University of Mississippi Student Benjamin Newton Achieves Arabic Language Flagship Capstone

Benjamin Newton, of La Grange, majoring in International Studies and Arabic and studying in the Arabic Language Flagship Program at the University of Mississippi, is one of 10 UM students who have been accepted into the competitive Arabic capstone year program.

As Arabic capstone participants, students spend their final year directly enrolled at a university in Morocco. They also complete an internship in a field of their choice while abroad.

All 10 of the university’s Arabic Language Flagship students who applied to the program were accepted this year, said Donald Dyer, associate dean for faculty and academic affairs and Distinguished Professor of Modern Languages.

“The ratio of how many students apply and how many of those students are accepted has become, in large part, the measure of a Language Flagship program’s success,” he said.

“In next year’s Arabic capstone, there are only 30 students accepted from all the programs, and 10 of them are Ole Miss students.”

Allen Clark, co-director of the UM Arabic Flagship program and associate professor of modern languages, said the achievement reflects the program’s quality. “This achievement not only reflects the exceptional dedication and talent of our students but also underscores the strength and effectiveness of our program,” he said.

Launched in 2002, the National Security Education Program’s Language Flagship supports intensive programs in languages deemed critical for American government, business and military interests. They include Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese.

Only 13 U.S. colleges and universities host Flagship programs.

In 2003, Ole Miss became one of the first institutions to be awarded a Chinese Flagship Program. The university’s Arabic Flagship Program launched in 2018, making UM one of only four institutions with multiple Flagship programs.