The American University in Dubai, AUD, welcomed yesterday the Expo 2020 Dubai University Roadshow committee looking to mobilise faculty members as well as students to be part of the global event.
Maitha Al Mehairi, AUD student and President of the Khaleeji Club, introduced the committee. She opened the presentation by expressing her pride in her identity as a UAE national, and quoted Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's words, "The race for excellence has no finish line".
The Expo 2020 Dubai team visited the campus to present the AUD community - students and faculty, with all there is to know about Dubai Expo 2020.
The Expo team led a fun and interactive presentation with an auditorium full of students. They defined what World Expos are and what these exhibitions have accomplished throughout the decades, and spoke about the specifics of the Dubai Expo and what to expect, ending with the role of youth and the various ways to begin their involvement starting as soon as today.
World Expos, some of the largest and oldest events, take place every five years in a different city of the world and have been inspiring people with innovations exhibited since 1851. They last for six months and offer millions of visitors the opportunity to attend demonstrations and cultural events, as well as discover pavilions of countries from around the world.
Expo 2020 Dubai, the first to ever take place in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region, is themed ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', with three sub-themes, Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity. It is expected to attract 25 million visitors - 70 percent of which will be international - running from 20 October 2020 through 10 April 2021.
The Expo team encouraged the students to be involved and register with Expo 2020 through the available mobile application, and read the available iBook related to Expo 2020. Students were also encouraged to volunteer for the upcoming Milan Expo 2015, where the UAE will be represented.
The Expo 2020 Dubai University Roadshow team also met with faculty members from AUD to share how they can be involved in this event and the ways of possible collaboration, whether through relevant research on the theme of Expo, through encouraging the youth to be involved, or even through personal volunteering during the event.
Dr. Lance de Masi, AUD President, sees participation of AUD faculty and students in Dubai Expo 2020 as an opportunity for them to contribute to society and the world by being part of something big, unique, and important. "My thermometer tells me that within the institution, there is a high level of interest, commitment and passion for this national undertaking".
Source: WAM