In May 2025, Temple University welcomed a delegation of visiting undergraduate scholars from Ajman University, a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Klein College hosted the visit, centering the week around creativity in the world of media and communication.
The Klein EDGE team, led by director Allie Miller, ensured that the visiting students got to enjoy a variety of activities related to the Klein and overall Temple experience. Classroom topics touched on each major in Klein College and included time to explore all that Philadelphia has to offer. With goals in mind of international relations, hands-on learning, and engaging with the media around us, the program was rich with experiences for all involved.
Learning by Doing
Saleem Ahmed, associate professor of practice in journalism, focused on audio/visual content gathering and multimedia storytelling. Under his tutelage, students captured the city, conducted comparative analysis, and found visual patterns throughout their explorations that they were able to transform into a final product.
Stacey Harpster, assistant professor of instruction in advertising, focused on creating an advertising campaign aimed at attracting prospective international students from the UAE to visit and study in Philadelphia. Students analyzed tourism & study away advertising, discussed persuasion strategies, wrote creative briefs and brainstormed creative execution for advertising campaigns. Professor Harpster kept in mind the unique perspective the Ajman students had and the fresh lens they applied to our historic city.
During the week, TUTV managers Leigh Pullekines and Joe Schreiber also led a television production workshop, and the Director of Klein Career Services, Chris Blackman, introduced media presence to the students.
City Exploration
One of the goals of the visit was to not only showcase Temple University but also Philadelphia. Since much of the academic content for the week highlighted the city as a subject matter, the students were out in the city almost every day! They explored:
WHYY Studios
Old City Landmarks
Rittenhouse Square Park
City Hall
The Kimmel Center
Reading Terminal Market
Cherry Street Pier
One Ajman student, Meera, spent some time reflecting on Philadelphia and her first impressions of the city.
“The thing that surprised me was the friendly people who welcomed us here; they like to learn about a different culture,” she said. “And also, I love the weather here! It's so nice!”
She hopes to return one day to visit other cities in the United States, namely Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Cross-Continental Connections
At the end of the week, the students from Ajman University were not only left with finished work to share with colleagues back home, but they also cultivated connections throughout Klein College. Dr. Safa Osman from Ajman University, who accompanied the students, held meetings with representatives from across Klein College including Fab Darling Wolf from Graduate Services, Jack Klotz fand John DiCarlo from various student media organizations, Chris Blackman from Career Services, and Tyler DeVice from Klein EDGE in efforts to build lasting relationships that will mutually benefit students and faculty at both institutions.
To watch the visit in action, check out the students’ recap video on Ajman University’s YouTube channel or visit Shahd Moussa’s daily vlogs of the experience on her LinkedIn page or on Instagram (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4). See more photos from the trip here.