Jumeirah College students bridge cultures with global video conference
• First of its kind initiative in the Middle East region
• Organised in association with Boston-based Empower Peace
• Students share UAE culture, volunteer initiatives with peers globally
Jumeirah College students shared vignettes of the UAE culture and experiences in volunteer and charitable works with their peers across the world through a global video conference. A first of its kind student initiative in the Middle East, the event widely participated event was organised in association with Empower Peace, a Boston-based non-profit organisation.
The objective of the video conference was to bridge the culture gap between students, especially those in the US and the Arab world. To date, Empower Peace has networked over 50,000 students from over 30 countries. The Jumeirah College event marked the first student outreach in any educational institution in the region.
Twenty students from Jumeirah College participated in the global video conference. They described about the various facets of the UAE including its rich culture and heritage, society and economy. Information on religion, traditional attire, food, art and dance forms and local sports dominated the live interaction. The students also described in vivid detail the evolution of modern Dubai, with their peers curious to learn about the modern architectural icons in the Emirate.
Martin Clark, Principal, Jumeirah College, said: “Cultural awareness and exchange is an integral part of holistic education, and the global conference was a pioneering initiative by Jumeirah College students to reach out to their peers across the world. The immense interest to the event from overseas students and the informed observations made by our students also highlight the message of global solidarity that the student community shares.”
He added: “Dominating the discussions were the experiences of our students in various volunteer and charitable activities. They also shared their learning experiences in a multicultural environment such as Dubai. We thank Empower Peace for choosing Jumeirah College for the first of its kind student interaction event held in the Middle East.”
Nearly 1,000 students from various parts of the world, particularly the US, logged on to participate in the global video conference. They interacted with Jumeirah College students through instant messaging, with queries ranging from how it feels to be in Dubai to their favourite video games and general information about the Middle East region.
Part of the GEMS network of schools, Jumeirah College provides first-class education for Grades 7 to 13 and offers the National Curriculum for England to students of over 59 nationalities.
