Adrian James, associate dean of the College of Management at Park University had never been to the Middle East when she began working for Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. When she met a woman at a conference who told her about the opportunity to transition to Texas A&M University’s Qatar campus, James was definitely interested.
After conversations with other people and lots of research on the country, she decided she wanted to experience the chance to live there. She was excited for this new adventure and Qatar became the first stamp in her passport.
For four years she supervised peer and part-time tutors in the learning center, taught introduction to student success courses, and, on the side, she facilitated professional/leadership development trainings at Education City, an area within the capital, Doha, Qatar that housed six American Universities, HEC Paris and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Western education was brought to Qatar, which borders United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, so that Qatari people didn’t have to leave the country to go to colleges and universities in other parts of the world. Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a state-led, non-profit organization was founded by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who holds an honorary doctorate from Texas A&M, and her husband. With initiatives oriented towards education, science, research and community development, it has encouraged many international universities to establish campuses in Qatar.
Sheikha Moza works with the United Nations to support global education.
“From what I know about her, she is a remarkable woman and innovative leader,” James said.
She also said she didn’t observe or experience any differences between how American and Qatar students approach studying and learning while she taught in Qatar.
One of the most amazing things she learned while being immersed in the Qatar culture was to see how different cultures approach life by experiencing them firsthand.
“I grew up in Buchanan County, Mo., and moved to College Station, Texas, after earning my Master of Business Administration degree from Northwest Missouri State University,” James said. So, although I had left the area, College Station was still a smaller college town. I believe I experienced much growth in my communication, leadership and team member abilities while I was in Qatar. I learned to slow down, meditate, be in the moment and prioritize family even more.”
Many peoiple from around the world are living in Qatar to support the rapid and sustained development of the country’s increasing growth from oil profits.
For James, her experience gave her the benefit of learning about cultures from around the world.
“The Qataris and the expatriate community are incredibly welcoming. While I was there, I got to sit with others from multiple cultures and ask questions to learn more. Also, being immersed in the day-to-day of the various cultural norms was a great learning opportunity. I encourage others to live abroad if they have the opportunity.”
She especially enjoyed the ease of travel when she lived in Qatar. Since flight times are much shorter to surrounding countries, that allowed her to visit 30 countries in her four years there. Other memorable times included enjoying social activities with her multi-cultural colleagues and friends.
“I can remember hosting a gathering of about 12 people,” James said. “We were playing Pictionary and had to have a dictionary and thesaurus available, as English was the first language for only three of the people playing.”
Four years was the perfect amount of time for James to experience other cultures and grow professionally and personally. She is excited to now be back in the Kansas City area close to her family.
She began at Park University in August, 2018, as the chair of the Department of Management, Logistics, Human Resources, Construction Management and Project Management, and as an assistant professor of management. James became the associate dean of the College of Management in August, 2022.
“There are many things I enjoy about Park University,” James said. “Among the top are the small class sizes, dedicated faculty and staff, and a commitment to traditional, nontraditional and military student education.”
She is absolutely sure that she will go back to visit Qatar.
“I was planning to go back to Qatar in summer 2020 to visit friends still living there, but it was canceled due to the pandemic. My strong desire is to take students on a study abroad trip there. The Qatari people and those living as expatriates there are so welcoming, and I have a strong motivation to get others to experience life in the Middle East that is not shown on the news.”