J-Term Tour of Emirates to Focus on Culture, Business
October 5, 2010
OBU professor Gene King will offer a one-hour course focusing on the culture and business of the United Arab Emirates during January Term, traveling to at least three of the Emirates including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The course is open to all OBU students.
The tour of business and cultural sites in the three Emirates includes the following sites: The Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building); the Al Ain Oasis (ancestral home of the ruling royal family); Halliburton's Global Headquarters for the Eastern Hemisphere; the Wafi Center; the Deira Gold market (souq); the Jebel Ali Free Zone (a free trade zone that has become the logistical hub of the Gulf area); the Emirates Palace Hotel (in Abu Dhabi); CNN (Dubai Media Center); the Dubai Creek; American University of Sharjah; the United Christian Church of Dubai; and the U.S. Consulate.
The City of Dubai boasts modern architecture - such as this view close to the World Trade Center looking in the direction of Sheik Zayed Road - indicative of the rapidly changing business environment of the area.
The objectives of the course include an improved knowledge of the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf area's issues, events and business organizations. Students will practice basic skills for analyzing cultural differences and gain an improved ability to interact with different cultures. They will learn business etiquette of the Emirati cultures and improve their knowledge of the local cultures. The course will afford the opportunity to explore the business and international business environment of the Emirates, as well as a chance to explore Emirati and American world views.
King, who serves as associate professor of business at OBU, lived in Dubai for a year with his wife and children. He has been teaching in higher education for 11 years, primarily in the fields of international business and marketing. Before teaching, he marketed industrial products in the Middle East for a leading multinational corporation of industrial flow control products. Over the years, he has led numerous student teams conducting international market research, including projects targeting Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and South Korea. He has led student groups on international academic trips to Brazil, Europe, Mexico and UAE. He has lived in numerous countries including Brazil, China, Dubai, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Students interested in taking the J-Term course should contact King by Oct. 15 at (405) 878-3273 or firstname.lastname@example.org