American University in Dubai establishes link with Florida International University

A notable collaboration was established between AUD and Florida International University (FIU), through which students from AUD and FIU can enroll at either institution to study courses in AUD's Middle Eastern Studies Program and FIU's Certificate Program in Middle East and Central Asian Studies in order to broaden their perspectives. Students are eligible to receive both the AUD and FIU certificates.

AUD and FIU have been exploring the development of cooperative programs that will contribute to the realization of the international missions of the two universities.

In particular, the collaboration and agreements focus on Middle Eastern Studies, exchange of faculty members for research and teaching, exchange of students, exchange of information, and participation in seminars and academic meetings, as well as proceedings and publications. Both institutions are mutual Study Abroad destinations.

In this regard, Mr. Elias Bou Saab Executive Vice President of AUD comments:

"AUD, as an international institution of higher education, encourages global understanding by providing an atmosphere of cultural diversity and opportunities for an international education. Partnering with institution like Florida International University, allows us to fulfill this goal as we strive to bridge the gap between East and West."

Part of this ongoing partnership, a delegation from FIU with Dr. Kenneth Furton, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. John F. Stack, Jr. Director of the School of International and Public Affairs, and Mr. Robert Callahan, Assistant Dean for Development, College of Arts and Sciences visited AUD recently to introduce the new FIU team in charge of institutional relationships, and to move forward the collaborative association between the two universities.

Dr. John Stack underscored the importance of the FIU's partnership with AUD: "Our ongoing collaboration with American University in Dubai is a major milestone in the establishment of our newly launched School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at FIU. It represents a huge value-added to the study of international relations, globalization, and the Middle East studies at FIU. Our partnership with the AUD strengthens our capability to asses one of the most important forces defining contemporary international relations--globalization It will provide our undergraduate students with rich and deep study abroad experiences and offer our graduate students and faculty opportunities to teach, study, and reflect in one of the most important global cities in the world. We are enormously impressed with AUD's dynamic administration, its world class facilities, and the dedication of its faculty. We look forward to our continuing partnership."

After a grand tour of the AUD campus, and a meeting with the senior administration at AUD including President Dr. Lance de Masi, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jihad Nader and Mr. Elias Bou Saab, Executive Vice President at AUD, the FIU delegation met with the faculty of the Middle Eastern Studies Program.

Commenting on the partnership with FIU for the dual certificate, AUD's President Dr. Lance de Masi said:
"Creating value-adding agreements with different institutions - depending upon specific areas of expertise - is formula that is producing results for AUD. The Dual Certificate Program is the first tangible outcome of the AUD-FIU relationship. Following exploration, it has become clear that there is potential for achieving several others. The challenge now is to transform that potential into further tangibles."

The AUD Middle Eastern Studies Certificate is an 18-credit hour program designed to give students in the area an appreciation and understanding of the region in which they are currently studying and in which many will be pursuing professional careers. It is an opportunity for these students to enhance their knowledge of the cultural, historical, and political factors that have shaped the Middle East through time and to a large extent, explain the profile and texture of the current Middle Eastern landscape.

For students outside the region such as the FIU Study Abroad students, the certificate program offers the unique opportunity to develop their interest in and awareness of Middle Eastern culture by living in a Middle Eastern country while earning credit at an American-accredited university.

For its part, FIU's Middle East Studies Center (MESC) is [...] devoted to the study of the Middle East. The Center is a part of FIU's School of International and Public Affairs and its activities include lectures, workshops, conferences, and cultural and artistic events, open to students and the community. In addition, MESC offers a University Certificate in "Middle East and Central Asian Studies".

Mr. Kevin Nawn, Interim Chair of the Division of Arts and Sciences and Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Feras Hamza, Assistant Professor of Middle East Studies, Dr. Richard Gauvain, Assistant Professor of Humanities, and Dr. William Gueraiche, Assistant Professor of Middle East Studies met with the FIU delegates to discuss the dual certificate in Middle Eastern Studies. The delegates also had the opportunity to attend an Introduction to Islam class, to get a hands-on feel of the courses being taught at AUD.