The American University of Sharjah

I recently took a trip to the United Arab Emirates for a conference at the American University of Sharjah. The conference was about sustainability, which is a bit of an oxymoron for the UAE, but I was very impressed with the university's ethos and vision for sustainable curriculum. The faculty I met were really great and the school seemed to be doing a lot of great research and education.
The campus was like a castle complex - here's a shot of some students and a couple buildings:
Yes--there are lots of men walking around in white dishdashas and head scarves. They look very cool and comfortable!

Here's me and Professor Andrea (my colleague and awesome travel partner) in front of the library:Here's the campus mosque:It's hard to tell from these photos, but the sun is insanely bright and glaring. You can hardly open your eyes without sunglasses while outside.
Here are some nice palm trees and lawn behind the mosque:
And the rotunda of the building where our conference was held - absolutely amazingly beautiful! All white tile, stone and stucco, beautiful columns and nice light/airiness.
I hope to attend the next conference they host in two years!