An American University in Yemen?

The chorus, “it’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all, it’s a small, small world,” plays repeatedly during Disney World’s famous canal boat ride. The song reminds us that globalization is making our world smaller, but even with advancements in transportation and communications, the U.S. is still far away from Yemen. From start to finish, the trip is often 24 hours or more, and is often filled with lengthy layovers, lines, delays, onerous visa requirements, and then, finally, the trip by car or bus to university. Thinking about the long distance from family and friends can be daunting for many international students, including Yemeni students.

So, “wouldn’t it be nice to have an American university Yemen?” The answer is probably not in the very near future, but technology is making it more feasible to bring international education into our daily lives. And although a full, American-style university in Yemen may not happen for some time, countries like Egypt and Lebanon, and more recently the UAE and Qatar, already host American institutions or American-style institutions.

There are many reasons to consider either American institutions or American-style institutions in the region. The obvious ones include the proximity of these institutions to home and a more-familiar cultural environment. Both reasons continue to be important for students attending institutions like the American University in Cairo and the American University of Beirut, the latter founded nearly 150 years ago in 1866.

There are also other reasons that students consider American universities in the region, including the unique aspects of American higher education, accreditation considerations, and the presence of excellent facilities for research, study, and recreation.

The American educational system: Fare’a Al Muslimi, who is studying at the American University of Beirut, notes that the University “shakes off the traditional methods of teaching” and makes use of technology, class discussions, and projects—the same kinds of instruction and applications that one finds at universities in the U.S. For students wishing to study liberal arts and other unique disciplines, in an atmosphere that promotes analysis and critical thinking, rather than rote memorization, American universities are considered among the world’s best.

Accreditation considerations: Mohamed Al Seraji, a Yemeni student at Texas A&M University in Qatar writes: “While I am enrolled at Texas A&M University, I also take classes for a business minor at Carnegie Mellon University here. Education City institutions are excellent and of the same standard as in the U.S. In addition, they are accredited both in the U.S. and in Qatar.” Having the U.S. accreditation on top of the host country recognition makes it possible for students to transfer credits easily and continue for graduate studies without the need to “make-up” classes or credits before enrolling in a graduate program. Mohamed continues, “If I want, I can go to the main campus of Texas A&M for a junior semester abroad, and there are students from the main campus here with us. There were also students from the U.S. Naval Academy here last semester.” Education City students are able to attend similar institutions in the region or transition easily to programs directly in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Facilities: I recently toured several of the new facilities located at Education City in Doha, Qatar. The facilities are impressive and every detail—from broadband Internet access to study areas to food courts to apartment living and well-equipped classrooms—has been carefully planned. With a science and technology park located on the Education City campus, the schools also offer opportunities for conducting cutting-edge research. A conference center is in the works and it will further enhance opportunities to delve into thematic issues that are important to the region.

All of the American-style and American institutions in the region have highly-competitive admission requirements—on par with their U.S. institutional counterparts. Applicants should complete online applications to the appropriate school and then arrange to send official transcripts, international TOEFL scores, and SAT scores, as required. All of these universities also provide financial assistance to exceptional students. Some, such as the universities in Qatar’s Education City, provide interest-free loans. Additionally, the universities offer a small number of merit-based, full tuition scholarships. Tuition scholarships are also usually available to top students in the universities for their academic achievements. Finally, most of the institutions also provide for on-campus student employment.

If you have a strong TOEFL and SAT scores, would like to be closer to home, while enjoying the advantages of state-of-the art instruction and facilities, the American branch campuses and American-style institutions in the region may be a good option for you.