Links to Other Comments by our Students

Many of the students who traveled to the Women as Global Leaders Conference have written articles and posted photos of our trip. They are eager to share them with you. Check out a few of the articles.

Spring Break in the UAE: Day 1 - The Trip, by Gillian McHale

Spring Break in the UAE: Day 2 - Zayed University, by Gillian McHale

Spring Break in UAE: Day 3 - Conference Kickoff, by Gillian McHale

Spring Break in UAE: Day 4 - Desert Extravaganza, by Gillian McHale

Spring Break in UAE: Day 5 - Hanging with the Boys, by Gillian McHale

Spring Break in UAE: Day 6 - Shop till You Drop, by Gillian McHale

Spring Break in UAE: Day 7 - Gold Sook or Sick, by Gillian McHale

And, a few photos from Kanika

To read our students' journal entries, view the comments to this page

Could it be that the conference is over?

The last day of the conference arrived - how can it be only three days? So much has happened, we have heard from so many fabulous speakers, met folk from just down the street at Georgetown University, from miles away, even from worlds away. And yet, we discovered, we are more similar than different, concerned with the same issues of opportunities for leadership at all levels for women.

Our panel concerning the WLP went well. A bit of irony, though, is how much we learned about our own program. There was an excellent interchange among the students and with the audience. We are even more committed to the program and have new ideas for resources and activities.


The panel: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: stakeholders views of the Women's Leadership Program. Participants included Catherine Villnave, Gillian Robinson, Megan Shea, Sara Al Asfoor, Mary Buckley (Professor) Rachelle Heller (Associate Dean) Konika Metre and Allison Kreutzjans

Coming here to present our program, share our university experience.- tell them how we do our thing.

Who would have thought the most surprising thing I encountered were the preconceptions I found within myself. And that the most wonderful thing I found was the change in me.

The first day after visiting the Zayed University I was fascinated to hear from an articulate and engaging student, only eyes exposed, that she was a Communications major.

A bit ruffled, I nodded. Communications to me is a combination of skill sets- self presentation, us and incoproatoin of cutting edge technology and marketing among other things. Coming from behind a hajib for me was unusual.

After only three days here, it hardly seems unusual, or novel at all. Except perhaps to what we think, in our 'cutting edge' western world.

The students we have met, Arab, European, African, America, have been the most exceptional and educationally rich part of what has been and continues to be an eye opening and expanding trip.

Our students at their roundtable presentation

GW students - Amalfi Parker, Veronika Pensiakova, Alison Meuse, Andrea Katz and Gillian McHale wowed the conference with their roundatable discussion on "Are only extraordinary woman capable of being a leader?"
To a standing room only crowd, they opened by asking everyone to introduce themselves, asked who they thought a leader was, what the characteristics were of a leader. They moved to their planned discussion and kep the session going for an hour with excellent comments, guiding questions to the audience and wonderful wrap up - here are few photos of the session

And to celebrate - a desert barbeque, Abu Dhabi style. If you look carefully you can see the whirling dancer on the stage. The night was filled with fireworks, camel rides, Arabian horses, and of course food - something for everyone including those that desire goat roasting on an open spit. And, if you are not quite full, there is always dessert.

Letters from afar...

As we sit here trying to wonder what garb the ladies of George Washington WLP are wearing, based on your first blog, we can only sit and wait for your next posting to hear what decision you made. We all hope that your time there offers nothing but a sponge-full of expereinces and a week full of fun. Please come back safely.

Love,

MLP (men in leadership program)

Opening Ceremony, Keynote Addresses, Opulant Lunch and Distinguished Panel

Reception room for keynotes speakers - fromt he 2nd at the left, Sheika Lubna (Minister of Economics), Barbara Bodine (former Ambassador to Yemen), Pia Beckmann (Lord Mayor of Wurzburg), Karla Peijs (Minister of Transport, The Netherlands)

One of the most impressive and important things that became clear over the conference was the presence and deedication of the Sheikh and the many speakers. They remained with the conference well beyond their opening events, came to many sessions, and interacted with the students. Their continued presence is a clear demonstration of leadership, one that cannot be captured in a speech or a published paper.





A Bit of a bite of Mangosteen with Gillian Robinson

The gang meets with Linda Ellerbee

Dean Heller, Professor Buckley, (unidentified student) Sheika Lubna, Sara Al Asfoor

Daytime desserts

Nighttime dessertsFlowers everywhere!
Dinner at the Rotana Beach Hotel -
Emirates Place
The panel - (from the left) Linda Ellerbee, Mary Robinson, Pia Beckmann, Sheika Lubna, Karla Peijs, Barbara Bodine

A look at the upcoming lunch!


Sheika Lubna

Saturday Night with the Ladies

After a wonderful morning at the unviersity, everyone scattered back to their rooms for an hour of relaxing and rest. This was no beach day - overcast and even a bit of rain.

(Catherine and Gillian at left with Zayed University students)

Tonight we had an opening session for the conference at the University with many of the students we met today,





saw wonderful examples of arabic and UAE art,


(Konika and Mary with Zayed Students)













lots of henna painting,


(Amalfi enjoys some henna painting)













traditional cooking,















local dress, (Mary and Shelly in local dress)

dancing and amazing food - the desserts mean we all have to walk back to the US!

Our first day - Zayed University Class Visit

A stopover in Amsterdam airport on the way to Dubai.


(Amalfi and Catherine)













Amazing - we arrived in Dubai at 11:30pm (which is 9 hours earlier in the US),

(The airport arrival - Gillian, Andrea, Gillian, Mary, Veronika, Megan, Amalfi, Alison, Shelly, Catherine, Konika and Allison)

waited nearly two hours for our transportation and finally arrived at the Armed Forces Club in Abu Dhabi at nearly 4am! Our students were troupers, settled in and Mary and I went off to the Hilton Baynuneh - more on our first night later.


There is so much to see - the big things and the small.
We met at Zayed University for a series of classes and lunch with students, faculty and administrators. Students attended classes in communications, art & architecture and a studio arts class. Cameras, we were told, are forbidden at the University BUT we were approached by a student who wanted to take our picture, se we decided "When in Rome..."














As we left the University we were met by the Sulaiman Al-Jassim, Vice President of the University who welcomed us and posed for a photo-op all possible array of cameras.

I have never considered myself an expert packer by any means.

But it seems the complexities of a modern Arab nation, a traditional yet contemporary booming global metropolis have fallen out of the editorial pages of the New Republic and into my suitcase.

How does one know what to wear? Trite though this phraseology may be. The challenge of dressing modern yet conservative, appropriate yet young, as myself and yet culturally respectful have lead me to bring an extra duffel.

As I imagine myself walking through the university campus, something I have done countless times, daily in fact for the past several years, my mind goes blank. I don't know what to picture. The American and European college models fight for space in my brain while all I am left with is an image including the back of the heads of my traveling companions.

I think no matter how carefully considered my packing, and how well I can observe and pay head to culturally traditions and idiosyncrasies I am still going to wear the look of high school senior. Slightly giddy, eyes virtual sponges, and a smile that tries not to betray how exciting and awe inspiring this new discovery is.

Before we go...

A group of 9 students, 1 graduate teaching assistant and two faculty members of the Women's Leadership Program at the Mount Vernon Campus of the George Washigton University are setting off to attend the Women as Global Leaders Conference.

Please visit our blog to see stories and images of our trip. We will try to make entries on a regular basis