Amman, Jordan
The drive from the airport to the city center at night is deceiving. At first, it appears that the land is flat and barren, void of lights and obvious measure of terrain. If the moon is as it was when I arrived there will be little man made light, and the stars will seem larger. But as you approach the city center half-way through the 40km ride you start to see the twinkle of lights, and soon after you see the first neon sign, advertising gas and snacks.
The twinkle is the first sign that Amman, and of course, Jordan is not flat. It is created by the partial obstruction from the valleys and rolling hills on the outskirts of the city, and with the passing of each hillside one can briefly see the lights from the large homes. It is not unlike the view from the western side of Historic Churchill in Richmond, yet without the volume of houses.
Amman is a developing city. The site of cranes and construction rivals that of Mumbai, and while the largesse of the buildings is not alarming (nothing constructed here is small) the contents of the buildings are. Major shopping malls, built like palaces are everywhere. On one street alone there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken, Popeye's and Hardee's in successive order. The modern blends with the old.
The students in Amman are really very impressive. Many are taking the full complement of IB or A level classes. I had the fortunate opportunity to visit some of Amman's finest high schools; Amman Baccalaureate, Modern Montessori School of Amman, Al Mashrek and the Alliya School for Girls. These students are strong in the Arts, many are interested in Interior and Graphic Design and there is a big demand for the Life Sciences. I think that while students are aware of the wonderful programs we offer in Qatar, they want to experience the United States and Richmond. They are prepared to send their portfolios. It is interesting to see the emergence of what are considered developing countries. As the middle class expands so will services that were luxuries. Design shops, and the ability to creatively furnish your home is a statement of status, granted to more and more people here and in other countries with growing economies. It is cool to me that we may be providing the graduates and future leaders in this service sector.
Likewise for the Life Sciences. Students here are interested as well in hard science programs, but are not looking for a traditional curriculum. They like the melange of the sciences, math and computer science in courses within the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity. It is perfect for students looking to work in the cutting edge field of genomics and bioinformatics. The added bonus is that these courses will prepare those who desire to go to medical school and also those who are looking to enter the biosciences job market.
We have the potential to establish strong ties to the high school community in Amman. They are curious and we are prepared.