Study Abroad: American University of Sharjah in UAE

The social and academic aspects of my program were equally awesome and overwhelming. Most of my professors were superstar academics and professionals from Europe and America, included the former head trader at JPMorgan Germany, a partner at KPMG Netherlands, and other illustrious figures. Professors, like students, come from all four corners of the map. UAE is home to many professional expats and many of them send their kids to AUS, creating the most flavorful melting pot and social situation. In addition, every class had fewer than 15 students, making every session especially intimate and engaging.

The campus is bustling with dozens of student clubs, from the Emirati Cultural Club to the Entrepreneurship Club, giving the student body endless opportunities to network and connect with our peers. The biggest event on campus, Annual Global Days, provided a platform for various groups to showcase themselves and their homeland. Despite being entirely Jordanian, I was a member of the Emirati and Pakistani Club and performed their traditional dance at the event and had the most memorable of times. Overall, my time at AUS was a social paradise: constant desert parties, never-ending chai karak tea breaks, the most diverse melting pot of potential friends, and the Dubai nightlife.

My must-have international food is Biryani. I first had it at Gazebo, a popular chain across the UAE. Initially, I was disappointed because it looked like a plain pot of seasoned rice. Dig in a little deeper and you’ll strike tender chicken or beef and feel like an Emirati who struck oil in the desert. Usually served with a side of salad and zesty sauce, it a dish I’ve always look forward to. I would eat it every day if it weren’t for those meddling carbs.

Respect in the UAE is like tax in the US -- everywhere and significant. Within the dialogue between Arabs, you’ll find an overwhelming amount of praising and complimenting between the individuals. However, that was taken to another level when I heard my Emirati friends speaking with their fathers. It sounded like they were speaking to the ruler of their Emirate! There was enormous respect present. It inspired me in my own relationships with my family. Cheetahs and tigers are common domesticated pets. Seeing a tiger on a leash as if it was an American household cat was startling! The parking lot at AUS was like an international auto show. I’ve never seen so many so many Maserati’s, Range Rovers, R8’s, and Ferraris in my life.

We have grown our Summer Intensive Arabic Language Program considerably over the past few years and next summer we will add an Intermediate level of instruction to the mix.

This program has received rave reviews from all participants to date. In addition, both our inbound and outbound study abroad numbers have grown significantly, as well.

As we approach our 20th anniversary as an institution, and our 5th anniversary as the International Exchange Office, we are celebrating all of our huge accomplishments since our founding, and thinking about where we would like to focus for the next twenty years, and beyond!

Botswana! Ever since I read Alexander McCall Smith's series 'The Number One Lady's Detective Agency', I've been wanting to go. I am charmed by his description of the people, the culture, and the land. This country is definitely on my wish list!

My family and I have very fond memories of a day we spent driving from Muscat to Al Hadd in Oman. We hired a guide for the trip, and our first stop was at a sinkhole called Hawiyat Najm. We climbed way down and swam in the emerald green waters thinking the whole time about how our guide had told us that no one had ever been able to find the bottom of this sinkhole. We particularly loved swimming in the caves around the edges!

After a few hours there, we continued south until we got to the little village of Tiwi, where we had the best lunch we had ever had at this tiny, hole-in-the wall non-name cafe that didn't even have menus (our guide ordered lunch for us). After lunch, we went to Wadi Shab and began hiking up the wadi, sometimes climbing along the old falaj (i.e. traditional Arab irrigation system) in the cliffs, and oftentimes having to swim through the natural pools filling the wadi.

My family was brave enough to jump from high on the cliffs into some deep waters below, while I stood nearby clutching my heart in fear!

Eventually, we came to what would seem to have been the end of the wadi - a sheer cliff with deep water in front - but our guide just continued swimming on to a small, head-sized crack at the base of the wall and disappeared in.

What could we do but follow him through a very strange tunnel that just barely fit our heads while our arms and legs splayed out below the rocks which seemed to end just below the surface of the water.

After several meters of this tunnel, we came out into a natural cave with some cracks in the ceiling allowing in light.

The cave contained a waterfall and a natural ledge, and we spent an hour or so climbing up the water fall and jumping into the water. It was magic! Eventually, we made our way back to the entry of the wadi and continued south to Al Hadd, where we settled into our hotel and reserved a spot for a late night tour of the Ras Al Hadd Seaturtle Nature Reserve.

It just happened that we had arrived during the full moon, which is apparently the best time to go. We spent hours on the beach, watching huge mother sea turtles lumbering out of the water and up to the beach, digging deep holes, and laying their many golf-ball sized eggs. At the same time, all around us there were tiny baby sea turtles hatching and making their way back to the water, guided by the moon. What a perfect day that was, and so unexpected!!