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AUD Organizes Luncheon for US Consul General with AUD Students

US Consul General Siberell: AUD helps ensure that US-UAE partnership is a strong, dynamic and fruitful one

Dubai, December 12, 2010. Pursuant to its ongoing endeavors to maintain and enrich intercultural understanding among study abroad and exchange students at The American University in Dubai (AUD) , the External Relations Office (ERO) at AUD organized a luncheon for Mr. Justin Siberell, US Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, with the University's study abroad and exchange students, William Jefferson Clinton Scholars, Student Government Association (SGA) Officers, Harvard Conference in Asia Program (HCAP) delegates, Middle Eastern Studies (MEST) students in addition to representatives of the University's diverse student body.

In attendance were Dr. Lance de Masi, AUD 's President, Mr. Elias Bou Saab, AUD 's Executive Vice President, and Dr. Jihad Nader, AUD 's Provost and Chief Academic Officer, alongside other members of the University's faculty and staff bodies, including Dr. Feras Hamza, Coordinator and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at AUD , and Dr. William Gueraiche, AUD 's Assistant Professor of Social Sciences, who joined the students in the luncheon that was preceded by informative remarks by the Consul General.

Consul General Siberell reflected on the dynamic and multifaceted US-UAE relationship, and attended to the student queries particularly in the areas of political, commercial, security and cultural cooperation, after which he engaged in a vibrant discussion with them on a wide array of issues ranging from bilateral trade to the cosmopolitan character of Dubai.

About his reflections on the progressive bonding relationship between AUD and the US Consulate in Dubai and the northern Emirates, and how it feeds into the University's academic mission, Executive Vice President Bou Saab stresses:

"This is not the first occasion, and will certainly not be the last, in which we witness AUD joining hands with the US Consulate General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates to bring about events which contribute towards bridging the gap between the Arab world and the United States. Such events are part-and-parcel of AUD 's academic mission in terms of serving as a gateway to multicultural understanding between the East and the West, and I am certain that they will remain inscribed as such in the University's record of educational achievements".

Consul General Siberell, in turn, commended the AUD students and administrators on their efforts to foster the academic ties between the US and UAE through educational exchange and study abroad programs, acknowledging:

"It is always a great pleasure to meet with the students, faculty and administrators of the American University in Dubai . AUD is great example of the educational interchange that helps expand and deepen the people-to people ties between the U.S. and UAE". He concludes, " Through the affiliation between the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at AUD and USC's Annenberg School for Communication and programs, such as the William Jefferson Clinton Scholars, for example, AUD helps ensure that US-UAE partnership is a strong, dynamic and fruitful one".

-Ends-

About AUD
The American University in Dubai (AUD) is a private, non-sectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1995. It serves UAE nationals and international students who seek world-class career-oriented education. AUD , as an international institution of higher education, encourages global understanding by providing an atmosphere of cultural diversity and opportunities for an international education.

AUD is accredited by the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

AUD is officially licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry has accredited the university's programs in Architecture, Business Administration (both undergraduate and graduate), Communication and Information Studies, Engineering, Computer and Information Technology, Visual Communication and Interior Design, in addition to a Certificate in Middle Eastern Studies program.

AUD holds an Agent's License issued by the District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission (Washington, DC, USA), and is approved to operate by the State of Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (NPEC).

AUD has received specialized accreditation for its Bachelor's of Business Administration (B.B.A.), and Master's of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree programs in business through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). The university's undergraduate concentrations in Marketing Communications and Advertising (Creative) have been accredited by the International Advertising Association (IAA) in New York.

All programs (i.e., Civil, Computer, and Electrical Engineering) of AUD 's School of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Technology (B.S.C.I.T.) program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

For more information, please visit www.aud.edu.

About HCAP
HCAP is a nonprofit student organization at Harvard University that promotes academic, cultural, and social exchange among the future leaders of the United States, Asia and the Middle East.

The mission of HCAP is to serve as a platform for establishing long-term international and intercultural collaboration among accomplished students from Harvard and our partner schools in Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, New Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.

For further information, please visit http://www.harvardcollegeinasia.org/

About the W.J. Clinton Scholarship
The William Jefferson Clinton Scholars at the American University in Dubai seeks to further the goals of the Clinton Presidential Foundation to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. In partnership with the American University in Dubai , the program will provide American students the opportunity to expand their educational and cultural horizons by studying in the Arab world.

The scholarship is only open to U.S. Citizen Students currently enrolled as fulltime undergraduate degree candidates at an accredited four-year college/university in the United States. It is expected that recipients will demonstrate exemplary academic achievement. Provision has been made for up to ten students per semester. Preference will be given to students who show interest in being exposed to the Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures for the first time.

For further information, please visit http://www.aud.edu/Admissions/clinton.asp

About MEST
The Middle Eastern Studies Certificate is an 18-credit hour program designed to give students in the area an appreciation and understanding of the region in which they are currently studying and in which many will be pursuing professional careers. It is an opportunity for these students to enhance their knowledge of the cultural, historical, and political factors that have shaped the Middle East through time and to a large extent, explain the profile and texture of the current Middle Eastern landscape.

For students outside the region (Study Abroad, etc.), the certificate program offers the unique opportunity to develop their interest in and awareness of Middle Eastern culture by living in a Middle Eastern country while earning credit at an American-accredited university.

The Certificate serves to complement the undergraduate degree program in which the student is enrolled, the result being a broadening of cultural knowledge and sensitivity - both of which play a role in professional endeavor and success. For further information, please visit http://www.aud.edu/AcademicAffairs/CertMES/index.asp

About the U.S. Consulate in Dubai
Working in cooperation with public and private partners across the UAE, the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, along with the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, supports a range of programs reflecting the depth and breadth of the U.S.-UAE diplomatic relationship.

For more information, please contact
Ms. Rim Ibrahim
Marketing Communications Coordinator
American University in Dubai
T. +971 4 3183 139
E. ribrahim@aud.edu

© Press Release 2010