DUBAI // Emirati students are being taken on overseas trips to help prepare them for working in the emirate’s increasingly multicultural environment.
The travel club was launched by the women's campus of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in Dubai for its business students.
The trips, the first of which were to Turkey and Japan in December, aim to make the students more culturally aware.
All students at the college already take a liberal studies course in intercultural intelligence, in which they explore aspects of their own culture and learn about others.
The college also often hosts international students. It now wants its students to travel and experience other cultures first hand.
During college breaks, they will visit sites of historical and cultural interest and look at issues such as environmental protection.
They will also meet international students to share cultural insights and act as ambassadors of the UAE.
Before each trip, students read up on their destination and are encouraged to learn basic phrases in the local language.
At least 70 students will travel to Italy, Spain and Japan in April.
“International travel is highly beneficial in developing global awareness, improving cultural sensitivity and creating professional networks,” said Dr Monica Gallant, chair of the business department.
She believes the trips provide “valuable skills for our graduates to succeed as the future leaders of the dynamic workplace of Dubai”.
Maitha Khalifa, 20, who is in her first year and went on the Japan trip in December – the first time she has travelled without her family – noticed many differences between her own culture and that of Japan.
“They are very organised people,” she said. “They’ve very busy, too. On the metro, everyone was reading but us – we just [use] our phones or play games.”
Hind Thaloob, 23, who is in her final year, went on the seven-day trip to Turkey, having previously visited Spain on a college trip in 2011.
“It was so great to see the history of Turkey for ourselves, the Ottoman Empire. You can see it there still,” she said.
Her group visited several mosques, which she said helped to consolidate what they had learnt about the country’s history at school. “It’s very important to see some of the Muslim heritage,” she added.
Pushpa Sadhwani, a business teacher who chaperoned the Turkey trip, said many of the students saw snow for the first time and, more importantly, learnt to cooperate.
“We assigned two different student leaders for each day,” she said. “It was their responsibility to wake everyone up, ensure all students were at breakfast on time, conduct a head count whenever we were out sightseeing and report to the chaperones in case of any issues.
“This was actually a unique bonding experience for everyone in the group. They got to know each other better and built new friendships.”
The group also met students from Ozyegin University in Istanbul, and compared the cultures and traditions of their respective Muslim nations.
“Our college strongly encourages HCT students to be interculturally literate,” Ms Sadhwani said. “The travel club is just one of our many initiatives to promote and facilitate the education of world cultures.”
mswan@thenational.ae
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Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
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The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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