As a double-alumna of Michigan State University (and having worked with MSU Study Abroad), I am always intrigued by MSU's international efforts. I was so impressed by MSU's call for study abroad and international education several years ago. I recently discovered that MSU now has a Dubai campus! This is exciting, and shares MSU with a whole new audience of students.

MSU Dubai's motto? Advancing Knowledge, Transforming Lives. Indeed.  I am so happy to share MSU Dubai with our Wandering Educators - it is an excellent model of offering our universities overseas. We were lucky enough to be able to sit down and talk with Kaye Dunn, Director of the MSU Dubai Academy, about cultural differences, faculty, students, academic programs, and more. Here's what she had to say...

WE: Please tell us about MSU Dubai...

KD: MSU Dubai has just finished its first academic year. It is situated in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) on the outskirts of Dubai – one of many new developments. We had just under 50 students in our first year and now we have about 100 new applicants. The scale is quite small comparatively. The challenge is trying to grow the campus while preserving standards and ensuring the learning experience is as similar to that on the home campus as possible. We share the location with a number of other international campuses.

Students studying at MSU Dubai study the same courses taught by the same faculty and are awarded the same degree as those studying in East Lansing, USA. All admissions and registration goes through the home campus. That means that students are accepted to MSU, not just MSU Dubai and can transfer between campuses.

Dubai is an interesting location. On the surface it is very western and modern; but scratch the surface and it is a traditional, relatively conservative Muslim country that, until the early 1970s, was not a country but a group of nomadic tribes. This context puts some constraints on what you can do – some of this is legal and other involves a large amount of respect for the local culture. We are an American University, but located in a very different environment. This impacts everything from management style, contact with the local authorities, rules and regulations to teaching style and student
preparedness. We need to fit into all of this but without sacrificing
educational quality.

We have a small but dedicated team of academic faculty, managers and
administration staff who are working together in this start up. There is a very strong commitment from the home campus and a great deal of communication to do everything we can to ensure that we are working in the same direction and giving students a positive academic experience. We all take on several roles and pitch in to make sure that this start up grows and becomes a dynamic educational institution contributing to the educational and economic development of the region.

WE:  What was the impetus to open a MSU campus in Dubai?

KD: MSU was initially approached by Dubai International Academic City in 2006 to open a branch campus here in Dubai. After considerable discussion at all levels, final approval was given by the board and things started to move ahead.

The Dubai campus was a natural step for MSU in extending its international reach and its reputation as a globally engaged university offering world-class academic programs. MSU in Dubai also serves as a vehicle to engage the state of Michigan and its economic interests with the Middle East. As major Michigan corporations explore expansion into the Middle East, MSU’s presence provides an instant connection and support in the region.

WE:  Who are your faculty on the ground there - and students?

KD: Most of the academic faculty members come from the home campus. They are either here on a rotating basis for a semester, or assigned for a longer period. There are also some local hires. These faculty members generally have some connection with MSU, mostly as alumni. As such, their country of origin is just as diverse as on the main campus.

The students largely come from the gulf region. Some are local; others are the children of expatriates based in the gulf. There is a very wide range of country of origin. Most students come through International schools in the region.  We are hoping to attract more students from Arabic and Ministry of Education schools via our MSU Dubai Academy, which offers our academic preparation course.

WE:  What academic programs do you offer the students?

KD: We offer both undergraduate and graduate courses. These are largely a
response to Dubai’s economic needs and market demand. I have
summarized our current offerings below:

Undergraduate:
Business Administration and General Management
Child and Youth Development
Computer Engineering
Construction Project Management
Early Childhood Education
Media Management and Research
(We will be offering Electrical Engineering in the fall of 2010)

Graduate:
Masters degree of Human Resources and Labor Relations

We also offer a pre-university academic preparation program and also some outreach programs, mostly in IT.

While there is enormous demand for an MBA, we are being somewhat coy
there. There are currently 18 MBA programs being offered in the UAE – somewhat of a market glut. Our program offerings will gradually expand in response to local demand and interest and budgetary constraints!

WE:  What intercultural challenges has MSU Dubai faced?

KD: There are a number of challenges if one is based in the UAE. There are
gender roles – which might mean anything from segregated dorms to not
shaking hands or engaging with people who are fully covered. There is the very different management and organizational style which we need to deal with. We deal with schools and teachers in quite a different way. Even our working week is different - we work from Sunday to Thursday. Friday is the Muslim day of prayer, so that is very important to accomodate.

There is a totally different educational atmosphere – our students come from a more teacher centered educational environment than we are used to. So, not only do we teach content, we also need to engage students in a very different style of teaching and learning that that which they are accustomed. Our students are also very international – most are from expatriate families. Many of our students have Arabic as a first language, but there is also Hindi, Urdu, Persian, French and much more.

Our whole experience here is very much a learning one for MSU - and not at all one sided. I don't think that I am exaggerating when I say that we are learning almost as much as our students! We can't simply transplant a university - this would be very disrespectful to our hosts and the local culture. However, we can share our courses and develop a greater understanding in the region of what is meant American culture and quality American education within the context and still maintain the very high standards that one would expect from MSU.

WE:  How is campus life structured at MSU Dubai? Are there residence halls, clubs, study groups, etc?

KD: We do have residence halls available. However, unlike the US, our dorms have to be gender segregated. This is obligatory from both a legal and a cultural standpoint. The dorms are great, probably more luxurious than dorms in the US. Rooms are shared; each room has a private bathroom. There are male and female gyms as well as a pool with separate timings for male and female. Students can eat in the dining hall or have room service. There is even a laundry service! Many students, however, will choose to live at home and travel to the campus each day.

As Dubai is so dispersed, we offer transport pick up and delivery throughout the city and to neighboring emirates. We also assist with visa formalities. All students other than Emiratis and GCC nationals require a visa, and many are sponsored by the campus.

We have clubs, but these are still being developed as we need to facilitate the club constitution writing and so on. We have a student council which interacts via video conference with the student bodies on the main campus. We have a Wtiting CenterThere are also study groups etc.

Our library collection is still fairly small. However, we have access to all the electronic resources at MSU. Students have an MSU email and ID card that come from East Lansing and allows them full access to all facilities.

We try to create a US-style educational environment although that is not always possible.  We have to be extremely sensitive to cultural norms. This even affects our dress and how we greet people. However, there are many aspects of US education and culture that while we cannot push, we can lead by example.

MSU is housed on a shared campus at DIAC and this provides us with a number of shared facilities including commercial outlets.

WE:  Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

KD: Studying at an American campus in the Middle East offers a wealth of
unique teaching and learning opportunities. Students will develop a network that will center on the Middle East but will have global reach. They will learn more about a region that will be one of the economic hubs of the future. With an oil-producing income of only 6%, Dubai has used the expansion of tourist, commercial and corporate activity together with the construction boom to diversify its economy. Although Dubai is a man-made hi-tech city, it still has a strong Islamic culture. Whilst some may view this as a conflict of old meeting new, it is also a captivating city that offers both extremes; a traditional past interlinked with an innovative, hi-tech, present. At the same time, our degrees are the same as those awarded from the US. Students and academic faculty really do have will have the best of both worlds! I know I really enjoy living and working here.

WE: Thanks so much, Kaye - I am very impressed with MSU Dubai and all of MSU's international and intercultural work there!

For more information, please see:

http://dubai.isp.msu.edu/