Editor's note: Vice Chancellor Tayeb Kamali invited U-M President Mary Sue Coleman to send three masters’ students to the Festival of Thinkers event at the United Arab Emirates’ Higher Colleges of Technology in November 2011. Patty Liao, Michael Yates, and Meghan Reynard were recommended by the faculty in their programs and endorsed by Rackham Dean Janet Weiss. Liao is a student in Engineering Sustainable Systems, Yates is a pursuing a joint degree in Public Policy and Business, and Meghan Reynard is a student in Art and Design. Rackham Graduate School funded their flight across the ocean. (The invitation came with a generous offer from the UAH HCT to cover all other conference costs.) Here, the three students share their impressions of the event.
Situated in the heart of the Middle East, Abu Dhabi is a cultural and business oasis, brimming with opportunities. For the three of us, the Festival of Thinkers conference hosted by Abu Dhabi’s Higher Colleges of Technology offered an opportunity to experience this distant land firsthand.
One of seven emirates along the Persian Gulf that form the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi is the center of government, with the city of Abu Dhabi serving as the federation’s capital. Though often overshadowed by neighboring Dubai, the city of Abu Dhabi offers an eclectic mix of art and design from a host of nations, both near and far. With a national population that consists of nearly 80% expatriates, the native Emirati population has warmly welcomed diverse peoples and cultures, drawing from the rich heritage of their guests while proudly expressing their own Arab and Islamic heritage. It is in this remarkable oasis that the three of us were honored to represent the University of Michigan and our respective programs at the Festival of Thinkers conference.
Patty Liao, School of Natural Resources & Environment,College of Engineering, Michael Yates, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and Stephen M. Ross School of Business, and Meghan Reynard, School of Art & Design traveled to Abu Dhabi for the Festival of Thinkers event in November 2011.
It’s safe to say that we were each excited both to attend the Festival of Thinkers conference and to visit Abu Dhabi. The conference itself spanned eight themes to be addressed in the world today, from technology to leadership to sustainability of the environment. Attendees and speakers were welcomed in a spectacular golden auditorium in Abu Dhabi’s most prestigious hotel – the Emirates Palace Hotel – with a keynote speech given by Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, the Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology and the host of our proceedings. The theme of his talk was the search for and development of wisdom. Towards this end, he beckoned us to keep our minds open and receptive to new ideas at the conference.
In a whirlwind one and a half days, the conference itself sought to cover its vast array of themes through a series of panel and round table discussions. The panel discussions were platforms for world leaders and experts of the fields to talk about and debate the topics being discussed. Some of our favorite speakers were in the economics, arts, and education panels inspiring us to take action, to improve understanding and develop our intellect and our wisdom, and support education of future generations to lead in the future. Following these, we had opportunities to interact with these leaders and with other student delegates to discuss the topics that were presented, both in an informal manner and in our round table discussions.
After the official events were over, we took advantage of our remaining time to explore the city. Along with other international students, we toured the neighboring sand dunes, the city’s Grand Mosque, and at other times simply walked around the city late into the night. Remarkably, many of Abu Dhabi’s most distinguishing landmarks – the Emirates Palace Hotel, the Grand Mosque, among others – were built within the last decade, and half the skyline consisted of skyscrapers and hotels still under construction. It is incredible to fathom the pace at which the city has been and continues to develop.
The Festival of Thinkers conference was, to say the least, ambitious in its objectives and scope. The breadth of topics covered over the conference panels was expansive, and underscored the complexity and ubiquity of the challenges that face humankind today. However, it was the array of people in attendance – the world leaders, experts, and students gathered in this common place – that was truly remarkable. For the three of us, it seems that this aspect of the experience is the richest in potential. The colleagues we met, from Kyrgyzstan to Seattle, have formed a new network of interaction, engagement, and mutual responsibility, and we have no doubt that seeds from these exchanges will develop and affect our work and research over the arc of our careers and lives.
