan. He will be joined in this regard by Ms. Margaret Cone, Esq., and Professor Mark Tessler, Vice-Provost for International Affairs at the University of Michigan.

The program consists of concentrated English language study and coursework, From January through April 2010, students will take an intensive English language course in Cairo, Egypt, followed by an additional two months of English study at the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In July of 2010 students will pursue coursework in the liberal arts at the University of Michigan with their counterparts from American universities.