After a long interruption due to war and crisis, the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) is preparing to relaunch its “Study in the Middle East” (SiMO) programme. A new round of student placements at the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut is scheduled to begin in September 2026 for the 2026/27 academic year.

Under certain circumstances, shorter study periods (“SiMO+”) may already be possible in the summer semester of 2026. The summer semester in Beirut begins in the second half of January and ends in late May.

Since restarting the programme requires flexibility, the EMS will initially refrain from setting fixed application deadlines.

Interested students are requested to contact the Head of the Middle East Unit, Dr. Uwe Gräbe (graebe@dont-want-spam.ems-online.org, +49 711 636 78 -37), or another member of the SiMO Committee at an early stage to discuss individual opportunities.

Important: Students who require a scholarship must apply by 2025 for the 2026/27 academic year due to the deadlines of the scholarship provider.

Further information and application materials can be found here:
https://ems-online.org/en/get-involved/#c10624
http://simo-studienprogramm.org/

The EMS hopes that the situation in Lebanon will remain stable and that travel advisories will continue to improve. The organization remains in close contact with NEST and the German Embassy in Beirut to respond quickly to any changes if necessary.