NYUAD Visiting Professor of Social Research and Public Policy — and founder and president of the Arab American Institute — James Zogby recently blogged for The Huffington Postabout his NYUAD J-Term teaching experience in Abu Dhabi. His commentary was picked up by other outlets, including The National and The Gulf Daily News.

"I've had the great fortune to teach before at some wonderful schools across the US," he writes. "But this, for me, was a special experience, the result of the unique mix of students who had been brought together in this one place."

Zogby, who taught Bridging the Divide Between the Arab World and the West, spent the three-week term with 16 students, examining "how the West and Arabs have interacted with each other in the past century, their mutual misconceptions, and the resultant and often tragic problems that have ensued, putting both sides at risk," explained Zogby.

But the class did more than engage in rich conversation. "What was extraordinary was how supportive the students were of each another," said Zogby. "Although New York University Abu Dhabi is only two years old, a culture had been created, in itself an important learning experience."

Click below to read the post in its entirety.

Bridging the Divide  (The Huffington Post)