A softening of attitudes in the US towards Arabs and Muslims has helped to fuel a sharp rise in the numbers of Emiratis choosing to study in America.
According to experts, the reversal of public opinion - which had become hostile following the attacks of September 11, 2001 - combined with an increase in student scholarships, has seen enrolments rise by almost a quarter.
"I think it's that America is becoming friendlier towards the Arab and Muslim world," said Dr Rima Sabban, a sociologist at Zayed University. "[Previously] Even we as academics didn't want to go through the hustle and problems of going through Customs."
Last week the Institute for International Education (IIE), a New York-based organisation that tracks foreign students studying in the US, said the numbers were up by 23.9 per cent on last year. That was the biggest annual jump since 1980.
Of the 1,218 Emiratis now at US institutions, 60 per cent are undergraduates, with the rest taking graduate courses.
The Middle East overall saw a rise of 17.7 per cent in enrolments in the US, with Saudi Arabia breaking into the top 10 list with 12,661 students.
However, there are still far fewer Emiratis studying in the US than in the UK. According to the British Home Office, there were 2,310 UAE students studying there last year.
The IIE surveys 3,000 accredited universities in the US, and promotes exchange programmes with the Muslim world, something it said was crucial to rebuilding relations between the Middle East and the US.
"Educational exchange is a critical component of promoting closer relations and dialogue between the people of the Middle East and the United States," said Alan Goodman, the chief executive of the IIE.
The increasing number of students going abroad, however, had not resulted in fewer Emiratis enrolling at UAE institutes, said Ali Shuhaimy, the vice chancellor for enrolment management at the American University of Sharjah.
"There is a spike [in US enrolments] because of the increase in the number of students getting scholarships," he said. AUS saw almost three times as many Emiratis applying for scholarships in 2008 compared with 2007, and the number had also risen slightly this year, he added.
The proportion of UAE nationals in the home student body increased from early this year, when they made up 19 per cent of students, to 22 per cent now, he said.
In addition, organisations such as the IIE "want to advertise the changes that are taking place" in the political climate to entice more students to go to the US, said Mr Shuhaimy. Such moves gave "a feeling of trust on both sides that things are getting better".
Mr Shuhaimy echoed experts' opinions that the September 11 attacks had a noticeable effect on the number of Emiratis choosing to study in the US.
"The situation was not normal, and the political situation affected the numbers. But it is changing and this encourages students to go, as well as the families.
"Families used to be worried about sending their kids. A lot of students were also worried because some of them would come back on holiday and their visa would not be renewed and they'd have to enrol at a local university," he said.
Most Emirati students who earn degrees from western universities do return to the UAE, said Mr Shuhaimy. "The country has good opportunities," he said. "Many come back to guaranteed jobs and good living standards.
"The country definitely benefits from them, which is the goal. It's a great leap forward for the country's institutions in general."
Compulsion plays a part, too; many students have contracts with UAE sponsors that require them to come back to a job after they have graduated, he added.
For those students who do choose to go to the US to study, most have found the experience a positive one, said Dr Sabban.
"Emirati students in general do adapt to a new atmosphere as easily as other international students, because they come from an open society where they deal with many nationalities."
The only hardship, she said, was leaving the "secure, comfortable, pampering family atmosphere". But students often came home with a deeper appreciation of traditional values, she added.
For one Abu Dhabi-born student, Maha al Fahim, the hardest thing about studying in the US was being away from her family. "Especially now that Eid is coming," she added.
The 18-year-old is in her second year of a public policy degree at the University of Michigan.
Miss al Fahim said she had found a warm welcome in Michigan. She said the state was reminiscent of Dubai, where she had previously studied, in that it was diverse. "In general, people are very, very nice here and they are very accepting," she said.
She felt that teaching standards in the US were among the best in the world. "I think, in general, it has the best education system. The UK has Oxford and Cambridge but, in general, the US has better schools."
However, she does intend to return to her home country once her studies are complete. "I'd certainly like to come back and work in the UAE, particularly in Abu Dhabi, my hometown.
"It would only make sense for me to go back to my country. There's a shortage of females working in certain fields, so I'd love it if I could go back to my country and fill in that gap."
@Email:kshaheen@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company%20Profile
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
SPECS
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Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
