Students at Cascadia Community College recently took part in an interactive cultural exchange with students in the United Arab Emirates and Japan.

In a Dec. 9 video conference, Cascadia students engaged in dialogue with students from Madinat Zayed College in Madinat Zayed, United Arab Emirates, and from Osaka Jogakuin Women’s College in Osaka, Japan.

“I knew where the United Arab Emirates was on a map, but I never knew about its culture. It was great to learn that we like some of the same things, despite our cultural differences,” says Cascadia student Jacqueline Fuller.

During the video conference, students from each school asked a series of questions about the culture of the other countries. Topics included stereotypes, daily life, education, work and the environment.

“I was excited about the enthusiasm of all the students to find out about each other. The differences between us were intriguing, but there were plenty of similarities, as well,” says Cascadia student Tania Scutt.

Following the question-and-answer session, there was open-mic time that featured lighter topics like Michael Jackson and “Twilight.”

“I thought ‘Twilight’ was more of an American thing, but they went crazy when they heard we’re only three hours away from Forks,” says Fuller.

In order to build on the success of this video conference, the schools are considering doing a second one next year.

“It’s a valuable learning experience for our students. It helps break down stereotypes and helps our students see common values and goals in other parts of the world,” says Dr. Ann Beaulieu, vice president for Student Learning.

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