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| Institute recruiters land in the Middle East |
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 Two representatives from the Haenicke Institute traveled to the Middle East in February to speak about Western Michigan University to high school and college students in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Kristina Evans, international student admissions counselor, and Robert Dlouhy, a master faculty specialist in the institute’s Career English Center for International Students, made stops at six high schools, four expos and met with partner institutions to discuss current and future collaborations. “The students were extremely bright and eager to speak with representatives of an American university,” said Evans, who has worked in international education for four years. Evans and Dlouhy participated in four expos attended by students from throughout the region who participate to learn about higher education options. WMU was one of 27 schools represented in the expos.
“Bob and I spoke to more than 400 students who are seriously considering WMU,” she said. “We spoke to many others who were researching their options. It was a valuable experience for me to speak with so many students from the Middle East in their hometowns. The students I work with at WMU who come from the Middle East frequently talk about the rich beauty and culture of their countries and how life is for them back home. It was enriching for me to experience that first-hand.” In Kuwait, Evans and Dlouhy met with five Kuwaiti students who are planning to enroll in WMU’s Blindness and Low Visions Studies program. Dr. Leja, a professor in the blindness program, has been working long-distance with the students since the beginning of the year and it is anticipated they will arrive on WMU’s campus in time for fall semester.
“These Kuwaiti students have great ideas for what they can do for their country through their careers,” Evans said. “They gave us a tour of the school for the blind where they currently teach, which was particularly insightful for me because I had never visited such a school.” In Dubai, UAE Evans and Dlouhy met with the staff at the American College of Dubai. WMU has an articulation agreement with the college, which facilitates transfer to WMU to complete their degrees. Also while in Dubai, they met with Dr. Ahmed Sowayan from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Higher Education, whom Evans has been working with for the past 18 months to foster current and new partnerships. Photo: Kristina Evans, WMU international student admissions counselor, with Dr. Ahmed Sowayan. |
“Dr. Sowayan has been a great help to us,” Evans said. “We work together frequently to help our sponsored students from Saudi Arabia. Our meeting helped answer many questions that both sides had regarding the Saudi Arabian students at WMU. Western has a long history of working with educational institutions in the Middle East. Bob and I were pleased to have the opportunity to visit the region to talk about the many great opportunities available to students at WMU.”