Students can study in Dubai through new program


ASU is offering students an opportunity to enhance their intercultural academic experience and globalize their degree with a new study abroad program in the Persian Gulf.

“ASU in Dubai” is a new winter program directed by Mirna Lattouf, a senior lecturer at ASU’s School of Letters & Sciences, and Victor Teye, an associate professor in the College of Public Programs’ School of Community Resources and Development. Program participants will get a taste of culture, cuisine, history, tourism and development in the emerging Emirate of Dubai. They’ll also discover what a future global city will look like.

“Mirna Lattouf will develop a significant study abroad program in Dubai. Her scholarship on Middle Eastern history and culture, religious studies and women’s studies creates a compelling foundation for the examination of this emerging, complex society,” said Frederick C. Corey, ASU’s School of Letters & Sciences director.

The session starts Dec. 27, 2008, and runs through Jan. 13, 2009. The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 26. Applications received after that date will be reviewed depending on space availability.

Dubai is one of seven states that comprise the United Arab Emirates and is situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf. The states are rich in oil and natural gas and have become highly prosperous, especially the Emirate of Dubai. The most populous and second largest emirate, Dubai has become world famous through innovative real estate projects, sporting events, conferences, as a business and tourism hub, and the playground for the rich and famous worldwide.

“This is a priceless opportunity for our students to see what the future holds because Dubai is the vanguard of what a new society will look like,” said Lattouf, program director for ASU in Dubai. “Students get to live, observe, and engage in this society rather than theoretically study about Dubai in a classroom. It also puts ASU at the forefront of President Crow’s global engagement philosophy.”

ASU and the City of Phoenix are cultivating a relationship with Dubai officials to discuss possible future joint efforts. Sultan Saeed Nasser al-Mansoori, minister of economy for the Arab Emirates, met with ASU President Michael Crow and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon in July as part of a daylong visit to ASU conducted by the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement. Al-Mansoori is also an ASU alum who earned a degree in industrial engineering and management systems in the late 1980s.

Courses that students take in Dubai are offered in Tourism Development & Management, Religious Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies, and are designed to fulfill degree requirements of students majoring and minoring in various programs.

For program details including costs, travel arrangements, living accommodations, and credits, please call (602) 496-0638 or visit: https://studyabroad.asu.edu/home/node/6671.