As I've previously mentioned, one of my jobs at the Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies is Special Programs Officer. I am currently in charge of an academic exchange program between students from Amsterdam and students from Yemen, called Zeytun, as a part of this position. This past week and this coming week will be crazier than normal as the Amsterdam students have arrived and I am responsible for overseeing their trips to NGOs, Ministries, and other cultural and political meetings and field trips with the accompaniment of the Yemeni students as well. In addition, I'm still needed at the college to continue my other job as Student Affairs Coordinator for the foreign students here, so balancing these two sets of responsibilities has been challenging.
While all the Dutch students are very enthusiastic and welcoming, I'm a little surprised at the lack of Arabic skills they possess. They are all political science students that have an interest in the Middle East, and many have traveled to countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, yet none of them know a word of Arabic. This has been a bit of a hindrance. The Yemeni students and the Amsterdam students communicate through English, and the Yemenis will often accompany them to dinner or other activities after the ones I've scheduled, so they have no problem navigating the city. However, when the Dutch students are by themselves, things become more complicated. Hardly anyone in Yemen speaks more than two words of English, so the first few days I was with them constantly to help order food, take taxis, exchange money, or whatever else until the Yemeni's were able to step in.
I guess I was just a little shocked no one even knew the basics: shukran (thank you), afwan (you're welcome), salam al-ekum (hello)....you get the idea. Regardless, it’s been a wonderful experience for the Yemenis and for the Dutch, but especially for the Yemeni women in the program. There are so few opportunities for women here so I'm pleased by the idea that they will get a chance to travel to Amsterdam and get a first hand perspective of another culture as many have never left the country. I hope it to be an empowering experience for everyone. In addition, both the Yemeni and Dutch students (as well as myself) are meeting some very intelligent and inspiring people which I will write about as the program progresses.
A little about the program itself:
Zeytun, which means "olive" in many Arabic dialects, has many symbolic senses that are cherished in this initiative. The olive has a reputation for being a strong and rooted tree able to survive for centuries and is at the same time a symbol of the richness and glory of ancient European and Middle Eastern cultures, as well as of peace and goodwill. Zeytun is a grassroots initiative for durable academic exchange between the Netherlands and the Middle East for students of political science, international relations and diplomacy.
Many have recognized the importance of European-Middle Eastern relations and have tried to bring the two regions closer to each other. Despite these attempts, significant gaps still exist, especially amongst higher education. If two countries desire to establish durable, stable and beneficial relations, they should first tune it the young minds in both regions to actively engage with each other. An effective way to facilitate this interaction is through academic exchanges. Exchanges not only diminish prejudices and stereotypes, but lead participants to common values.
Zeytun envisions greater academic mobility and increased cooperation between higher education institutions in Europe and the Middle East. Mobility and cooperation are considered important assets that contribute to the broader aims of modernization and innovation in higher education in both Europe and the Middle East, and to a healthy and constructive foundation for dialogue between the two regions.
You can find more in depth information about the program at: http://www.zeytun.org/
While all the Dutch students are very enthusiastic and welcoming, I'm a little surprised at the lack of Arabic skills they possess. They are all political science students that have an interest in the Middle East, and many have traveled to countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, yet none of them know a word of Arabic. This has been a bit of a hindrance. The Yemeni students and the Amsterdam students communicate through English, and the Yemenis will often accompany them to dinner or other activities after the ones I've scheduled, so they have no problem navigating the city. However, when the Dutch students are by themselves, things become more complicated. Hardly anyone in Yemen speaks more than two words of English, so the first few days I was with them constantly to help order food, take taxis, exchange money, or whatever else until the Yemeni's were able to step in.
I guess I was just a little shocked no one even knew the basics: shukran (thank you), afwan (you're welcome), salam al-ekum (hello)....you get the idea. Regardless, it’s been a wonderful experience for the Yemenis and for the Dutch, but especially for the Yemeni women in the program. There are so few opportunities for women here so I'm pleased by the idea that they will get a chance to travel to Amsterdam and get a first hand perspective of another culture as many have never left the country. I hope it to be an empowering experience for everyone. In addition, both the Yemeni and Dutch students (as well as myself) are meeting some very intelligent and inspiring people which I will write about as the program progresses.
A little about the program itself:
Zeytun, which means "olive" in many Arabic dialects, has many symbolic senses that are cherished in this initiative. The olive has a reputation for being a strong and rooted tree able to survive for centuries and is at the same time a symbol of the richness and glory of ancient European and Middle Eastern cultures, as well as of peace and goodwill. Zeytun is a grassroots initiative for durable academic exchange between the Netherlands and the Middle East for students of political science, international relations and diplomacy.
Many have recognized the importance of European-Middle Eastern relations and have tried to bring the two regions closer to each other. Despite these attempts, significant gaps still exist, especially amongst higher education. If two countries desire to establish durable, stable and beneficial relations, they should first tune it the young minds in both regions to actively engage with each other. An effective way to facilitate this interaction is through academic exchanges. Exchanges not only diminish prejudices and stereotypes, but lead participants to common values.
Zeytun envisions greater academic mobility and increased cooperation between higher education institutions in Europe and the Middle East. Mobility and cooperation are considered important assets that contribute to the broader aims of modernization and innovation in higher education in both Europe and the Middle East, and to a healthy and constructive foundation for dialogue between the two regions.
You can find more in depth information about the program at: http://www.zeytun.org/
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