Hutton Honors College

Hutton Honors College Student Samantha Hutt First IU Student to Study Abroad in Dubai

Over the 2009 spring semester, Indiana University Bloomington and HHC undergraduate student Samantha Hutt strolled through historical Arab markets, traveled throughout the Middle East and went four-wheeling on a desert safari. The first IU student to "officially" study abroad in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Hutt recently completed a semester at Dubai's American Intercontinental University (AIU).

IU offers more than 80 study abroad programs in 17 languages and 37 countries. The Office of Overseas Study supports students through all stages of the study abroad process, from pre-departure orientation to course registration upon return from a semester abroad. Students do not need to speak a foreign language or even go through an IU program to study overseas for academic credit -- IU does not have a direct program in place with Dubai, for example.

Hutt's trip was funded in part by the Hutton International Experiences Program (HIEP) at the Hutton Honors College. Since the program's inception in 2000, HIEP has provided funding for 2,987 students totaling $4,255,375.

An experienced Middle East traveler, Hutt is a political science and international studies major with minors in Hebrew and Near Eastern languages and cultures and an area certificate in Jewish studies. As part of an international studies requirement, she needed to study abroad in the Middle East, her chosen region of concentration.

"I'd heard a lot about Dubai. It seemed intriguing -- something new and exciting to explore. A little bit out of the ordinary, but definitely not irrelevant," said Hutt.

Although Hutt's apprehensions about going to the Middle East eased after she arrived, she was initially concerned about living there as a Jewish woman. With the constant regional tension, she says she didn't talk about her religion, because it was not why she came to Dubai. "My Judaism doesn't have anything to do with that. I know who I am, and that's really all that matters," said Hutt, adding that it was difficult to hear people speaking negatively about Israel or Jews. Hutt maintained a focus on what she came to do: learn about the Arab-Islamic world and improve her beginner's Arabic.

During her spring break, she spent three days sightseeing in Jordan before crossing into Israel for her fourth visit to the country. "While in Jordan, we saw ruins in Jerash, which were amazing, visited the Crusader castle in Karak, swam in the Dead Sea -- which I've now been in on both sides -- and did Petra on horseback," said Hutt. She stayed with a friend for a couple of nights in Jerusalem and visited another friend from IU who is studying abroad there. Hutt then visited an IU alum who is now studying at Haifa University. During her time in Haifa, she visited historical sites in the Old City, saw the Bahai Shrine and Hanging Gardens and lunched on the beach in Tel-Aviv.

Hutt also spent a relaxing, fun girls' weekend in Bahrain. "Bahrain is a little less history-rich than other countries in the Middle East, for which I was glad. Rather than touring around like a maniac, I decided to forego a museum about the history of pearls in Bahrain and see the same things in the marketplace. I spent the weekend dining and lying on the beach," said Hutt.

All of her courses in Dubai were in Middle Eastern studies. Hutt took Arabic, History of the Middle East in the 20th Century, Islamic Art and Architecture, Comparative Politics of the Middle East and Islam II. Because of the prevalence of English, she didn't often get to use her Arabic. On a trip to Muscat, Oman, she was able to use her novice Arabic to talk to taxi drivers and store clerks ("Very exciting!" she said).

Hutt describes Dubai as a "strange mix of East and West." In the beginning, it took her a few days to get used to seeing Muslims in traditional dress walking next to women in miniskirts and tank tops. There are high-rises everywhere, flashy cars, huge malls and construction cranes all over the city. "The culture is very much about seeing and being seen," said Hutt, adding that the eclectic culture has enabled her to meet people from all over the world.

While she was enamored with the international flavor of the city, the highlight of Hutt's time abroad was going to Old Dubai to the open-air markets, known as souks. Walking through the streets and seeing the local fare and culture has allowed her to see the history of the Middle East in a different light. "It's experiences like these, ones that remind me that I am very much in the middle of a different culture, a different world, that bring me back to Earth when everything seems all too surreal," said Hutt. "I love everything about it."