Archive of Activities and Events | 1 - 2
The 1st Arzanah Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign (28/10/2007-1/11/2007)
Earlier in October, the “First National Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign” in the UAE was launched under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chair of the UAE General Women’s Union. Four Arzanah students participated in the first walk that took place on Abu Dhabi Corniche - Monday October 22, 2007 - to bring attention to this disease. The students are Bashaer Al-Matroushi, Sara Al-Rumaithi, Khawla Al-Monthari and Nouf Al-Hamadi.
To lend support to this campaign, Arzanah launched a five-day awareness campaign of its own with the support and sponsorship of ADNOC’s Health Clinic in Arzanah. The clinic provided individual examination and training sessions for PI’s women, and distributed informative brochures. Many students visited the clinic to obtain information to share with the female members of their family. The traditional pink ribbons were worn by both men and women around campus symbolizing solidarity with those affected by the disease and spreading awareness among the community. Dr. Haseena N. Mohammed who conducted the examination sessions said: ”We had a good turnout. Over 30 patients came for the examination representing faculty, staff and students. And more than 45 patients came for the demonstration on how to do self-examination and learn about the symptoms and signs of the disease.” Nurse Jakleen Yousef stated: “I was happy to help with the training sessions. Students wanted to share the information with their mothers. And one faculty member stopped by to get a brochure for his wife.” This deadly disease will affect 25 million women around the world in the next twenty five years.
The 2nd Foundation II Simple Machine Show (30/10/2007)
Nineteen teams representing the Foundation II Level students held their 2nd Simple Machine Show on October 30, 2007 in Arzanah. These teams worked with guidance from English instructors Virpi Bursiewicz, Shari Corbin, John Langille, Lynne Robinson and the assistance of Physics instructor Ozgur Ozden. The project required 
the team of three-five students to invent a simple machine, develop an illustrative poster, and provide brochures advertising for the product. Attending the presentations were faculty, staff and students. Each project was independently judged by Foundation II instructors from the men’s campus a day earlier. The bid for first place was exceptionally competitive, with many teams bringing in extremely innovative and mechanically-derived machines. The winning team, under the direction of Ms. Robinson, included students Afra Saleh Al Breiki, Khawla Mohamed Al Kathiri, and Amena Saeed Al Mahairi. Their project and the brochures from all other projects are on exhibit in the Arzanah lobby.
Arzanah EE students Join the New Arab Woman Forum (21/10/2007)
A number of Arzanah students participated in The New Arab Woman: A Forum on Leadership and Social Responsibility, an event held in Dubai 21-22 October 2007. The forum aimed at assessing the Arab woman role in shaping the contemporary society. Various issues related to women were discussed in panels on business and money, motherhood and beauty, education and public affairs, and women in the media.
Student Maha Yonis thought that the forum gave the participants “a good idea about the woman’s image in different countries.” She pointed out that “the role of women nowadays is no longer limited to building a family, but plays a role in current and future challenges.”
Student Nada Al-Hamar concluded that “while the success path might be hard and filled with obstacles, it is not impossible to walk through.” She continued: “By possessing the right tools, such as education, patience and determination, it is possible to overcome any hardships we might face in our lives.”
The trip was organized by Dr. Lana El Chaar (electrical engineering) and attended by Dr. Lisa Lamont (electrical engineering), and freshman students: Maha Yonis, Mona Mohamed, Rehab Bani Hashim, and Nada Al-Hamari.
Arzanah Community Iftar (26/9/2007)
Arzanah’s Student Council, under the supervision of the Student Affairs Division, has launched a number of initiatives celebrating the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. The Council successfully organized its second annual Arzanah Community Iftar on September 26, 2007. The well-attended event, began with the tradition of breaking fast (eating dates and drinking yogurt) and group prayer.
The highlight of the evening was a lecture by educator Huda Al Ali on “How to Break Down the Barriers.” The lecture was followed by Salat Al Taraweeh (an evening group prayer particular to the holy month of Ramadan).
The Iftar itself provided the opportunity for students and their guests to meet with the Arzanah community informally, and share in the tradition of group Iftar, popular in the UAE. The event was attended by a number of Arzanah instructors and staff, students, families and friends.
RAMADAN KAREEM
SOLARTAXI (16/9/2007)
The Mechanical Engineering Program and Arzanah’s Environmental Club sponsored an inspiring lecture by Mr. Louis Palmer, a Swiss High School Teacher with a childhood dream of going around the world in a solar-powered vehicle. Once completed, Mr. Palmer’s journey would take him 12 months, covering 50,000 kilometers, 50 countries and five continents. The aim of the mission is to shed light on alternative energies, especially solar energy, and the need to find workable solutions for global warming.
SOLARTAXI features a 6 square meter surface of photovoltaic cells mounted on a trailer, and can travel at a speed of 90 km/hr. The single passenger three-wheeler has traveled through Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. After a few days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, SOLARTAXI is headed to India.
The event was organized by Dr. Kubo (Director of Mechanical Engineering) and Mr. Yahya Al Rayyes (Science Instructor in Foundation), and was attended by Mr. Andreas Maager (Counsellor-Deputy Head of the Swiss Mission), Dr. Nadia M. Alhasani (Director of Arzanah), as well as a number of faculty, students and staff.
GUARDIANS MEETING (10/9/2007 and 12/9/2007)
Guardians were invited to meet with the PI administration through two venues organized by the Student Affairs Division Monday September 10, 2007 and Wednesday September 12, 2007. One session was dedicated to the guardians of the new students and the second to the guardians of the continuing students. In addressing the audience, Dr. Michael Ohadi, Acting Executive Director and Chief Academic Officer, welcomed the parents and thanked them for taking the time to meet with PI ’s administration. He highlighted PI’s current status as an emerging engineering institute and its future plans towards achieving excellence. He further stressed the need for the parents to guide their sons and daughters, especially during their foundation year, to better understand the Institute’s rules and regulations, and help them frame their semester goals. The forum was an opportunity for guardians to ask questions related to the Institute in general and its academic programs in particular. The meeting was attended by Mr. Yousef Al Naeimi (Director of Student Affairs), Mr. John Herlihy (Director of Foundation Program), Dr. Nadia Alhasani (Director of Arzanah), Dr. LaJuana Mooney (Head of Institutional Research and Assessment), and a number of staff from the Student Affairs Division. At the end, members of the Student Council guided the audience through a tour of the PI facilities.
Women in Engineering Lecture Series (9/9/2007)
The Chemical Engineering Program inaugurated Arzanah’s 2007-2008 Women in Engineering Lecture Series with a lecture by Ms. Muna Al Alawi, senior facilities engineer for ADMA-OPCO, Corporate Planning Division. The presentation focused on the profession of engineering and the role that chemical engineers play in the various industries. Ms. Al Alawi also shared aspects of her personal experience as a chemical engineer in the oil industry and provided advice on how to succeed as a woman engineer. The lecture was attended by Dr. Bruce Palmer (Director of Chemical Engineering Program), Dr. Nadia Alhasani (Director of Arzanah) and a number of program faculty and students. The lecture was followed by an informal lunch providing interested students the chance to meet informally with the guest lecturer. The event was organized by Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Dr. Tarek Al Ameri and sponsored by Arzanah.
TRIP TO DUBAI’S WOMEN CLUB (6/9/2007)
Student Affairs kicked off their AY2007-2008 activities program with a trip to Dubai’s Women Club on Thursday September 6, 2007. Over 40 students participated in the trip which provided them with the opportunity to participate in a number of outdoor activities. The trip was organized by Ms. Salwa Elweeshy, Arzanah Activities Coordinator.
PROMETHEAN PLANET TRAINING WORKSHOP (5/9/2007)
In order to take advantage of the state-of-the arts- facilities at Arzanah, a workshop was conducted to familiarize interested faculty and staff with the Promethean Planet technology. This is a web-based resource portal that assists faculty with in-class interactive instruction. The well-attended presentation was an opportunity for the audience to ask specific questions on how to tailor the technology to their respective fields, and seek solutions to some of the recurring problems. It is expected that a more advanced workshop will follow at a later date. Arzanah’s classrooms feature one of the more advanced instructional technologies on campus.
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION (22/8/2007)
Arzanah welcomed its second cohort of new students on August 22, 2007. The New Student Orientation Day was inaugurated with a speech by Dr. Michael Ohadi, PI’s Chief Academic Officer. Dr. Ohadi welcomed the students to The Petroleum Institute and expressed his delight with the strong interest in PI and encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities provided to them. He highlighted the role of a PI graduate in contributing to the oil and gas industry, as well as the UAE and region at large. Director of Arzanah, Dr. Nadia M. Alhasani, commended the students on choosing engineering as a future profession and promised them PI’s support towards attaining a comprehensive education. She further stressed the importance of balancing one’s academic responsibilities with those toward the community.
The event was organized by the Student Affairs Division and included presentations by the offices of Admission, Student Services, Student Activities, and Internship and Counseling. Students also attended a one hour health, safety and environment induction workshop conducted by HSE Officer, Ms. Sireen Salman. 130 female students have chosen to attend PI this fall bringing the total enrollment in Arzanah to 219 students.
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