The search for home: From Student Affairs in the Midwest to Faculty Life in the Middle East

By: Ayeza Siddiqi

“Where is home?”

That question always makes me panic a little. As a third culture kid who had the pleasure of growing up in Pakistan, the Philippines and Malaysia and spent the majority of the past decade in the American Midwest, I don’t accurately know how to answer that question. Karachi is home. Ann Arbor is home. Manila is home. Now, Dubai is home. 

Along the journey of navigating new homes, I decided on pursuing a profession in Higher Education. I served as the Assistant Director for the Office of New Student Programs at the University of Michigan for the past 4 years. Early last year, I decided I wanted to move closer to my family (mostly settled in Pakistan). I started looking for positions in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

Picture: Dubai Desert Safari.

I  eventually ended up applying to a position at Zayed University when I heard about it from a friend in my student affairs network. I had seen the position posted on higheredjobs.com, but did not think I qualified for a full time faculty position since I am a Master’s Degree holder. It turned out that Zayed University offers first year classes on interdisciplinary studies to all incoming students that can be taught by Master’s level instructors. I applied, went through the interview process and was thrilled to be offered a position in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies on their Dubai campus.

I made my transition to Dubai in August 2019. After two weeks of faculty orientation, and settling logistical matters of being in a new country (applying for work visa, opening bank accounts, registering for Emirates ID – which the university helped with), I started teaching classes at the end of August, and I can confidently say that the ways in which I have grown as a professional and educator in the past 6 months are unparalleled to any other time in my higher education career.

Picture: Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

In my first semester as a faculty member, I taught a class on Happiness, Positivity and Wellbeing  which is a course  rooted in theories of positive psychology.  The class is mandatory for all incoming students and is critical in understanding the concepts behind positive psychology, wellbeing and discovering your purpose. Students spent an entire semester getting to engage in conversations about what drives positive emotions in their lives, what are the ways in which they engage with their strengths, how do they find meaning, what helps build a growth mindset, how to increase emotional intelligence, etc. All incredibly valuable things for incoming college students.

I was amazed by how much of the work I had been doing in my traditional student affairs role translated to this teaching position. I was able to teach and expand on many of the concepts we are unconsciously relaying to our students in advising, supervisory, mentoring, and coaching relationships. All that, while immersed in a new city and new culture.  In particular, I really enjoyed engaging students in conversation around actively working on their wellness and mental health while also teaching them academic research and theories that promote positive psychology. I had some teaching experience from when I was doing my Master’s at Ohio State, and being back in classroom made me realize that I missed the interactive nature of the discussions and assessments to gauge student learning.  Being a full time faculty member has also given me the opportunity to expand my skills in higher education and pursue opportunities to innovate my pedagogy.

 Picture: The Burj al Arab building is featured in the background. It is one of Dubai's most iconic skyline views. It was the first hotels built on a man made island in the UAE. 

By far, the best part about the experience has been exploring the global aspect of higher education. Zayed University’s Dubai campus is a women’s only campus.  Being on the Dubai campus feels like a small liberal arts women’s college. I have been exploring different teaching techniques in classes to accommodate ESL learners. In return, I have learned lots of new Arabic terms and phrases for making connections. The mutual learning and understanding has been my favorite part of this experience so far. Many of my students have moved me with their impressive goals for furthering women’s empowerment in the Middle East and working to make the United Arab Emirates a stronger and happier country. They have been incredibly welcoming and hospitable, and have recommended so many things for me to explore and do in the UAE.

In the next few years I am excited to teach new courses and grow in my capacity as an educator. I am learning new things every day. Whether it is about Emirati culture, the lives of my students growing up in the Middle East, living in a multicultural city like Dubai, and engaging with expats from all over the world. Dubai is like living in a city full of third culture kids. It’s amazing, a little wild, and is 100% what you make of the experience.

Picture: Enjoying lunch on the Zayed University Dubai campus

Looking forward to new adventures in learning.

Bio of Ayeza Siddiqi