By Khulood Al Afeefi
BOSTON, Mass. (USA) – Some people feel lucky to have the opportunity to experience an adventurous life. I was one of those who got the opportunity to represent Zayed University and the United Arab Emirates at a communication conference in the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America.
As part of the requirement an integrated strategic communication course, I had to participate in the GlobCom Project 2014, which included students in 13 universities from all around the world. The international students met at Emerson University in Boston for several days in late May.
I was a member of Team 07, a group that was ambitious from the beginning. With our Australian team leader Brooke Dawson, this team was able to win the GlobCom competitions in Boston.
I had not member all of my fellow team members before since we live in different countries around the globe. I first met most of them at the conference’s welcome reception, which took place in British Consul General’s Residence on May 29 in Boston. Those moments with my team members were different, because I’ve never interacted with international people before. The atmosphere was full of socializing, and I had a great time talking with other teams as well.
Different people, different cultures and different languages: That was the theme at the welcome reception. My ZU colleagues and I got to meet students and faculty from Australia, Chile, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and the United States.
On May 30, we had to present our project in front of hundreds of people, including the judges and the founder of GlobCom project, Dr. Volker Stoltz.
Dr. Stoltz announced the results in a gala dinner that same night, and Team07 was the winner for this year. My mentor, Associate Professor Gaelle Duthler, who teaches integrated strategic communication, put it all in perspective.
“The GlobCom Project is a unique transformative experience for Zayed University students,” Dr. Duthler said. “They work in international teams, so they learn how to work with students from other universities. This project gives them the experience necessary to work on the global level in the field of communication and media.”
While I was elated to be on the winning team, I was also dealing with a new place, a new people, and in some ways even a new language (New England English). People were also very welcoming and constantly smiling, and they were always there to answer our questions.
And the Americans certainly like their technology. As this was my first visit to the United States, I never expected it to witness this complete dependency on technology (not just smartphones). It seemed that iPads were used almost everywhere, such as in stores by the cashiers and with restaurant menus.
Boston is a historical and educational city that has a lot of tourist attractions. One of the most popular ones is Museum of Fine Arts. Another is Harvard University, which is ranked the most prestigious university in the world. We went to both places and had a wonderful time. We also went to an American baseball game at legendary Fenway Park, and it was really cold (about 0 degrees C). We cheered when the Red Sox fans cheered, not knowing why we were cheering, but having a good time nonetheless. We also went to eat Italian food on the North End. It was delicious.
My overall experience on this trip was that it was like no other trip I had ever made before with my family. I would call it an educational adventure, as it was the first time that I traveled with people other than my family. It was also the first time I met people from international universities. During the week, I got to know my classmate travelers very well and got along with them even more than before.
Thus, our growth as students and young public relations professionals was a vital outcome of the trip to Boston.
“GlobCom has proven as an invaluable learning experience,” said Ms. Inka Stever, a CCMS assistant professor and one of the tour leaders. “Never before have I seen students grow so much over the course of one semester. The international exposure broadens their horizon and takes their thinking to the next hire level.”
This trip was definitely an outstanding educational experience for my teammates and me. I would encourage other ZU students to also take educational trips abroad or even think about studying abroad or doing their internships in a foreign land. The opportunity to see how other people live is very valuable for young people.
And it was fun being with my ZU classmates.
“We learned how to depend on ourselves,” said Fatima Dhafer, a ZU-AD student who was on the trip to Boston. “For most of us, it was our first time travelling without our families. We were learning about other cultures, meeting new people and experiencing new and exciting things, like the subway. We learned we shouldn’t believe everything the media says. The U.S. has the nicest people you can ever imagine.”
We also learned something about the weather in the U.S., or at least in the Northeastern part of that country. If you go to Boston in the spring, remember to bring a winter coat because it still can be quite cold there, as we discovered at the Red Sox game.
This story was originally published on Sept. 25, 2014. It was re-uploaded on Dec. 23, 2020.
