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- PublicationTHE GOLDEN VISA: ANATOMY OF MAKING A LONG-TERM HOME IN THE UAE(2022)While traditionally governed by the ‘kafala’ system of sponsorship for non-nationals, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have diversified their visa portfolios in line with rising global trends and internal structural shifts. The launch of the Golden Visa in the UAE and its approximate equivalents across the GCC region has marked a historic shift in the way these countries approach their residents and non-national communities. Building this research on the back of the aspirations-capabilities nexus within the lifestyle migration theoretical corpus, I examine the short-term impact of the changing residency policies in the UAE on the Golden Visa recipients – medium- and high-skilled non-nationals from a variety of backgrounds and industries. In my research inquiry, I employ semi-structured interviews with twenty-five Golden Visa recipients. My research inquiry finds that, while it does not provide a structural break in the whole-of-life approach to non-residents’ life in the UAE, the Golden Visa does, indeed, act as an enabler of its recipients’ capabilities to fulfil their long-term aspirations and constantly (re)construct their desired life(style) in the country.
- PublicationCLARIFYING THE INFLUENCE OF THE EXPATRIATE SPOUSE: A UAE CASE STUDY(2016)In 2010 more than 200 million people were living abroad. In UAE alone over 70% of the population is comprised of expatriates. Though most make a global move planning to return to their home country, there are many factors which influence just how long a person stays living abroad. The focus of this paper is to understand how the spouse influences the expatriate’s length of stay in order to gain an understanding of what an organization might do to increase longevity, if so desired.
- Publication‘It’s probably safe’: Cultural insights and practical knowledge to shift Abu Dhabi towards tap water(2024)Plastic pollution on the rise and Abu Dhabi Emirate is piloting community initiatives to tackle it. In a country where bottled water consumption rates are among the highest in the world, despite safe tap water readily available, and where migrants continue to drive population growth, my research explores how cultural ethnicity and past practices could be leveraged towards plastic waste reduction goals. To capture data, an online, bilingual questionnaire was distributed through convenience methods. Quantitative analysis of 590 responses finds that having a filter at home replaces plastic bottled water by approximately 25% for drinking and 15% for cooking, showing promise for filters to support action against plastic pollution. Residents seek an affordable, fuss-free system that delivers personal health benefits with a refreshing taste; who influences the decision varies significantly by nationality. The study also found that past exposure positively influences ones perception of filtered tap water. Data is supportive of the notion that Abu Dhabi’s growing migrant population has potential to maintain or revive their tap water practice, potentially through a water filter initiative. It further lays groundwork for exploration of other pro-environmental habits while simultaneously providing insights that can be immediately applied to local action plans.
- PublicationAcademic Maze Runners of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi A Case study on Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Students FLE Intake AY 2017-2018-Cohort Analysis(2023)The present study investigates the various factors that impact student retention and timely graduation rates at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi-UAE. The research methodology employed in this study was the use of a mixed methods approach, which encompassed the analysis of both quantitative data and qualitative interviews. The study conducted a quantitative analysis on a specific group of 254 students who were admitted to the French Intensive Language (FLE) program during the academic year of 2017-2018. The observation of student enrollment status was conducted across many academic years in order to evaluate the progress of students and identify those who either dropped out or successfully completed their studies within the designated time frame (one year for the FLE program and three years for the bachelor's degree). The study employed chi-square tests to analyze the relationship between graduation rates and variables such as gender, age, nationality, and scholarship status. The key findings of the study revealed that male and adult learner students exhibited lower rates of timely graduation, whereas non-Emirati students shown higher rates of retention. The individuals who received conditional merit scholarships demonstrated greater rates of completing their three-year bachelors degree compared to students who received unconditional government funding. The findings of this study indicate that qualitative interviews conducted with a sample of seven graduates shed light on the influence of various individual characteristics, such as motivation, skills, and family support, on their ability to persist in their academic pursuits. Additionally, the study highlights the presence of institutional shortcomings, namely inadequate preparation for bachelor's degree programs, which emerged as significant impediments for these graduates. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the constraints in question did not have a direct causal relationship with the withdrawals. In general, a multitude of complex individual, societal, and organizational factors influenced the academic paths of students. The recommendations encompass many strategies to enhance institutional practices. These strategies involve the implementation of expanded tracking mechanisms for multi-year cohorts, the integration of grade and attendance data, conducting interviews with withdrawn students, and implementing targeted modifications to address specific institutional shortcomings.
- PublicationHigher Education and Sustainability: An exploratory Study in the UAE(2024)Sustainability is a topic of vast audience in the recent years, as countries and organization across the globe adopted sustainable principles to progress into sustainable development for a better future for all. As the emergence of the sustainable development goals of the United Nation has amplified the need to adapt to sustainable practices across all sectors. The education sector is no difference, with augmenting focus on the higher education institutions. As these institutions are perceived as leading bodies, change drivers, youth enablers and community influencers. This is due to the many achievements and development higher education institutions has accomplished in the topics of sustainability. Thus, this study is an exploratory study to review literature concerning the challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of sustainable practices in higher education institutions. Also to introduce the status of higher education system and the challenges associated with integration of sustainability in higher education in the UAE. To provide an appropriate recommendation for methods of accelerating the sustainability incorporation in higher education institution of the UAE.
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1142 - PublicationThe Late Holocene evolution of the Black Sea – a critical view on the so-called Phanagorian regression(2012)Throughout its geologic history, the Black Sea experienced major sea level changes accompanied by severe environmental modifications, including geomorphologic reshaping. The most spectacular changes were driven by the Quaternary glaciations and deglaciations that reflect responses to Milankovitch cycles of 100 and 20 ky periodicity. Major sea level changes were also considered for a shorter and more recent cyclicity. The concept of the Phanagorian re- and transgression cycle, supposedly with a minimum sea level stand of 5-6 m below its present position in the middle of the 1 st millennium BC, was established in 1963 by Fedorov for the Black Sea region. It was based on archaeological and palaeogeographical research conducted around the ancient Greek colonies of the Cimmerian Bosporus, in particular at the name giving site of Phanagoria, where underwater prospection had revealed the presence of a large number of submerged relics of the Classical Greek era. Analyses of sediment cores as well as 14C-dated fossil coastal bars in the western and southern parts of Taman Peninsula show that contemporary coastal bars are related to different sea levels. The dissymmetry can reach up to 6 m around 500 BC. This and more evidence from drill cores confirms that on Taman Peninsula many of the apparent sea level changes are tectonically induced. The subsidence may have been initiated by the release of gas from mud volcanoes inherited along anticline axes. Other observations around the Black Sea confirm that submerged archaeological sites correspond to areas where subsidence has taken places, while the so-called Holocene highstand - said to have been located above the present-day sea level - is associated with uplift areas (triggered by the ongoing Caucasus orogeny). Recent oceanographic research carried out in the Black Sea area shows that since the Black Sea was reconnected with the Mediterranean Sea (i.e., 7500 14C BP at the latest), both marine water bodies have been in equilibrium. This fact and arguments from archaeology, history, hydrodynamics etc. lead us to question the existence of the Phanagorian regression. It is important to note that none of the sea level curves established for the (eastern) Mediterranean shows a comparable regression/transgression cycle of several metres during the 1 st millennium BC.
1059 84Scopus© Citations 44 - PublicationNon-linear relationship between real commodity price volatility and real effective exchange rate: The case of commodity-exporting countries(2019)The aim of this paper is to contribute to the existing literature by exploring the relationship between the real commodity price volatilities and the real effective exchange rate (REER) of commodity-exporting countries, taking into account the transition variable of financial market integration. To this end, we consider a sample of 42 commodity-exporting countries subdivided into 4 panels: food and beverages, energy, metals, and raw materials. Our results highlight that the relationship between real commodity price volatility and REER is non-linear and depends on the degree of financialization of the commodity market. Specifically, when a country is poorly integrated financially, the volatility of the real commodity price has a strong and negative impact on the variation in REER. However, for periods when a country is better integrated financially, we observe a decrease in the impact of real commodity price volatility on REER, especially for the two panels of food and beverages as well as energy. Our findings also highlight the growth of financialization of commodities post-2000, particularly in the case of the energy sector.
Scopus© Citations 25 867 - PublicationCoral Reefs of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Analysis of Management Approaches in Light of International Best Practices and a Changing Climate(2020)The coasts and islands that flank Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s largest emirate, host the country’s most significant coastal and marine habitats including coral reefs. These reefs, although subject to a variety of pressures from urban and industrial encroachment and climate change, exhibit the highest thresholds for coral bleaching and mortality in the world. By reviewing and benchmarking global, regional and local coral reef conservation efforts, this study highlights the ecological importance and economic uniqueness of the UAE corals in light of the changing climate. The analysis provides a set of recommendations for coral reef management that includes an adapted institutional framework bringing together stakeholders, scientists, and managers. These recommendations are provided to guide coral reef conservation efforts regionally and in jurisdictions with comparable environmental challenges.
Scopus© Citations 7 811 106 - PublicationThe globalization of social sciences? Evidence from a quantitative analysis of 30 years of production, collaboration and citations in the social sciences (1980-2009)(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2014)This article addresses the issue of internationalization of social sciences by studying the evolution of production (of academic articles), collaboration and citations patterns among main world regions over the period 1980-2009 using the SSCI. The results confirm the centre-periphery model and indicate that the centrality of the two major regions that are North America and Europe is largely unchallenged, Europe having become more important and despite the growing development of Asian social sciences. The authors' quantitative approach shows that the growing production in the social sciences but also the rise of international collaborations between regions have not led to a more homogeneous circulation of the knowledge produced by different regions, or to a substantial increase in the visibility of the contributions produced by peripheral regions. Social scientists from peripheral regions, while producing more papers in the core journals compiled by the SSCI, have a stronger tendency to cite journals from the two central regions, thus losing at least partially their more locally embedded references, and to collaborate more with western social scientists. In other words, the dynamic of internationalization of social science research may also lead to a phagocytosis of the periphery into the two major centers, which brings with it the danger of losing interest in the local objects specific to those peripheral regions. © The Author(s) 2013.
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