Thursday 18 December 2014

Winter Break

As the end of 2014 approaches, IXO wishes the AUS community a Happy UAE National Day, Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year!




IXO Fall 2014 Demographics

For Fall 2014 IXO hosted 41 incoming students from various parts of the world. Here is a breakdown of the various countries and programs students came through and their fields of study.





IXO Participation in AUS Play

Many Fall 2014 exchange students took part in the play of Antony and Cleopatra.
Some of the performing exchange students were Patrick Ford, Ruthie Edd and Hadeiyah Ameen. 
Stage managers included Sally Alhamad (IXO Peer Advisor), Julian Hedlund-Drumm and Nancy Wang.

AUS Play: Antony and Cleopatra



Overnight Desert Safari

The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in collaboration with IXO had an overnight desert safari where the students got to experience camel riding, dune bashing and a beautiful Arabian dance!

Fall 2014 Exchange Students at a Desert Safari



Kiari Boulama

One of the visiting scholars AUS is  hosting for the Fall 2014 semester is Dr. Kiari Boulama, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). He is working with Dr. Saad Ahmed from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Kiari Boulama

His research deals with the numerical simulation of flows around air vehicles. Applications include unmanned airvehicles (UAV). The objective is to generate accurate prediction tools for the flight of these vehicles and contribute to the design of aerial vehicles with improved performance (i.e, high lift, reduced drag, improved maneuverability).

“I am currently on a sabbatical leave and have decided to spend this time at AUS for a number of reasons. I wanted to be far from my home university. I wanted to be in a place with the infrastructure and all the resources to conduct world-class scientific research, and this is exactly what AUS is providing me with. Also, after having lived in the cold of Canada uninterruptedly for 15 years, I thought I am due for some sun, and the UAE just happens to have plenty of that,” said Dr. Kiari.




Julian Drumm from Westminister College, Utah, USA

Julian Hedlund-Drumm is a theatre design and production major from Westminister College in Utah, USA, who chose to study abroad here at AUS during the Fall 2014 semester.

Julian Hedlund-Drumm

Why do you think it’s important to study abroad? 
If someone has the opportunity to study abroad, they should do it. It forces you to step out of your comfort zone and into another culture. The time I’ve spent talking with friends I’ve made over here—about religion, politics and personal relations—has opened my mind to a whole new way of looking at the world. Studying abroad makes you move away from what is familiar to you and pushes you to  see the world differently.

How did you decide to study abroad?
The Middle East is so misunderstood in the West, especially in the US. I knew that all the negative stuff I heard about the people and culture out here couldn't be true, but I had to come here to see it with my own eyes. I remember when I told my mother that I was going to the UAE for school this year, she flipped: “You’re going where?!” She wasn’t happy about it. I hate that this part of the world has such a negative perception attached to it, where I’m from. I just want to try and change that, if only a little.

Summer Program

Maastricht University, Netherlands

Maastricht University, Netherlands, in coordination with Maastricht School of Management and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, is offering an exciting summer program that includes challenging and exclusive courses for bachelor’s and master’s students.

The summer school provides excellent housing and an entertaining social program.

For more information, visit: www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/summerschool