U.S. Consul General speaks to AUD community

The U.S. Consulate General in Dubai has been very valuable in helping AUD achieve its mission goals. Many of its members have been major players in the success of events at AUD, have rigorously participated in its annual commencement ceremonies, and have proven to be great supporters to the university's large community.

Consul General Siberell was given a grand tour of the AUD campus by Executive Vice President Mr. Elias Bou Saab, who also shared the university's present and future expansion plans.

Executive Vice President Bou Saab comments: "It is a great pleasure for us to welcome Mr. Justin Siberell to the AUD family. He is no stranger to Dubai and the path which has lead him back here is needless to say quite impressive. We are looking forward to building on our strong relationship with him in office".

The Consul General then proceeded to meet the AUD Faculty, Staff, and Students, among them the Clinton Scholars.

Consul General Siberell started by praising the United Arab Emirates for taking a leadership role in several fields including regional affairs, the development of civilian nuclear power and education. He said: "The Obama administration has made clear the value it places on America's relationship with the United Arab Emirates. We share a multi-faceted commercial, political, and cultural relationship that is quite unique."

He continued saying: "Due to the vision of UAE leaders and the strong ties between UAE and U.S. institutions, students have access to the qualities of an American education, right here in the UAE."

The Consul General emphasized the areas of education and citizen exchanges, and affirmed the important educational ties between the United States and the UAE.

On education, he commented:

"Education and citizen exchanges are areas of strong cooperation between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Institutional connections and exchange programs encourage dialogue, and are key to building understanding and respect between the United States and the Middle East. We seek to expand these types of programs - to encourage more Americans to study in the Middle East, and to provide more opportunities for students from the Middle East to study in America."

This is in addition to developing institutional connections with American universities and programs. Significant examples include the affiliation between the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication and USC's Annenberg School of Communication, and hosting the William Jefferson Clinton Scholars at AUD.

The Consul General's remarks were followed by a Question and Answer session that covered different aspects of his speech.