On September 22, AGSIW hosted an open house for students from the Gulf studying in the United States and U.S. students in the field of Gulf and Middle East studies, bringing all together for the program “Sharing Their Journey.” During the event, AGSIW sat down with featured guests Hala Aldosari, a visiting scholar at AGSIW, Mohammed Al Hajji, a Saudi student and PhD candidate at Temple University, and Scott Weiner, who recently received his PhD from the George Washington University. The three scholars all have a strong presence on social media and in the blogosphere, and they shared their unique experiences with AGSIW.

Hala and Mohammed discussed their motivations for studying in the United States while Scott talked about why he chose to conduct research in the Gulf. In addition to sharing their experiences studying abroad, they discussed the impact that social media and blogging has had on their careers and personal lives.