The university is attempting to begin a partnership that would result in sending professors from the U to the United Arab Emirates to teach public officials there about public administration. The goal is to help the leadership of the United Arab Emirates improve its effectiveness of governance.
Although this is a relatively small gesture in the grand scheme of things, it is definitely a step in the right direction to promoting positive ties between the United States and nations of the Middle East.
We live in a world that is increasingly affected by globalization, and because of that we need to be aware that the state of affairs of one country can affect the state of many others. By helping the United Arab Emirates succeed as a nation, we are providing for a safer and more successful future for the world as a whole.
Hopefully this exercise will benefit the public officials in the United Arab Emirates-and not just by teaching them how to do things such as make policy, initiate and maintain change in a bureaucracy, etc., though that is obviously the first goal.
This exchange of ideas and personnel will hopefully result in greater understanding and acceptance between both parties. These U professors will be acting as de facto ambassadors of the United States, and hopefully their trip will result not just in United Arab Emirates officials gaining increased knowledge about public administration, but also in the increase of social capital for the United States with the rest of the world.
We often wonder what impact the individual can have on a globalized world. This is a chance for a few individuals from the U to help combat the negative image that many around the world have about the United States. At the same time, the professors who will travel to the United Arab Emirates will be able to bring back valuable insights and experiences to the U community, further engendering understanding between individuals and nations.
It is nice to see the university living up to its newly revamped mission statement, showing that we didn’t just re-write it for the sake of a public relations blitz. The U is attempting to make good on its claim that it is a “preeminent research and teaching university with national and global reach,” and that we “advance rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry, international involvement and social responsibility.”
We commend the university for engaging in this project, and hope that it will lead to similar ventures in the future.