AUS students participate in IYLC held in South Africa

Four students from the Student Leadership Program (SLP) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) participated in the International Youth Leadership Conference (IYLC) held recently in Cape Town, South Africa. Anas Kamlani, Iman Al-Ali, Nada Nassereddin and Omar Rashwan represented AUS at the conference.

The IYLC is a forum on world politics, international relations and justice with a special focus on different issues related to the African continent. The different sessions of the conference included simulations of the African Union, African Court of Justice and Human Rights, and the South African Parliament in which students played different roles to represent African countries, court representatives and South African political parties to discuss current political and social crises.

During their visit, the students also visited the Castle of Good Hope and District Six Museum to learn about the colonial history of South Africa and the apartheid government era.

Speaking about his experience, Omar Rashwan, a sophomore finance major, said:

"I found the IYLC to be an invigorating experience, not only in terms of the content offered by the conference, but also through the interactions I had with the other delegates, facilitators, guest speakers, and even those outside the conference. There was never a dull moment; in fact, I found myself almost exhausted at the end of every day from the sheer amount of activities. But I can't think of anything I'd have foregone to have some time off. Overall, the conference was extremely engaging, and the memories we created will be something I will always cherish. I feel that I've also made lasting friendships with my fellow delegates.”

Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Dean of Students, appreciated the importance of SLP activities and said:

“The Student Leadership Program aims to provide students with an extensive knowledge on various political, economic and social issues in the world. IYLC gave students an insight into the African perspective with simulations of various African organizations. Students also learned about the diverse cultures and rich history of Africa generally and South Africa specifically.”