Helping organize Education Day at the 2006 Abu Dhabi Intl. Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), which took place in early November, was marvelous. Approximately 67 students from 24 institutes throughout the Middle East were selected by the conference organizing committee to meet with final-year students and young professionals from different engineering and cultural backgrounds and to work together during Education Day. They also had the opportunity to attend ADIPEC, which had excellent speakers and exhibits. Such an experience was very rewarding to both the students and young professionals.
Many of the attendees held stereotypes concerning people of different nationalities, regions, and cultures attending the conference. However, mingling with such a diverse group of students and young professionals allowed us to learn more about each other and build many friendships. The link between the technical and social aspects of the event was established by the young professionals, who shared their experiences with the students. Finally, we spent a week in Abu Dhabi learning more about the city and enjoying a time of rich experiences.
—Tamer A. Elsherif, Cairo U., Egypt