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 Her first time in the UAE (in 2008) was in fact for the sole reason of updating some of the research she found outdated.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