'File No. 1/8 CENTRE OF ARAB STUDIES - JERUSALEM' [‎4r] (7/70)

A note on the visit of Major T.Hickinbotham,
to Colonel Bertram Thomas, O.B.E,. f s Centre for Arabic Studies.
at Jerusalem.
On the 14th of October I arrived in Jerusalem to stay
for two days with Colonel Bertram Thomas, O.B.E., at the Centre
for Arabic Studies.
2. The students, of whom there are twenty, are housed in
the old city in fine premises designated the Austrian Hospice
which still belong to an Austrian religious Order. It has not
been found possible for every student to have a room to himself
but so spacious is the accommodation that it is no hardship to
share with another officer. The students mess together on the
lower floor and have a common sitting room. Their hours of
work are such that there is ample time for exercise and the week
ends are at the s tudents* own disposal.
3. . The students are from the Army and the Royal Air Force
and have all of them seen considerable war service and have been
selected by the Commanders-in-Chief concerned. They are all
with one exception graduates of Oxford and Cambridge Universaties,
the exception is I believe a graduate of Glasgow University.
There are several Oxford and Cambridge "Blue*" among thorn and
at least one musician of considerable ability. They vary in rank
from senior Lieutenant to junior Lieutenant Colonel or Wing
Commander but are all under the age of 30 and are most of them
in their middle twenties.
4. The course lasts for one year during which time the
student is required to attend lectuces in Arabic totalling at
least four hours a day. It is normal for the student to put
in a further two hours a day*s study of the language during his
spare time. An expert European instructor is resident and well
qualified Arab teachers lecture daily. The Arabic course has
been so arranged that At the end of twelve months I have no doubt
that the students will be well grounded in classicAl Arabic,
capable of reading with facility Arabic journals, and daily news*
papers, and fluent In conversation. At the *' VR ® tllne tha P osslbl y
more interewting side of Arab studies lias not been neglected
/and