AUS students take cultural trip to Spain

Thirty-eight students representing 11 nationalities traveled to Spain February 9-14, 2015 as part of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) Student Multicultural Learning Program.

The Madrid visit included a panoramic bus tour of Plaza Mayor; Palacio Real de Madrid, Madrid's Royal Palace; and Puerta de Alcala, a grand national monument. The day concluded with a traditional Spanish dinner and a Flamenco dance performance. Also in Madrid the students visited Camp Santiago Bernabeu, home of the Real Madrid football team. They learned about the history of Real Madrid and visited the trophy room, press room, locker rooms and the team benches at the stadium.

The trip also included visits to Cordoba and Seville, considered the significant cities of the Andalusia region. The students toured the Great Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba and visited Plaza de Espana Square in Seville.

After travelling by high-speed train to Barcelona, the students visited the Passeig de Garcia, which features several of the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture. The tour continued to Montjuïc, a hill near the center of Barcelona that is home to a large number of attractions, including the Spanish Village and Jardins del Mirador.

One of the top attractions in Barcelona was Camp Nou, home of the football team Barcelona. Students toured all the sectors of the fourth largest stadium in the world and learned about the developments of the team and stadium over the years.

The trip ended with an entertaining visit to El Poble Espanyol, where students took part in a very exciting and unique treasure hunt within a theme of an old Spanish village.

"Spain is a very interesting cultural destination. There is diversity in the rich history and modernization of the Spanish society. I am glad our students are very satisfied with their experiences that will help them get accustomed to other cultures, improve their social skills and augment their perception about cultural diversity," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Dean of Students.

Halla Al Fahmawi a senior architecture student said, "The trip to Spain was beyond incredible and an eye-opening experience to a beautiful country. But most of all it was a chance to meet my AUS peers from other majors and to make new long-lasting friendships and memories."

This was the program's second trip to Spain due to student demand and interest in Spanish culture.