Profile of Fall IXO Students

Study Abroad Applications

Applications are now open for AUS students who want to study abroad in the Fall 2017 semester. 

The deadline for all applications is December 3, 2016. 

Visit IXO (MG43) to talk to a Peer Advisor about your options. To apply or for more information, visit www.aus.edu/ixo or contact us at ixo@aus.edu.

New Peer Advisors

IXO would also like to introduce the recently returned AUS students who studied abroad in Spring 2016, and will now be serving on the IXO team as new Peer Advisors. Welcome to the team Dinete, Catherine, Seham and Tariq!

University of International Business and Economics

Delegates from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in China visited AUS this summer. UIBE is interested in collaborating and partnering with AUS. They came for discussions about scientific research cooperation, communication and exchange of teachers and students in the form of academic conferences and other possible collaborations that meet mutual interests. 

Delegates from UIBE and AUS 

CIEE Amman

IXO recently hosted a visiting delegation from Amman, Jordan led by Abubakr Alani, Resident Director of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). The group was primarily interested in touring our campus, and learning about the amenities we enjoy here. 

Delegates from CIEE Amman 

University of Texas, Austin

Dr. Caroline Faria, a delegate from the University of Texas, Austin, recently visited AUS. She was hosted by Dr. Mohammad Ibahrine, a fellow faculty member at the Department Mass Communications. Faria was interested in touring the campus and familiarizing herself with the academic studies in mass media. 

Dr. Caroline Faria, a delegate from UT Austin 

A Semester in Japan

Sirine Rached Dhaouadi, an electrical engineering major, studied abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan in Fall 2015. Dhaouadi said, “My semester in Japan was very different from what I am used to in engineering. I took language, culture and history courses focused on Japan and its different aspects. The huge contrast between my engineering background and what I was taking in Japan really made me realize how much I missed my major!” 

When asked why Dhaouadi chose to study abroad in Japan, she replied, “It was not my first time visiting the university. I knew the campus and the area well prior to studying there. There was something so surreal about studying in Japan. I have always been interested in the Japanese people, culture and lifestyle.” She said, “It was my parents who actually encouraged me to study in Japan. We spent a summer there and I really enjoyed and appreciated it. I also realized that this opportunity would help me be more independant and responsible. 

I think it’s important to study abroad to expand our knowledge to more than just the culture we are familiar with. As cliche as it sounds, when you’re travelling alone you’re doing some sort of soul searching to find out who you really are. As much as I tried to resist this cliche, I found myself living up to it. In a way my study abroad experience just showed me more of who I am, my potential, and my capabilities as an individual.” 

Dhaouadi advised, “Don’t be afraid to study abroad. It is so liberating and the opportunities and experiences are endless. If I could sum up this entire experience, I would say it is the best thing you can do in your four or five years at university.” 

 IXO Peer Advisor Sirine Dhaouadi in Japan

Beginning of a New Semester

Welcome back to all members of the AUS community. We hope you all had a great and enjoyable summer, and wish you all the best for the start of the Fall 2016 semester. As we prepare to welcome our new incoming students, we would also like to bid farewell to our outgoing Fall 2016 study abroad students. We look forward to hearing about their adventures upon their return at the end of the year! 

Recent Visitors

AUS was visited by representatives from Boston College and the University of Vermont (UVM), both located in the Northeast region of the USA. Boston College recently signed a bilateral exchange agreement with AUS, and UVM is a very popular destination for AUS students studying abroad through International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP). 

Dr. Linda Angell, IXO Director; Sabine Bruggemen, an intern at IXO; 

and Gayle R. Nunley, a delegate from the University of Vermont (Left to Right)

Grinnell College

IXO hosted a mixer between exchange students and Mervat Youssef, an Arabic professor from Grinnell College in Iowa, USA. Youssef and the students discussed why students from Grinnell College should study abroad at AUS, including our wonderful diversity, facilities on campus, and safety at AUS and in the UAE as a whole. 

Delegate from Grinnell College Dr. Mervat Youssef and Osama Mafraji, IXO Advisor (Left to Right) 

Burj Al Arab Tour

Academic Programs International (API) recently hosted study abroad students to visit the Burj Al Arab. Students toured the five-star hotel, and viewed the luxurious floors and suites. 

Spring 2016 at Burj Al Arab Hotel

IXO Farewell Dinner

IXO hosted a farewell dinner for Spring 2016 students at the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club. We hate to see them leave, but wish them all the best settling back at their home universities. 

Spring 2016 at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club 

IXO Graduates

Congratulations to IXO Peer Advisors Ilda Soares and Ahmed Jabr on their graduation from AUS! Soares graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and has managed the publication of our newsletter since Spring 2014. Jabr graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and worked at IXO since Fall 2015, after his study abroad experience at Utah State University. IXO wishes the graduating advisors the best of luck for their future endeavours. 

Ilda Soares and Osama Mafraji, IXO Advisor (Left to Right) 

AUS Campus Tour

IXO will introduce new orientation campus tour videos for incoming Fall 2016 students. Every week IXO will post one video on the incoming Facebook group in the weeks leading up to their arrival, so that they are more familiar with the AUS campus. 

In Their Own Words

One of our favorite jobs in IXO is welcoming back AUS students who recently studied abroad. Some of the students who studied abroad in Spring 2016 visited the IXO office recently and discussed their experiences with advisors. To view these video interviews, visit our IXO Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/IXOatAUS.

Mohammad Saleh, Spring 2016 study abroad 

student, and Osama Mafraji, IXO Advisor (Left to Right) 

Osama Mafraji, IXO Advisor, and Dinete Kollanur, Spring 2016 

study abroad student (Left to Right) 

Anusha Grewal, an international relations major with a photography minor, studied through a program called Study at Sea. Grewal said, “I spent the semester on a ship, travelling around the world, and earning credit at the University of Virginia. We visited 11 different countries across Asia and Africa.” When asked about her expectations and experiences, she replied, “This was such a unique program. I had no idea what to expect in terms of the academic work and lifestyle. I don’t think you can prepare yourself to study at sea by reading about it or hearing other people’s experiences. It is definitely something you need to experience on your own in order to understand how it works.” Grewal advised, “I think it is important to study abroad, because it really expands a person’s horizons. My experience taught me how to be independent and confident. It helped me to understand the countries and the different cultures a whole lot better, and through this I began to understand myself a whole lot better.” 

Anusha Grewal and peers aboard the ship (Left to Right)