Insight Dubai Conference

Students Quotes 2010

Taskeen Mansour
Pakistan
Sharing a room with a Palestinian girl, complimenting and chitchatting about traditional dresses with my Nigerian flat mate, meeting a girl from Latvia whose country's name i had never heard of before, surprising my USA group fellow with my culture and family values so different from hers, spending time with people from my neighboring country India, exchanging ideas on Autism, Human Trafficking and Islamic Law, listening to inspirational stories of girls from Afghanistan, eating Arabic food in the middle of the desert, shopping in huge malls and leaning to my Emirati buddies for information on UAE and most of the all representing Pakistan on such a platform is the experience only Insight Dubai could have provided me with. I have realized that the perceptions I had about different countries which might have been shaped through media and the like have changed after meeting the girls personally and sharing and understanding their lives. When I came back home, I had soooo much to tell to my friends and family, so many memories to remind me of the fun and the awesome learning experience I had. I have planned to be an active member with regards to community service and Inshallah I will create awareness of social issues in my society which go neglected. I miss you Dubai!

Muna Al Abdullah
UAE
Insight Dubai was more than amazing experience for me. I met people from all over the world, we shared our thoughts, feelings, Knowledge, skills and religion. We talked almost about everything, It was great to know about how do they live, what do they do and how do they think about us as Muslim and Arab. We told them about Islam and our culture and tradition, some of them thought that Arab or Muslim women are like slaves, they just do what they have been told to do but we changed that whole awful idea .Moreover, our opinion about some of the countries and religions has changed too. In addition, I learned a lot from the guest speakers about human trafficking, Autism and women and leadership. I am really glad to be an “Insight Dubai Participant” and that experience will be with me forever!

Janna Knox Bardazzi
USA
Not only was the conference a wonderful learning experience for me, but the participants were outstanding. The quality and calibre of the women attending this conference were so impressive. Not to mention the speakers, from who I learned a great deal and who inspire me to do more in my life, and with the resources I have at my disposal.

The week was packed with amazing events and adventures. There was never a dull moment, and I left Dubai with a lifetime of memories. Thank you so very much for making this possible. I have already talked about the program to so many people and will continue to do so.

I hope to return one day to Dubai, and would be honored to participate in Insight Dubai again. I regret that I didn't get to meet you personally. Everytime I asked Salama which women you were, it was during the speaker's delivery or else you weren't around. You are the quiet contributor to the positive outcome of this program, but nonetheless an essential component of its enduring success. Thank you again for organizing one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Salama Al Suwaidi
UAE

During Insight Dubai I discovered many skills about myself like the ability to communicate freely with other people where the conference gave us an opportunity to meet new people from different backgrounds. Beside we learnt a lot from all the issues that we discussed like child custody and human trafficking in addition to all the guests like her H. E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi who I always wanted to meet and Ammar Shams and that we visited them like H.E. Ahmed Bin Shabib Al Dhahiri and Ahmed Al Muhairbi. Finally I would like to thank all the organizers in this conference!

Samirah Miah
UK
As I landed in Dubai my first reaction was ‘Wow’. Mash’Allah the warmth in the welcoming was very pleasing and it made me feel like I was at home.

Every day of Insight Dubai was an excellent, marvellous and extraordinary adventure. No words can actually do my emotions and feelings any justice, every moment excelled my expectations.
And how do I begin to express my gratitude to the beautiful and talented ladies at Dubai Women’s Conference. They were excellent, so knowledgful and their guidance was outstanding. I really appreciate the assistance they all contributed and the generosity was very warming, they made me feel as if I was one of they’re fellow pupils at they’re college and not just a visitor. My prayers and blessings are with them always.
Insight Dubai gave me an excellent platform to meet wonderful women from all over the world. It was a great opportunity to learn and understand different religions, cultures and views of individuals from across the globe. I’ve been blessed to have made many fabulous friends from this exceptional venture.

I was very lucky to have been given the opportunity to be exposed to such outstanding guest speakers during the Insight Dubai Conference. The knowledge and information was very moving and it had a great impact on my views and it extended my knowledge greatly. I was very pleased to see that UAE has such a strong female influence in their government, it really shows equality without any bias. Thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, one that will be greatly cherished!

Reem Lootah
UAE
It was a great experience for me as I gained a lot of knowledge and shared information on culture, religion and many more but the greatest thing was that we were from all over the world at the same room! As much as I learnt from the conference I had fun too! I will never forget these special days in my life and I will try my best to keep in touch with all my friends from all over the globe!

Paola Tineo
USA
Coming from poverty i never envisioned having the opportunity to go to the UAE. Dubai seemed distant and almost unheard off. When i received the news i was terrified but excited. Not knowing what to expect and the research i had done had caused great anxiety. I wondered about the people and the environment and whether the restrictions were strictly enforced. I wondered about religion. After the first day of the Insight Dubai conference i quickly felt at home and at ease. My buddy was my connection to a foreign culture. She and the discussions we shared made the Emirate culture seem familiar instead of strange. My buddy and discussion group became more than classmates to me -- they became my friends. Every day was a learning experience and every interaction continued to build the foundation of great long lasting relationships. As a result of this conference i am more aware and educated on the Emirate and Islamic culture and religion of Dubai. Upon returning to Smith College i have held teas and discussion groups to reflect upon my learning experience. I will continue to educate people on the wonderful cultural of the Emirate people with the hope that is deteriorates many of the common beliefs and stereotypes that Americans have of Muslim nations. I hope to instill the value that respect can pave the way towards a future where we, as humans beings, can live together as one entity.

Umut Orozalieva
Kyrgyzstan
First of all, I want to thanks the organizers for the given chance to be a member of such a big and friendly family. From the first days of the conference I felt as I was home because the atmosphere full of happiness, kindness and greatness. Moaza and other girls introduced me to the culture and traditions of such unique Arabic world. I am highly appreciated and thankful to my buddy for provided support and assistance. She is the best and I was the luckiest to be her friend.

Attending the IDC was without a doubt a milestone in my life. It provided me with the opportunities to experience how UAE government and Parliament work. I admired all lectures, especially the ones on Shari'ah (Islamic Law) and Human Trafficking. The IDC allowed me to meet women leaders from all around the world including those from countries which I had never learned about, thus broadening my horizons and sharpening my socializing skills. It gives us the freedom to explore new worlds, develop new perspectives, and follow our passions. It is a pleasure for me to participate and work with a multicultural team by exchanging experiences and approaches to knowledge.

I need the experience I got at the IDC to plan to improve Kyrgyz society and politics and make good decisions for the future. A good education will benefit my community because it will help me lead individuals into a good life. Firmly believing in the need to develop young people for their role within their society, I do my best to implement projects in order to serve for the benefit of the Youth. My aim is preventing abuse of children of age from 0 to 18, rehabilitation of children that were subject to abuse and protecting their rights and interests through providing educational, consultative, informative and legal assistance and conducting research and publishing activities.

Furthermore, the inspiration from the IDC push me to plan to implement the project that will promote drawing children away from marginal groups from the streets, bazaars, criminal environment, and various destructive sectors. Besides that, project will focused on drawing attention of society to the problems of vulnerable groups of children, on making people aware that children are the resource and potential of civil society, making an input to make the world more suitable for the life of all society members.

I strongly believed that the IDC definitely would increase my knowledge on tolerance, diversity, multiculturalism and gender empowerment as well as inspire me to work for the development of my community. No doubly I have reached all above stated in such a short time being in Insight Dubai Conference.

Sharina Al Suwaidi
UAE
I wasn’t all excited about the conference at the beginning but as soon as the events started I totally changed my mind. It was a new and a great experience for me because I learned many things about different topics, I visited places that I haven’t thought of visiting before. I wish I can contribute next year.

Carol Patel
USA
Whenever someone asks me how the Insight Dubai conference was all I can say is “Amazing”. And yet even when I say that, I know that I’m not imparting on them exactly how amazing it was. I want to share with them this incredible, wonderful experience that I had and I can’t properly explain it. It wasn’t just going to a different country it was meeting all the different people. I know I wouldn’t have had the same experience if I had gone just to visit Dubai and gone to all the tourist spots, it was meeting all the girls that made the conference such an amazing experience. This was an experience that I can honestly say changed my life and made me learn more not only about other cultures but also about myself. I have known for awhile that I want to help people somehow in whatever career I choose, but I didn’t really know how I wanted to go about that. So, I had decided that I would instead try to work at a publishing company before I tried finding a career in that. And then all that changed when I went to the Insight Dubai conference. I don’t think it was a specific moment during the conference, just somehow the overall conference made me realize that I wouldn’t be satisfied with a career in publishing. And I know now because of the conference and maybe because of the different lectures and guest speakers we had that I would like to pursue a career in International Affairs with a main focus on human rights. Thank you Insight Dubai!

Munaza Shaheed
Afghanistan
My attendance at the Insight Dubai 2010 Conference was an amazing experience, I was able to meet the whole world under one roof, a world that shares a passion for truth, honesty and self-reliance and self improvement. Insight Dubai is like no other conferences that I know till today. The range of topics in the sessions allowed me to take part in simulated United Nations discussion, role playing a Sharia Court case, debating leadership issues and an examination of the Majlis and the local elections. In addition, I learned about the Shari’ah (Islamic Law) about the child custody and Governance in UAE, and we visited some unforgettable sights such as Federal National Council and Zayed Grand Mosque. One of the most valuable aspects of many of these presentations was the discussion on Women Leading Change. This is information that is learned best through personal interactions and discussions at conferences rather than through published works. As a result, I broadened my understanding of both understanding these challenges and finding best ways to overcome them during my time at the conference.

Each speaker was carefully and diligently chosen, they offered a wealth of substance and information. At no time through the 5 days, was I ever bored, nor did I ever feel that the information had little value. There was great value offered by all the speakers! I definitely plan on implementing some of the strategies and techniques that I learned from this conference. Finally, I profoundly hope that the future brings more conferences like this one and that the Dubai Women College, as well as many other institutions, will be able to continue providing young individuals from all over the world with the chance to meet and share their ideas to help increase their understanding and exchange experience, knowledge, lessons learned and best practices in many areas of life.

Mira Al Shamsi
UAE
I think its a great pleasure and honor to be a participant at insight Dubai. It was a fantastic experience that I would never forget! I really enjoyed every moment and I learned many exciting things about others’ cultures and beliefs. I met a very nice group from different countries and we discussed many things which were confusing for them about our religion, cultures and thoughts. Insight Dubai gave me the a chance to express my ideas, talk about our country, and correct some ideas they were having about us and to make many new friends. Also, we enjoyed the sessions that were held in DWC, moreover tours and journeys to different places in Dubai were great, since they saw how our country is developing rapidly. Insight Dubai was a magnificent experience that I would really want to experience again.

Luz Hernandez
Venezuela
What an impact this conference has been on me. This conference opened doors to new friendships, insights to MYSELF, and also gave me opportunities to see a lot of new things and share them with people here at home. This was not just any conference to me. Today I have the pleasure of keeping in touch with new friendships from Kenya, Jordan, Bulgaria, Qatar, Pakistan, UAE, and more amazing places! Also I got a clearer picture and confirmation that what I want to study for Grad School thanks to all these issues we discussed in the workshops. Most importantly, this trip was very meaningful to me because I feel that it really strengthened my religious beliefs as a Muslim. Thank you everyone at Insight Dubai for making this trip a reality for me and for making it so wonderful and meaningful, I will NEVER forget it, and I pray I one day I will see you all again!

Noora Ahmed
UAE
This conference gave me a chance to meet female students from around the world in just one week, which is a rare opportunity that I never heard it can happen in any conference. In this experience I learnt about different issues that I didn’t know about like human trafficking and autism, besides expanding my knowledge about certain topics like Islamic law and women as leaders. Moreover, I learnt about different cultures and ideas from the international females and more importantly how to discuss and answer their questions about the UAE’s culture. Also I had the chance to meet and have new friends from UK, America, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Italy and New Zealand whom I still in contact with even after the conference. The whole idea of this experience taught me how to change my perspective of life and to be more opened on the world and what is going around it!

Dr. Preeta Nilesh
India
Participating in the Insight Dubai Conference 2010 as Professor Mentor has been a learning experience for me. Interacting with fellow educationists from the world over and understanding the educational patterns and student concerns has been enriching. Involving myself with international students in their discussions and attending sessions by the guest faculty has truly been a value addition. This conference has given me the opportunity for knowledge sharing. Engaging in dialogues with Emirati women, students, faculty as well as women in positions of power, has given me an altogether different perspective of Arabic culture and I have come back home as a cultural ambassador. I am looking forward to sharing these experiences with my colleagues, students and friends.

Asma Alsaadi
UAE
Being a part of Insight Dubai conference was a great experience. When I was preparing for that exciting week, I expected to see serious people and get into boring discussions. But after the first day I felt that I had friends who I felt like knowing all my life, I really did not feel that I knew them since one day. As my buddy said I was her connection to a foreign culture. We shared discussion about UAE culture and other cultures and it seemed familiar instead of strange. The sessions that we attended were very interesting, they were more practical than theory. The discussion group was really different to me, I did not use to share various speech with people that I just met in one day. We became more than friends and I hope to be in touch with them though the long distance between us.

		Conference for young women around the world 18 - 23 March 2012 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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	Students Quotes 2010 Taskeen Mansour Pakistan Sharing a room with a Palestinian girl, complimenting and chitchatting about traditional dresses with my Nigerian flat mate, meeting a girl from Latvia whose country's name i had never heard of before, surprising my USA group fellow with my culture and family values so different from hers, spending time with people from my neighboring country India, exchanging ideas on Autism, Human Trafficking and Islamic Law, listening to inspirational stories of girls from Afghanistan, eating Arabic food in the middle of the desert, shopping in huge malls and leaning to my Emirati buddies for information on UAE and most of the all representing Pakistan on such a platform is the experience only Insight Dubai could have provided me with. I have realized that the perceptions I had about different countries which might have been shaped through media and the like have changed after meeting the girls personally and sharing and understanding their lives. When I came back home, I had soooo much to tell to my friends and family, so many memories to remind me of the fun and the awesome learning experience I had. I have planned to be an active member with regards to community service and Inshallah I will create awareness of social issues in my society which go neglected. I miss you Dubai! Muna Al Abdullah UAE Insight Dubai was more than amazing experience for me. I met people from all over the world, we shared our thoughts, feelings, Knowledge, skills and religion. We talked almost about everything, It was great to know about how do they live, what do they do and how do they think about us as Muslim and Arab. We told them about Islam and our culture and tradition, some of them thought that Arab or Muslim women are like slaves, they just do what they have been told to do but we changed that whole awful idea .Moreover, our opinion about some of the countries and religions has changed too. In addition, I learned a lot from the guest speakers about human trafficking, Autism and women and leadership. I am really glad to be an “Insight Dubai Participant” and that experience will be with me forever! Janna Knox Bardazzi USA Not only was the conference a wonderful learning experience for me, but the participants were outstanding. The quality and calibre of the women attending this conference were so impressive. Not to mention the speakers, from who I learned a great deal and who inspire me to do more in my life, and with the resources I have at my disposal. The week was packed with amazing events and adventures. There was never a dull moment, and I left Dubai with a lifetime of memories. Thank you so very much for making this possible. I have already talked about the program to so many people and will continue to do so. I hope to return one day to Dubai, and would be honored to participate in Insight Dubai again. I regret that I didn't get to meet you personally. Everytime I asked Salama which women you were, it was during the speaker's delivery or else you weren't around. You are the quiet contributor to the positive outcome of this program, but nonetheless an essential component of its enduring success. Thank you again for organizing one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Salama Al Suwaidi UAE During Insight Dubai I discovered many skills about myself like the ability to communicate freely with other people where the conference gave us an opportunity to meet new people from different backgrounds. Beside we learnt a lot from all the issues that we discussed like child custody and human trafficking in addition to all the guests like her H. E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi who I always wanted to meet and Ammar Shams and that we visited them like H.E. Ahmed Bin Shabib Al Dhahiri and Ahmed Al Muhairbi. Finally I would like to thank all the organizers in this conference! Samirah Miah UK As I landed in Dubai my first reaction was ‘Wow’. Mash’Allah the warmth in the welcoming was very pleasing and it made me feel like I was at home. Every day of Insight Dubai was an excellent, marvellous and extraordinary adventure. No words can actually do my emotions and feelings any justice, every moment excelled my expectations. And how do I begin to express my gratitude to the beautiful and talented ladies at Dubai Women’s Conference. They were excellent, so knowledgful and their guidance was outstanding. I really appreciate the assistance they all contributed and the generosity was very warming, they made me feel as if I was one of they’re fellow pupils at they’re college and not just a visitor. My prayers and blessings are with them always. Insight Dubai gave me an excellent platform to meet wonderful women from all over the world. It was a great opportunity to learn and understand different religions, cultures and views of individuals from across the globe. I’ve been blessed to have made many fabulous friends from this exceptional venture. I was very lucky to have been given the opportunity to be exposed to such outstanding guest speakers during the Insight Dubai Conference. The knowledge and information was very moving and it had a great impact on my views and it extended my knowledge greatly. I was very pleased to see that UAE has such a strong female influence in their government, it really shows equality without any bias. Thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, one that will be greatly cherished! Reem Lootah UAE It was a great experience for me as I gained a lot of knowledge and shared information on culture, religion and many more but the greatest thing was that we were from all over the world at the same room! As much as I learnt from the conference I had fun too! I will never forget these special days in my life and I will try my best to keep in touch with all my friends from all over the globe! Paola Tineo USA Coming from poverty i never envisioned having the opportunity to go to the UAE. Dubai seemed distant and almost unheard off. When i received the news i was terrified but excited. Not knowing what to expect and the research i had done had caused great anxiety. I wondered about the people and the environment and whether the restrictions were strictly enforced. I wondered about religion. After the first day of the Insight Dubai conference i quickly felt at home and at ease. My buddy was my connection to a foreign culture. She and the discussions we shared made the Emirate culture seem familiar instead of strange. My buddy and discussion group became more than classmates to me -- they became my friends. Every day was a learning experience and every interaction continued to build the foundation of great long lasting relationships. As a result of this conference i am more aware and educated on the Emirate and Islamic culture and religion of Dubai. Upon returning to Smith College i have held teas and discussion groups to reflect upon my learning experience. I will continue to educate people on the wonderful cultural of the Emirate people with the hope that is deteriorates many of the common beliefs and stereotypes that Americans have of Muslim nations. I hope to instill the value that respect can pave the way towards a future where we, as humans beings, can live together as one entity. Umut Orozalieva Kyrgyzstan First of all, I want to thanks the organizers for the given chance to be a member of such a big and friendly family. From the first days of the conference I felt as I was home because the atmosphere full of happiness, kindness and greatness. Moaza and other girls introduced me to the culture and traditions of such unique Arabic world. I am highly appreciated and thankful to my buddy for provided support and assistance. She is the best and I was the luckiest to be her friend. Attending the IDC was without a doubt a milestone in my life. It provided me with the opportunities to experience how UAE government and Parliament work. I admired all lectures, especially the ones on Shari'ah (Islamic Law) and Human Trafficking. The IDC allowed me to meet women leaders from all around the world including those from countries which I had never learned about, thus broadening my horizons and sharpening my socializing skills. It gives us the freedom to explore new worlds, develop new perspectives, and follow our passions. It is a pleasure for me to participate and work with a multicultural team by exchanging experiences and approaches to knowledge. I need the experience I got at the IDC to plan to improve Kyrgyz society and politics and make good decisions for the future. A good education will benefit my community because it will help me lead individuals into a good life. Firmly believing in the need to develop young people for their role within their society, I do my best to implement projects in order to serve for the benefit of the Youth. My aim is preventing abuse of children of age from 0 to 18, rehabilitation of children that were subject to abuse and protecting their rights and interests through providing educational, consultative, informative and legal assistance and conducting research and publishing activities. Furthermore, the inspiration from the IDC push me to plan to implement the project that will promote drawing children away from marginal groups from the streets, bazaars, criminal environment, and various destructive sectors. Besides that, project will focused on drawing attention of society to the problems of vulnerable groups of children, on making people aware that children are the resource and potential of civil society, making an input to make the world more suitable for the life of all society members. I strongly believed that the IDC definitely would increase my knowledge on tolerance, diversity, multiculturalism and gender empowerment as well as inspire me to work for the development of my community. No doubly I have reached all above stated in such a short time being in Insight Dubai Conference. Sharina Al Suwaidi UAE I wasn’t all excited about the conference at the beginning but as soon as the events started I totally changed my mind. It was a new and a great experience for me because I learned many things about different topics, I visited places that I haven’t thought of visiting before. I wish I can contribute next year. Carol Patel USA Whenever someone asks me how the Insight Dubai conference was all I can say is “Amazing”. And yet even when I say that, I know that I’m not imparting on them exactly how amazing it was. I want to share with them this incredible, wonderful experience that I had and I can’t properly explain it. It wasn’t just going to a different country it was meeting all the different people. I know I wouldn’t have had the same experience if I had gone just to visit Dubai and gone to all the tourist spots, it was meeting all the girls that made the conference such an amazing experience. This was an experience that I can honestly say changed my life and made me learn more not only about other cultures but also about myself. I have known for awhile that I want to help people somehow in whatever career I choose, but I didn’t really know how I wanted to go about that. So, I had decided that I would instead try to work at a publishing company before I tried finding a career in that. And then all that changed when I went to the Insight Dubai conference. I don’t think it was a specific moment during the conference, just somehow the overall conference made me realize that I wouldn’t be satisfied with a career in publishing. And I know now because of the conference and maybe because of the different lectures and guest speakers we had that I would like to pursue a career in International Affairs with a main focus on human rights. Thank you Insight Dubai! Munaza Shaheed Afghanistan My attendance at the Insight Dubai 2010 Conference was an amazing experience, I was able to meet the whole world under one roof, a world that shares a passion for truth, honesty and self-reliance and self improvement. Insight Dubai is like no other conferences that I know till today. The range of topics in the sessions allowed me to take part in simulated United Nations discussion, role playing a Sharia Court case, debating leadership issues and an examination of the Majlis and the local elections. In addition, I learned about the Shari’ah (Islamic Law) about the child custody and Governance in UAE, and we visited some unforgettable sights such as Federal National Council and Zayed Grand Mosque. One of the most valuable aspects of many of these presentations was the discussion on Women Leading Change. This is information that is learned best through personal interactions and discussions at conferences rather than through published works. As a result, I broadened my understanding of both understanding these challenges and finding best ways to overcome them during my time at the conference. Each speaker was carefully and diligently chosen, they offered a wealth of substance and information. At no time through the 5 days, was I ever bored, nor did I ever feel that the information had little value. There was great value offered by all the speakers! I definitely plan on implementing some of the strategies and techniques that I learned from this conference. Finally, I profoundly hope that the future brings more conferences like this one and that the Dubai Women College, as well as many other institutions, will be able to continue providing young individuals from all over the world with the chance to meet and share their ideas to help increase their understanding and exchange experience, knowledge, lessons learned and best practices in many areas of life. Mira Al Shamsi UAE I think its a great pleasure and honor to be a participant at insight Dubai. It was a fantastic experience that I would never forget! I really enjoyed every moment and I learned many exciting things about others’ cultures and beliefs. I met a very nice group from different countries and we discussed many things which were confusing for them about our religion, cultures and thoughts. Insight Dubai gave me the a chance to express my ideas, talk about our country, and correct some ideas they were having about us and to make many new friends. Also, we enjoyed the sessions that were held in DWC, moreover tours and journeys to different places in Dubai were great, since they saw how our country is developing rapidly. Insight Dubai was a magnificent experience that I would really want to experience again. Luz Hernandez Venezuela What an impact this conference has been on me. This conference opened doors to new friendships, insights to MYSELF, and also gave me opportunities to see a lot of new things and share them with people here at home. This was not just any conference to me. Today I have the pleasure of keeping in touch with new friendships from Kenya, Jordan, Bulgaria, Qatar, Pakistan, UAE, and more amazing places! Also I got a clearer picture and confirmation that what I want to study for Grad School thanks to all these issues we discussed in the workshops. Most importantly, this trip was very meaningful to me because I feel that it really strengthened my religious beliefs as a Muslim. Thank you everyone at Insight Dubai for making this trip a reality for me and for making it so wonderful and meaningful, I will NEVER forget it, and I pray I one day I will see you all again! Noora Ahmed UAE This conference gave me a chance to meet female students from around the world in just one week, which is a rare opportunity that I never heard it can happen in any conference. In this experience I learnt about different issues that I didn’t know about like human trafficking and autism, besides expanding my knowledge about certain topics like Islamic law and women as leaders. Moreover, I learnt about different cultures and ideas from the international females and more importantly how to discuss and answer their questions about the UAE’s culture. Also I had the chance to meet and have new friends from UK, America, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Italy and New Zealand whom I still in contact with even after the conference. The whole idea of this experience taught me how to change my perspective of life and to be more opened on the world and what is going around it! Dr. Preeta Nilesh India Participating in the Insight Dubai Conference 2010 as Professor Mentor has been a learning experience for me. Interacting with fellow educationists from the world over and understanding the educational patterns and student concerns has been enriching. Involving myself with international students in their discussions and attending sessions by the guest faculty has truly been a value addition. This conference has given me the opportunity for knowledge sharing. Engaging in dialogues with Emirati women, students, faculty as well as women in positions of power, has given me an altogether different perspective of Arabic culture and I have come back home as a cultural ambassador. I am looking forward to sharing these experiences with my colleagues, students and friends. Asma Alsaadi UAE Being a part of Insight Dubai conference was a great experience. When I was preparing for that exciting week, I expected to see serious people and get into boring discussions. But after the first day I felt that I had friends who I felt like knowing all my life, I really did not feel that I knew them since one day. As my buddy said I was her connection to a foreign culture. We shared discussion about UAE culture and other cultures and it seemed familiar instead of strange. The sessions that we attended were very interesting, they were more practical than theory. The discussion group was really different to me, I did not use to share various speech with people that I just met in one day. We became more than friends and I hope to be in touch with them though the long distance between us.