The External Relations Office at the American University in Dubai (AUD) organized Study Tour to Brussels for the first time, after receiving an invitation from former Vice President of the European Parliament, Mrs. Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou.

Expressing her joy and satisfaction over the visit of AUD Students and Alumni members, Mrs. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou congratulated them for the interest they showed concerning the function of the European Parliament, the role of the European Union and especially, on the importance of the Euro-Arab relations. She added: “In our modern globalized world it is of vital importance that mutual understanding and efficient communication are promoted, and fortunately, AUD stands up to this challenge. I hope we will have many more opportunities like this for fruitful cooperation.”

AUD Students and Alumni members who participated in the tour met with H.E. Sulaiman H Almazroui, Ambassador of the UAE in Belgium, European Union and Luxembourg, Ms. Pamela Dalby, Student Affairs Manager at Boston University - Belgium, and with several Members of the European Parliament and European Commission who represent different political parties within the European Union (EU).

During their visit to the Embassy of UAE in Belgium, H.E. Sulaiman H Almazroui, Ambassador of the UAE in Belgium, European Union and Luxembourg, was very pleased to welcome the delegation, commenting: “As this Embassy aspires to strengthen all aspects of relations with both Belgium and the EU, educational exchanges, no doubt, can be useful tools of promoting understanding between the U.A.E and Europe. We are very grateful to AUD for making this visit happen and we are looking for more similar visits.”

This productive experience exposed AUD Students and Alumni members to cultural and international relations, offering them a chance to explore their options while pursuing international internships in various prestigious organizations especially in Brussels.

One of the main reasons behind the success of the excursion was the assistance of Dr. Salwa Khouri, Adjunct Instructor for Economics at AUD, who escorted the delegation during the tour which included a plenary session about Bosnia at the EU Parliament, as well as visits to the European Parliament, the European Commission, the World Customs Organization, and many other international organizations. Dr. Khoury described the trip as being very enlightening and exciting, and then she added: “Mrs. Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou was a gracious host, and H.E. Ambassador Sulaiman Al Mazroui was very kind to us. It was great for the students to learn from their visits to the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the World Customs Organization.”

After accompanying the delegation throughout the trip, Ms. Ghalia Ballan, External Relations Manager at AUD, talked about the phenomenal exposure and the great value that this mission has added to the university, and she said: “The trip to Brussels was a great opportunity for AUD’s Students and Alumni to get a better understanding of the history of the European Union, the structure of its governance, the many different cultural and socio-cultural aspects of the biggest country union in the world. The trip emphasized also on outlining the importance of the EU’s international relations with the GCC and the UAE specifically.”

One of the roles of the External Relations Office at AUD is to create and support similar opportunities for Students and Alumni, to build and sustain such relationships for AUD on local, regional and international levels.