Luxury shopping, modern architecture and lively nightlife are all things that are commonly associated with Dubai.

But for Scott Henderson, Associate Professor of Communication, Popular Culture and Film, a local institution in the United Arab Emirates city was far more intriguing.

The relationship between Brock University and the Canadian University of Dubai (CUD) originated in March 2011 when two representatives came to Brock University to discuss a new program they were implementing in Communications and Media.

“Brock University was one of the first in Canada to develop a program in Communication Studies, and this has evolved over the years into two popular interdisciplinary degrees: Business Communication, and Media and Communication Studies,” said Henderson.

Since then, the university on the Persian Gulf coast has continued to build on the program and develop strong international pathway agreements for its students.

With similarities to Brock such as an increasingly diverse student population, a strong interest in internationalization and a desire to provide global learning opportunities to its students, the CUD reached out to Brock to create a pathway program for its Business Communications and Media Studies programs.

“What they offer their students is a great program and it aligns very well with what we offer, making it a good fit,” said Henderson.

On June 28 the two institutions completed a formal agreement allowing students from the CUD studying Business Communications or Media Studies to transfer to Brock for the final two years of their program.

“The agreement is a tremendous opportunity for our students and will provide them with an international perspective to help them prepare for work in an increasingly globalized world,” said David Santandreu Calonge, Dean, Faculty of Communication, Arts and Sciences at the CUD.

For Brock, the influx of students from overseas adds to the growing internationalization of campus.

“Students will be coming to Brock from around the world, with the same fundamentals as our third-year students, bringing fresh perspectives to our classroom discussion,” said Henderson.

The agreement could also pave the way for future opportunities to the Brock community such as student exchange, new competency-based undergraduate and post-graduate programs, and joint interdisciplinary research and conferences.

“This MOU is an important step towards a substantial sharing of ideas and implementation of academic and research initiatives between our institutions,” said Calonge.

Brock currently has formal academic links with more than 150 institutions in some 50 countries. For more information, visit the international partnerships website here.

Scott Henderson, Associate Professor of Communications, Popular Culture and Film meets with members of senior administration from the Canadian University of Dubai. Pictured from left are former CUD Provost Muhammed Kabir, CUD President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Karim Chelli, Henderson, and Sid Attou, Alumni Relations.