Busy Weekend for IXO Students

Our incoming students are deeply involved in the vibrant life at AUS. Over just one weekend, a number of them volunteered to teach CleanCo English classes, participated in the AUS Model Congress, and took part in Al Dhaid's bedouin documentary filming. These endeavors allowed our students to try something new, hone their skills, meet new people, and have fun!

CleanCo English Class

David and his students

David Daugherty is an international business major who joined us this semester from Cedarville University, OH, USA. A few weeks back, he volunteered to teach one of the free English classes provided to the CleanCo staff at AUS. "I wanted to give back to those who give so much to this university," he said. "As I began to settle into my time in the UAE, I met so many amazing workers who do whatever it takes to provide for my needs. Whether I was enjoying a cortado at a local coffee shop or relaxing in the cleanliness of my own dorm room, I owed so much to those unseen heroes. As such, I jumped at the chance to meet more friendly faces and help them practice a skill that may help them in the future."

David himself got a lot out of teaching the class: "I honestly had so much fun. I really like leading discussions and public speaking. I enjoyed getting to know each of the students' personalities and skill levels as we practiced new vocabulary together. Who knows, maybe I'll be a full-time instructor someday! I still see those guys around campus and they repeat to me some of the words that we learned together. I know that learning a language can be difficult so I'm really proud of them all. They seem like hard workers and I hope that my efforts at least helped them gain some confidence."

"Sure, my one class didn't change anyone's life - I just want to take every opportunity possible to draw attention to their dignity as fellow human beings, worthy of all the same respect that they've shown me. I wish them the best as they move forward!"

AUS Model Congress

Rachel Iverson at the Model Congress

Several of our students and IXO team members took part in this year's AUS Model Congress. Rachel Iverson, our incoming international relations major from Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN, USA, served as Vice President (co-chair) of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. "At my home university, I have been an avid participant in Model United Nations and Model Arab League through my school’s United Nations International Relations Club, at which I served as an executive board member last year," she said. "I had never participated in a Model Congress and it sounded very fun. I was torn on taking part in it but I’m so glad I decided to participate as a chair."

Rachel and fellow committee members

"I got to work with amazing teens and young adults ranging in age from 12 to 22 in my committee. My participation allowed me to serve as a role model for the young delegates as well as to make lifelong friends with people from all over the world."

IXO team members Bayan Al-Masri, Zara Khan, and Elizabeth Atork also took part in the AUSMC. Bayan, an IXO publicity specialist, played the role of Vice President of the National Security Council. "My role enabled me to guide the sessions with my co-chair, the President, as well as take part in debate with my delegates," she said.

Bayan at the AUSMC

Bayan decided to participate in the Model Congress because it is unique in this region: "AUS does the only Model Congress in the region, and this is only the second year they do it - yet we hosted over 1,000 people for the weekend it took place. Being able to help moderate and elevate the experience for our delegates was something I'm truly proud of having been a part of."

Bayan and fellow committee members

When asked what her favorite moment of the AUSMC was, Bayan said there were numerous moments to choose from. "Perhaps my favorite one was watching a delegate challenge a chair (a notion unique to Model Congress) and debate him over his decision," she said.

On the other hand, our peer advisor Zara served as an Attorney in the Supreme Court and even won the Distinguished Delegate award. "I was a petitioner for Planned Parenthood and a respondent for the Federal Circuit Court," she said.

"[Through delegating at the Model Congress], I gained great public speaking and debating skills. Attorneys were questioned on the spot, so I also learned how to articulate arguments off-the-cuff. Through the research I had to do in order to prepare, I also got a lot more exposure to various laws and issues that are relevant not only in the USA but also globally. Moreover, it was a great opportunity to meet different people and make new connections."

Zara with her Distinguished Delegate award

Al Dhaid Bedouin Documentary Filming

This semester, Al Dhaid invited our students to participate in the filming of their documentary about international students experiencing the bedouin lifestyle. Our students got to do lots of exciting things as part of the filming, including riding camels, going to a shooting range, watching camel racing, and visiting a museum for classic cars.

At the shooting range

Kenzo Scheerlinck, our Fall 2019 student from Loyola University, Chicago, IL, USA, experienced a first during the filming: "I loved riding a camel around. It was a blast, considering I'd never done anything like that before," he said. He also greatly enjoyed talking with Mr. Khalifa: "He was a very interesting person who knew so much about everything!"

Kenzo riding a camel

All that over three days - our students are clearly making the most of their time here!


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Summer at the University of Oxford

Salma Elgerby at our office

English major Salma Elgerby had a genuinely special semester abroad at the University of Oxford's Exeter College, Oxford, England, in Summer 2019. From Harry Potter-esque house sorting to one-on-one tutorials with faculty, Salma got to enjoy the uniquely British character of the college - and she wishes the experience had never ended. She told us a bit about her time there, and on Nov. 17, she will deliver the bulk of our information session about this program to encourage other AUS students to take the opportunity.

Salma absolutely loved the experience and said the "worst thing about it is that it ended." She said the Exeter College Summer Program provides 'Program Ambassadors,' who are like parents. The 83 students who attended last summer were divided into houses, like in Harry Potter and as is typical of the British system. Each house had a 'parent' (who was actually another Oxford student) to provide guidance and organize a wide range of daily activities for the students. The students got to do 3-4 activities per day, including punting on the river, boutique shopping, trips to London to visit The Shakespeare Globe Theatre, and more. Salma added that the housing itself was like a hotel - it was extremely nice and even better than she expected.

Salma took two courses during the summer: Literatures of Modernism, which transferred back to AUS as a 3-credit course, and Moral Philosophy. The credits for the latter didn't transfer, but she loved the course and was really glad to have taken it. She said there was a heavy reading load, but it was manageable, and she got an A- in both courses. The structure for Oxford courses is quite different from AUS; for each course, they have six lectures (of 1.5 hours each, and with little student participation), then six seminars (with lots of discussion and participation), and then four tutorials. According to Salma, the tutorials were the best part, as they had two-on-one or even one-on-one discussions with faculty, which resulted in very intellectual conversations.

We asked her about why she was okay taking courses when she knew the credits wouldn't transfer, and she said there was a lot of value and knowledge in that course. She added that this whole opportunity led to recommendation letters from Oxford faculty and contacts all over the world, and you never really know where all that could lead to.


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Embracing the Unexpected: Ali Srour's Semester in the Netherlands

Ali Srour at a carnival in the Netherlands

Some of the best things that happen to you are things that you didn't plan for. Ali Srour knows this firsthand. Before Ali headed to the Netherlands for his semester abroad at Tilburg University, he wrote a letter to himself detailing the goals he wanted to achieve during his time abroad. Things didn't go exactly as he mapped them out, but Ali had an exciting, unique, colorful experience regardless - and he plans to return to the Netherlands for his graduate studies.

Ali is a finance major and psychology minor. His fields of study were the main reasons he chose to go to Tilburg University in Spring 2019: "Tilburg is one of the top 50 universities worldwide in business, economics, law and psychology, so I chose it for that," he said. The first unplanned aspect of his journey was that the Netherlands and Tilburg University were his fourth option, preceded by three universities in New Zealand.

Ali reads from the letter he wrote to himself: "I wrote, 'I'm probably not going to read this letter because I will stay [in the Netherlands], but if I don't then that means I came back for graduation and that I will be going back there afterwards.' Which is true, I came back for graduation," he said. "My goals there were to get a scholarship, an internship, a job offer, [and] to have a plan for me to migrate there. See, I didn't get a scholarship because they only give them to Dutch students there. As for the internship, they prefer native Dutch speakers. I couldn't get the job offer because I couldn't get an internship, but I definitely have a plan now."

Ali with his letter to himself and IXO Publicity Specialist Bayan Al-Masri

Laughing, he adds, "I also [wrote] a small note for myself, which is 'Keep It Simple, Stupid.' Because I was really anxious about it, and I was planning a lot and going crazy."

During his time abroad, Ali took up cycling, which is very popular in the Netherlands. "I went on bicycle trips from one town to another, which was a distance of around 150 km. It’s like going to Abu Dhabi, but by bicycle. Traveling is really easy over there because if you have a residence permit, you can go to any European country [in the EU] without a visa. For example, if you wanted to go from Tilburg to Paris, it’s only 50 euros, which is about 200 dirhams. I also once travelled across all the towns and cities of the Netherlands on a train."

Ali was the only Arab and Muslim there during his semester abroad, but he managed to befriend many people from different backgrounds. "My closest friend [there] was a Norwegian guy. He was in the room next to mine. I was also friends with a Turkish guy. And I made a lot of friends through playing sports, namely powerlifting and football," he said.

Ali and friends at the carnival

Once Ali graduates from AUS, he plans to return to the Netherlands. "I'm going to do my master's degree in Leiden University, which is one of the top universities in the country. I [now] have a very good idea of how the system works there; I know the fees, how much you would earn in a part-time job, the living costs. So the experience readied me for the real deal, and it was a great experience; I would recommend it for sure."

Watch a video Ali made about his semester abroad:

Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist