On Thursday, December 9, 2021, the Information Technology Center, at the Hadhramaut University was concluded the first part of the program ( Word in Conversation ), in which Hadhramaut University participates via the platform Zoom.
This program is organized by the Center for the World in Dialogue of the Sociology Department at the faculty of Arts – University of Pennsylvania, USA. It is a student talk show involving five countries of the world, as well as Yemen, represented by Hadhramaut University.
The first Part sessions began on 21 October, and lasted for seven sessions a week, amid the active interaction of students from various faculties and unprecedented discipline, despite the challenges facing them, particularly the critical conditions in Hadhramaut.
Participants discussed a number of social and cultural issues of common interest, such as social justice, welfare support for slavery, utilitarian exploitation, cultural change between the previous generation and the current generation, celebration of the beginning of the New Year in America and Yemen, and sexual liquidity between masculinity and femininity of societies. In this context, students from our university have made it clear that sexual liquidity is a threat to conservative societies, that Yemeni society in general, and urban society in particular, does not believe in equal roles between males and females in everyday life, that urban women are men’s partners in building society, that their roles cannot be mixed with those of men in different spheres of life, and that women have an active role and a prominent place in our society, While American students have spoken that sexual liquidity does not pose a threat to American society, it is normal for women to perform the function of men, and quite the opposite, as American society does not place limits on the role and function of women and men in daily activities.
With regard to the celebration of the beginning of the New Year, our participating students pointed out that our society celebrates the beginning of the New Year in accordance with the Hegira calendar on the first date of Muharram, as well as with the first calendar of January, which is an annual holiday in Government facilities. They pointed out that Yemeni society does not witness the momentum of celebrations and carnivals in American society, where New Year celebrations are the most important holidays for the people, the family and the State.
Also, they talked about the theme of which was: What were the students’ learning plans during this class? And what did they actually learn from the unplanned?
HU Students reported that due to the general instability in Yemen, as well as , economic and educational stability in Hadhramaut, all their study plans for this class have been discontinued, except for some forms of self-education. They pointed out that their participation in this program is one of the most important achievements in this chapter to enrich their English and to get to know about the social issues from the American perspective.
They also thanked the Department of Sociology of the University of Pennsylvania, and the organizer of the program, for their generous invitation to participate.
It should be noted that, despite the exceptional circumstances of Hadhramout, the programme succeeded in continuing with the sponsorship and support of the Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development, represented by its President, the Engineer Abdullah Ahmed Baqan, in partnership with the leader of the Provincial Educational Movement, University of Hadhramaut, represented by Professor Dr. Mohammad Said Khenbesh, and under the supervision and encouragement of the Student affairs Office, represented by the Vice-President of the University, Prof. Salem Mubarak Al-Obthani, and in coordination with the Director of the Information Technology Centre, Dr. Izzat Al-Saadi, who was credited with setting up the Internet at high speed, meeting rooms and technology support from the dedicated staff of the Centre, the Information Centre was the most important link to the outside world.
The program will resume in the second part in January 2022 after University of Pennsylvania students return from University Holiday Closing and end-of-year celebrations of 2021.