Working Across Continents: Islam Al-Qaisi's Story

Islam Al-Qaisi

We always love to catch up with our former team members about everything they've done since we last saw them. Islam Al-Qaisi is our former Peer Advisor and an AUS chemical engineering alum who graduated in 2015, and he dropped by the office for a chat a couple of weeks ago. He is a commercial manager at Kpler and a former employee at an international oil company called Total, and these jobs have taken him around the world from France to India to South Africa. Islam says he's become a better person for it, and he traces these opportunities all the way back to the skills he learned during his study abroad in 2013-14 and his time at IXO.

During his study abroad at Montana State University, MT, USA, Islam developed communication skills that have come in handy no matter where he goes. "I've traveled to Turkey, India, France, and many other countries to do business. My job requires me to meet government officials, CEOs, and senior managers. Communicating with these people requires good interpersonal skills, and I have been blessed enough to acquire those skills from my study abroad experience, as I can comfortably speak with others from different countries and whatever their seniority level," he said.

In Paris, France

Emotional intelligence has been one of the most important skills Islam acquired during his study abroad. "Understanding someone else's point of view, especially coming from a different culture, is a useful skill to have in the real world," he said. "I have traveled and lived abroad for professional work in South Africa. My time there was an opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and the people. South Africa is known for the diverse ethnic backgrounds of its people, and I was able to be friends with everyone."

At a safari in South Africa

It is important to Islam to be a good representation of his culture when he travels. "I always remain an ambassador of my principles, my culture and my religion whenever I travel abroad. I value letting people understand where I come from and clearing their preconceptions about being someone from the Middle East," he said.

Working at IXO helped Islam develop several professional and personal skills. "From the professional side, I've gained better communication and interpersonal skills, I've learned to work smart instead of work hard, and I developed time management, risk management, and good planning skills. As for the personal aspect: life became more positive. Public speaking became easier. And I became more family oriented since I felt the difference when I was living independently abroad."

Islam looks back at his time at IXO very fondly. "I always brag about being a Peer Advisor at IXO - I always say that this is where teamwork happens. It was an unforgettable experience; it's always been fun times working at IXO. I worked with an amazing team, and we still go out together for reunions. I remember the good reviews I got from the study abroad students at the end of the semester, which still helps me until now. It gives me the motivation to keep getting better."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Volunteering, Interning, and Seeing the World: Suhair Remzi's Study Abroad

Suhair at an internship event

We have recently welcomed back Suhair Remzi, who is an Ethiopian international relations major who studied at George Washington University, WA, DC, USA, for the academic year 2018-19. She is joining our ranks at IXO this semester as a volunteer Peer Advisor. Suhair now says she divides her life into "before GWU" and "after GWU"; she had truly dynamic, diverse experiences during her time abroad that changed her as a person. Suhair's study abroad gave her the opportunity to do fulfilling work at Action for Hope, the Eurasia Center, and AIESEC, all of which gave her skills, confidence and experience closely related to her degree in international relations.

During Suhair's first semester at GWU, she participated in a leadership training program that, coupled with the study abroad experience itself, inspired her to take full advantage of all opportunities that opened to her during her time abroad. "The leadership program allowed me to come out of my comfort zone and put myself out there," she said. "It taught me the essential skills and techniques I need in order to handle challenges from different perspectives. Through the program, I got the opportunity to get to know myself more by exploring my qualities and testing my self-confidence and emotional intelligence."

With leadership program coordinators and classmates

That summer, Suhair did a two-month internship at Action for Hope, a USA-based non-profit organization that supports children and women in Africa. "My experience at the non-profit was beyond amazing. The organization aligned with my interest in international development, specifically youth and women's empowerment in Africa. The internship offered me a hands-on experience on non-profit management, proposal writing, and strategic planning and research."

She then went on to intern at the Eurasia Center for six months, during which she worked as a research assistant in their new Africa program, "Uplifting Africa," with a focus on their women’s program in Sub-Saharan Africa. She says that this was a truly enriching and interesting experience: "I not only gained skill sets that would allow me to pursue my interests and advance in my career, but I also learned so much about myself. I was able to see my potential in the work sector and reflect on my strengths and weaknesses. Working at the organization allowed me to know what I actually want to do and the cause I want to work for. Thus I believe my internship at the Eurasia Center was a valuable experience that has influenced the course of my life."

Throughout her time in Washington, DC, Suhair also gained the invaluable experiences of volunteering at the World Bank and IMF Headquarters. "I [met] officials from all over the world," she said. "I attended international events and conventions and networked with high-ranking professionals from my field. In addition, I was able to have an amazing experience with the wonderful people I  met and the exciting trips I made to places like New York, California and Georgia."

And just this last summer, Suhair was an AIESEC volunteer in Italy, where she taught English to Italian children and worked on a social farm, among other things. She got to travel around Italy quite a lot, spending time in several different cities and towns. She speaks very passionately about her time volunteering: "My AIESEC volunteer experience in Italy truly transformed me as a person," she said. "The journey has touched my heart and granted me wonderful experiences with the new knowledge I have gained, the captivating places I have traveled to, and the amazing people I have met. Moreover, it led me to test my physical and professional abilities and allowed me to learn a lot more about my career and my personal life. Traveling to Italy for the volunteering made me more confident, optimistic, and fearless and gave me a global mindset and a different vision and perspective towards my life."

Volunteering in Italy

All of these various experiences have informed Suhair's major in international relations. "As an international relations student, I definitely believe that studying abroad has allowed me to have a better understanding of my major. First of all, it was fascinating taking international relations courses in a different university and attending classes with people with a different understanding of the world. Having those discussions gives you the opportunity to see things from a new perspective and it allows you to have a more well-rounded and global mindset. Furthermore, one of the main skills necessary in international relations is the ability to adapt to new cultures, peoples and environments. Studying abroad definitely allows you to gain the adaptability skills needed to work in a dynamic and ever-changing environment."

Suhair says that studying abroad is what opened these opportunities to her and encouraged her to take them: "After realizing my capabilities in the program, I started putting myself out there and I began truly being open to trying the things I am interested in. Since I became confident in my skills and my ability to contribute in new environments, I had no fear of going for the things I wanted to pursue."

Reflecting on her time abroad overall, Suhair says that it fundamentally changed who she is as a person. "My study abroad program was one of the best experiences I've had and it has hugely impacted the course of my life. Before my study abroad, I was not the most sociable person and I did not always try the things I was interested in. However, I can now truly say that I have become a person that enjoys meeting new people and is willing to try all the things I am interested in. I became more independent, optimistic and open-minded. Moreover, the experience has given me the confidence and the strong belief that I am able to achieve anything that I set my mind to."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist