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Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Could anybody supply any updates about the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURK), which is scheduled to open in September 2009?

I have friends who have been offered leading posts there but the web articles are not very informative.

Thanks for any updated information, preferably from those in-situ.

007 · Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:39 am Post subject:

"American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK?) is a new university to be established out of the ashes of George Mason University RAK, that is shutting down operations in May 2009. Does that mean a new university altogether? Or just a rebranding and new logo but students and staff carry on as they were ... sort of? Education RAK said in a press release that "A new successor university will be formed to ensure that the people of Ras al Khaimah, the UAE and the region who aspire to attain high quality, professional higher education have the opportunity and support to achieve that goal".
http://www.desertspeak.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=1273&sid=31368d1274534a3a9bd0e5455411cfc6

bje · Joined: 19 Jun 2005 Posts: 527

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

From the past, I would think that common sense would suggest that its new form - likely with many of the same management problems - would be a place to avoid.

I wouldn't consider a job there until they have proven that anything other than the name had changed.

VS

anaxiforminges · Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 136 Location: UAE

Not only is RAK tainted by the George Mason fiasco, it will inevitably cast a pall over any future American academic enterprises in the emirate.

I wouldn't go near the place!

oncebitten · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Location: australia

To anaxiforminges--the whole point for everyone to be aware of is that the 'American University of RAK' will have nothing whatever to do with America apart from its name. Remember that the RAK Free Trade Zone has been hosting the 'American Institute of Medicine' of Seychelles University! Have a look at the faculty list of that place to get an idea of how authentically 'American' they are.

I agree with you. Don't go near the place.

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

As I've mentioned many times in various threads, MIT has the right idea by staying behind the scenes and merely consulting/advising on the new Abu Dhabi institution called Madar or whatever the hell it is...and Yale decided to stay out altogether. NYU and Michigan State, however, are making a big mistake in Dubai. Somebody has already referred in passing to the "NYU debacle in Dubai" but I haven't done any searches on that yet.

But oncebitten, you and I should go meet at that amazing RAK mall once again and have an ice cream cone. I believe the signs on the road call it The Ultimate Shopping Experience! It's an entire corridor with an understocked Carrefour on one end and food court on the other!

marianthelibrarian · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 25

Isn't NYU in Abu Dhabi? Their interim campus is where the old central fish/veg souk used to be (near central market), permanent campus is planned for Saadiyat Island.

johnslat · Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:59 pm Post subject:

Dear Linguist_in_UK,

Apparently yes:

"http://nyuad.nyu.edu/

Standing Faculty (I imagine they sit down occasionally, at least) positions:

http://nyuad.nyu.edu/faculty.positions/standing.faculty.html

Regards,
John

oncebitten · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Location: australia

Yes indeed, S'n'B, I visit RAK every few months, and we must renew the RAK Experience.

You didn't mention, though, the Kenny Rogers Roasters in the Mall, the most authentic American export in the whole of RAK emirate.
Even if all the waitresses were Filipino...isn't that American? A pity they never used to like it when I requested Elvis instead of Kenny.

And isn't 'Islands in the Stream' a suitable theme song for all of us esl global nomads?

adorabilly · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 430 Location: Ras Al Khaimah

<tangent>
do you know, that I was once in a backwater resturant in central china, where no one spoke english and I was the only foreigner there. When the waitresses saw me, they put on a CD.

it was Kenny Rogers... Islands in the stream came belting out.

apparently they listened to it a lot, because the waitresses sung the song not understanding a word... but what really killed me was when "the gambler" came on and we could hear the cook in the back singing "got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away and know when to run."

I really do believe that kenny rogers has done more for ESL learning in central china than anyone else.

Smile

</tangent>

trapezius · Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:24 am Post subject:

marianthelibrarian · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 25

Yes, Trapezius, thanks for pointing that out about NYU being in New York (why must everything be a battle on this board?).

I think we all knew from the context that I was referring to the NYU campus in AD.

As for who they'll get to "deal with" the core curriculum - are you talking about dealing with it from a faculty or student perspective? If the former, they will undoubtedly have members of their permanent (NEW YORK) faculty happy to head over to the UAE for a semester or two, and because of the uni's general cache, I doubt they will have difficulty hiring recent PhD's to take up assistant professorships based in AD.

The core curriculum is nothing more than English, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, and Science - a typical liberal arts core at any university in the states. They just sexed it up a little bit, and have likely managed to convince a few folks that it's all brand new.

What is even more interesting than the core curriculum is the legal bubble that NYU will set up - at least once the permanent campus is out on Saadiyat.

http://www.nyunews.com/opinion/staff-editorials/glimpse-of-nyuad-comes-too-l
ate-1.1727342

trapezius · Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:22 am Post subject:

marianthelibrarian · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 25

Ok Ok, I get it!! Smile

I thought you might have been referring to students, Trap. I don't think they'd have an enormous problem getting study-abroad students out there, particularly given their merit-based scholarships and incentives with the legal bubble and such (and the scholarships appear to be transferrable to other NYU foreign campuses/campi). As for the locals, I don't have any direct experience there, but I've heard plenty of stories. My guess is that this campus is being set up more for the study abroad students than the locals.

It actually seems like good foresight to me: a campus in the centre of the shiny new cultural enclave will probably attract tons of students. The trick might be waiting it out.