Christa Salamandra

Christa Salamandra is a FullBright researcher hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences here at AUS. Although she's originally from New York, Salamandra's been visiting the Middle East since the mid 80's, and returning again and again since.

"Why Syria? Because why not Syria?"

Salamandra is a specialist on the Arab world in anthropology and visual culture. As a result, her work and research are driving forces for travel. She visited Syria for the first time in 1985 and even spent a year there as a student.

Her work began to reflect and center intensively on the old and culture-rich city of Damascus. When asked why Syria, she had responded, "Because why not Syria?". Salamandra's curiosity and dedication to learning, analyzing and understanding the country's complex societal nature is evident through her work. She chose Syria to do field work on as she believed not enough work was being done on it. She commented on how Syria would change every time she'd visit it, an observation of  a growing culture of consumption and leisure was apparent. Salamandra elaborated on how Damascus has "competing impulses" when it comes to spending time in the city now versus in the 90's.

Arab TV Drama Industry 

Syrian television dramas were a key factor in turning Salamandra onto the field of Arab TV, which has brought her here to the United Arab Emirates. She states that the UAE, and the Gulf, are so essential to that industry that they became part of the structural foundation. Hence, she began writing on how the Syrian drama industry took off in the Gulf region with the enormity that it did.

However, when she first began writing this narrative, the narrative kept changing. A challenging part has been the need to constantly update the material she's already written. Her first time in the UAE (in 2008) was in fact for the sole reason of updating some of the research she found outdated.

Her passion lies in the industry because of the interesting narrative it follows (and in some cases, un-follows), and lies in the Arab world because of fascination coupled with intellectual understanding. This is why Salamandra has been to Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and two GCC countries in her lifetime. Consequently, she made connections with writers, actors, producers and creatives of the industry.

Her Time at AUS

Salamandra told us her favorite part about the UAE has been living on our beautiful campus. She was taken aback by the grand architecture, the serene greenery and the welcoming environment she was constantly reveling in. She commented on how wonderful her colleagues have been, and how enjoyable her interactions with students were when they happened. Although she was not teaching during her time here, she was asked to talk to an English class whose students were analyzing one of her papers, and was delighted in the constructive conversation it bred. Salamandra was impressed by the fluid and quick transition she had when coming to AUS and the meticulous university organization of the process. When asked if she experienced a cultural shock, she responded with her amazement at how diverse the combination of languages present in the country were. She thanked the hospitality of her department and stated her deep gratitude for all those who allowed her stay here to be immeasurably memorable.  

What's Next?

Salamandra is heading back to New York after she spends a few weeks exploring and traveling around the UAE once her research time elapses. She hopes to have a draft of her book by September. We wish her all the best in her important research and the exciting book she's working on. We sure hope she visits again!




Bayan Almasri 
IXO Publicity Specialist 

Dr. Lim Nguyen

Dr. Lim Nguyen is a Fulbright scholar about to finish a year here at the American University of Sharjah. Even though he was born in Vietnam, he did not find it too difficult to adjust when his family moved to the United States. He went to high school in Oklahoma, and had a good time growing up in the old Indian territory state. Dr. Nguyen graduated high school in 1979 and moved on to something much bigger - he was a student at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) until he graduated in 1983.

After graduating from one of the most prestigious universities in the country, Dr. Nguyen moved all the way to Los Angeles for work. This, he said, was a big change. But it didn't seem like much could have halted his progress. Soon enough, he was working for Caltech and getting his Master's degree. Although, that was never the original plan. Initially, Dr. Nguyen planned on working for two years after getting his Bachelor's and then going back to school. It wasn't until 1991 that he began to pursue his Ph.D., with a wife and a kid!

We asked Dr. Nguyen why it was that he was so driven and determined when it came to his education: "The way I was shaped, growing up! And whether you realize it or not, it sticks with you and becomes part of your DNA. I didn't even realize how much of an effect my upbringing caused until much later. I had asked myself why I was pursuing education so hard for many years - I didn't have to go the extra mile and concentrate so hard."

Currently working in the field of Electrical Engineering, we asked Dr. Nguyen why he chose it in the first place. He began to laugh and explained he didn't want to be outdoors in construction and he wasn't too good at chemistry, which left him with Electrical Engineering. Growing up in Oklahoma, once of his favorite hobbies in his youth was putting together radios, so it made all the sense that he would excel at it. His teaching allowed him a little bit of traveling, and while he was teaching in the U.S. in the early 2000s, he met a brilliant Egyptian student who later on become a professor at AUS. Having kept in touch with him for several years, AUS was brought to Dr. Nguyen's attention.

Being a Fulbright scholar allowed him to travel to South Korea for a year, which was an exhilirating experience for him. He was in awe over the cultural differences and how drastic an experience traveling that far away from where he grew up can be. As he was always curious about it, the Middle East was next. Unsure which country to directly go to at first, the elements for his research as well as having AUS on his radar due to a past student were, in his words, "a great fit".

Now that he's been here almost a year, he reflects back on his time. Dr. Nguyen was most shocked by the weather that no one could have prepared him for, but soon enough realized that walking everywhere in the summer was not the way to go! His favorite part about his stay so far has been a trip to the Jais Mountains in RAK, where he fell in love with the hike and the views.

Dr. Lim Nguyen is among the many wonderful scholars currently doing important and amazing work on our campus, and he hopes to explore more of the UAE before he returns home. We wish him all the luck and more travels!




Bayan Almasri 
Publicity Specialist