1. Students, faculty members travel to
Middle East
By Aimee Smith
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Updated: Monday, October 12, 2009
Six faculty members and five students from West Virginia University traveled to the
Middle East from June 6 through June 16.
The purpose of the trip was to recruit new students, create new study abroad programs for
next spring and develop programs for the Royal University for Women in Bahrain,
among other things.
They visited Abu Dabi, Dubai, Oman and Bahrain, along with other countries.
While in Oman, they visited a medical school in Sohar, which has been partnered with
WVU for "about" five years.
The school has another campus in Muskat that just graduated its first class.
"It was unbelievable to see the WVU flag flying there," said Michael Wilhelm, director at
the Office of International Students and Scholars. "We're trying to educate the Omanis
and get them involved in developing their country."
The group also met with WVU alumni with influential positions in the Middle East.
"We met with Tawfiq Al-Zamil, whose family is the 21st wealthiest in the Arab world,
and Fareed Abdullah, the assistant general manager at the Abu Dabi National Oil
Company," said David Stewart, associate vice president and dean of Student Affairs.
"Both are very dedicated to WVU."
According to David Durham, director of Career Services, the group had three to four
different things going on while on the trip.
"There were only two to three times we were together as a group," he said.
Durham's role was to make connections and create internship opportunities with major
corporations in the Middle East.
He met with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, along with three others to set up
programs.
"What we're hoping to do is work through them to create an environment where students

2. from here go there to study," Durham said.
Student Government Association President Jason Zuccari was one of the five students
who went on the trip.
"It was an experience to see the Middle East because it's talked about so much," Zuccari
said. "It was interesting to see how people live differently than us. I enjoyed driving to
different countries, learning about different cultures, seeing the third largest mosque in
the world and seeing WVU students."
Zuccari also enjoyed visiting Middle Eastern farms.
"They're different from our farms but somewhat the same," he said. "They raise camels
and other livestock."