Students can now study the changes and developments in the Middle East through ASU in Dubai, a winter program that focuses on the progress and expansion of the city of Dubai and the rapid transformation in the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai is located off the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. It is best known for features like its seven-star underwater hotels and man-made islands in the shape of countries.
“Some of the most important economical, social and environmental developments are taking place in that part of the world,” said Victor Teye, one of directors of ASU in Dubai and associate professor in the College of Public Programs’ School of Community Resources and Development.
“Dubai is at the forefront of these developments, and other places like Phoenix will benefit from their work with sustainability,” he said.
The extension of ASU’s study-abroad program to Dubai has been a year in the making, developed by the University College and the School of Community Resources and Development.
Mirna Lattouf, senior lecturer in the School of Letters and Sciences and the Dubai program’s other director, said the program was created in hopes of documenting the rapid changes in the Middle East.
“While Dubai is a banking center and a real-estate goldmine, I want people to see the real changes in the United Arab Emirates,” Lattouf said. “We want to see fantasy and not the poverty, but as scholars and academics, it is our responsibility to see the whole picture.”
Another goal of the program is to expose students to developments of Dubai.
The two-week program runs from Dec. 27 through Jan. 13.
Different classes will be offered in the program from various departments, including religious studies, interdisciplinary studies and tourism development and management.
Students will also have the opportunity to travel to the United Arab Emirate capital, Abu Dhabi.
Lattouf said students will be able to contrast the tourist aspect of Dubai with the true Islamic culture of Abu Dhabi.
Along with visiting the capitol, students will also be able to visit the different communities within the city of Dubai, like Internet City, an area focused only on the use of the Internet, and Knowledge City, an area based on the foundation of education.
“Visiting the city of Dubai is an out-of-this-world experience,” Lattouf said. “Each student will take away something different and unique from the program.”
Reach the reporter at allison.carlin@asu.edu.
