AURAK Hosts United Nations Workshop

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) has hosted a workshop on campus in conjunction with The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The day-long workshop, which was organized with the help of Dr. Kai Bruns, chair of the university’s Humanities and Social Sciences Department, explored the U.N.’s mandate and the role played by the media in humanitarian work across the globe, with a focus on contemporary challenges on a global scale.

Students had the opportunity to participate in activities alongside the UNHCR team, engaging their critical thinking skills in order to find durable solutions to the refugee crisis which is currently facing the world, and learning how the U.N. typically responds to situations of mixed migration through the analysis of a number of case studies.

Ameera Azzam, protection officer at the UNHCR’s Abu Dhabi office stated, “It is great to be at AURAK to speak to students about the work that we do. We need to create greater awareness of these issues among students, and clarify our mandate as well as the importance of humanitarian action.”

One student currently taking a political science course at the university, Yousef Abuyousef, spoke of his experience, commenting, “Today I learned more about the harsh living conditions of refugees. The simulation games helped me understand the pain that these people go through just to protect the future of their children.”

Dr. Kai Bruns, assistant professor of political science at AURAK, added, “The workshop was an excellent opportunity for students to combine theory with a practical simulation exercise. I even noticed a spark in some student’s eyes indicating their wish to follow into the footsteps of Ameera and to become involved at the UNHCR.”

These sentiments were echoed by AURAK president, Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, who stated, “As a university, we want to provide students with the tools and inspiration which enable them to positively impact on the region. As a political scientist myself these types of activities have my full support, and I hope to see more bright young minds dedicated to finding solutions to global issues.”

AURAK aims to give students opportunities to relate the theory they learn in the classroom to real-life, contemporary situations.