As a kid, I had always liked geography, studying maps, and was curious about foreign countries and cultures. I never thought I would have the chance to get to some of those far-flung places, particularly through work. I was fortunate that my academic career as an agricultural economist took me to many places in the U.S., and afforded several foreign assignments, including two years at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Short-term assignments included those in Canada, Poland, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and Paraguay. I always enjoyed those foreign assignments.
In year 2000, I was into a decade as Head of New Mexico State University's Agricultural Economics Department. One day an interesting ad came across my desk and caught my attention. Sultan Qaboos University, located in the Sultanate of Oman, was looking for a head for its Department of Agricultural Economics.
Oman? I thought I knew world geography. I had to consult the map. I had never thought much about the Middle East. But this prospect was intriguing. After all, I had successfully - more or less, anyway, depending on who you ask - proven that I could handle that toughest of academic positions, department head - the link between independent minded, sometimes recalcitrant, professors, and demanding deans. This would be a chance to put that experience to work in a new culture and region.
I applied for the position and was flown to Washington, D.C. to interview SQU administrators who were looking to fill a number of positions. The stars must have been aligned right, for I was selected to head the Agricultural Economics Department.
There were some hoops to jump through. It proved a wise decision to, for a modest fee, enlist the help of a Washington, D.C. firm to get credentials verified and the proper stamps and endorsements on a blizzard of paperwork, including college transcripts and degree certificates.
Oman is a small Islamic country about the size of Kansas, with a population of about 2 million. It is on the southeast portion of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the north, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. It has a long coastline along the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is a desert country with some scenic mountains. It is not an OPEC nation, but has oil, the exports of which enable it to modernize and progress.
One might expect the climate to be hot and dry. It is hot in summer, and rainfall is sparse, but as Oman borders the sea, it is humid along the coast. From about mid-October through mid-April, the climate is pleasant, resembling that of southern California.
As recently as several decades ago, Oman was among the least developed nations of the world; no modern highways or infrastructure, its population mostly poor and illiterate. The current Sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, has used Oman's oil revenues to build schools, roads, hospitals, and the university that bears his name, Sultan Qaboos University.
In mid-August 2001 I arrived via Swiss International Airlines to Muscat, capital of Oman. The university is a few miles inland near a pleasant town, Al Khod, with bustling shops and nice restaurants. It is especially scenic at night with its bright lights and vendors peddling delicious lamb and beef snacks.
My quarters were a nice apartment adjacent to the university, about a 10 minute walk from my office. The university is staffed with international faculty and administrators. As the Omanis gain the education and experience, it will be increasingly Omani, but that is a gradual process.
Faculty members of the university in general, and the College of Agriculture and Marine Sciences in particular, were from all over the world. Our Dean of Agriculture was a Canadian, later replaced by a South African. My faculty members in agricultural economics were from Tunisia and Sri Lanka. My secretary was a super-competent woman from the Philippines.
About three weeks after I arrived, prior to hitting the tennis court with some Malaysian and Filipino friends, I was taking a catnap after work, listening to BBC. It was still morning in New York and I learned of the tragedy that Sept. 11. As I felt safe in Oman, I didn't return to the U.S. Contrary to propaganda perpetrated by bellicose politicians and sensation-seeking media, editorials of regional newspapers were sympathetic to America. And surely, based on my personal observations and interactions with individuals, many of whom were Muslim, we had the world with us.
From the American, particularly radio and television, media, one could easily believe that the Middle East is one huge cauldron of violence and explosions. Surely, there are some dangerous places, and some sticky foreign policy issues. The entire region is going through transition. But much of it is a peaceful transition, at least for now.
I did hear one explosion during my tenure in Oman. I was on my computer in the living room of my apartment. BANG. An explosion in my kitchen. I had been boiling some eggs, and forgot about them. When the water is boiled off and the heat is still on, guess what - they eventually explode.
As department head, I didn't do a lot of teaching, but did some. Instruction at SQU is in English except for their College of Arts. The Sultan has wisely decided that if Oman, and Omani college graduates, are to participate in the modern world, they need to be able to communicate in English. While it makes it a bit difficult for students, it is doubtlessly best for them in the long run.
In my Dec. 28 column I'll discuss further my experiences, and impressions of the Middle East. For the December 21 interlude, we will revisit the annual Christmas Price Index for the items in the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
In year 2000, I was into a decade as Head of New Mexico State University's Agricultural Economics Department. One day an interesting ad came across my desk and caught my attention. Sultan Qaboos University, located in the Sultanate of Oman, was looking for a head for its Department of Agricultural Economics.
Oman? I thought I knew world geography. I had to consult the map. I had never thought much about the Middle East. But this prospect was intriguing. After all, I had successfully - more or less, anyway, depending on who you ask - proven that I could handle that toughest of academic positions, department head - the link between independent minded, sometimes recalcitrant, professors, and demanding deans. This would be a chance to put that experience to work in a new culture and region.
I applied for the position and was flown to Washington, D.C. to interview SQU administrators who were looking to fill a number of positions. The stars must have been aligned right, for I was selected to head the Agricultural Economics Department.
There were some hoops to jump through. It proved a wise decision to, for a modest fee, enlist the help of a Washington, D.C. firm to get credentials verified and the proper stamps and endorsements on a blizzard of paperwork, including college transcripts and degree certificates.
Oman is a small Islamic country about the size of Kansas, with a population of about 2 million. It is on the southeast portion of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the north, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. It has a long coastline along the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is a desert country with some scenic mountains. It is not an OPEC nation, but has oil, the exports of which enable it to modernize and progress.
One might expect the climate to be hot and dry. It is hot in summer, and rainfall is sparse, but as Oman borders the sea, it is humid along the coast. From about mid-October through mid-April, the climate is pleasant, resembling that of southern California.
As recently as several decades ago, Oman was among the least developed nations of the world; no modern highways or infrastructure, its population mostly poor and illiterate. The current Sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, has used Oman's oil revenues to build schools, roads, hospitals, and the university that bears his name, Sultan Qaboos University.
In mid-August 2001 I arrived via Swiss International Airlines to Muscat, capital of Oman. The university is a few miles inland near a pleasant town, Al Khod, with bustling shops and nice restaurants. It is especially scenic at night with its bright lights and vendors peddling delicious lamb and beef snacks.
My quarters were a nice apartment adjacent to the university, about a 10 minute walk from my office. The university is staffed with international faculty and administrators. As the Omanis gain the education and experience, it will be increasingly Omani, but that is a gradual process.
Faculty members of the university in general, and the College of Agriculture and Marine Sciences in particular, were from all over the world. Our Dean of Agriculture was a Canadian, later replaced by a South African. My faculty members in agricultural economics were from Tunisia and Sri Lanka. My secretary was a super-competent woman from the Philippines.
About three weeks after I arrived, prior to hitting the tennis court with some Malaysian and Filipino friends, I was taking a catnap after work, listening to BBC. It was still morning in New York and I learned of the tragedy that Sept. 11. As I felt safe in Oman, I didn't return to the U.S. Contrary to propaganda perpetrated by bellicose politicians and sensation-seeking media, editorials of regional newspapers were sympathetic to America. And surely, based on my personal observations and interactions with individuals, many of whom were Muslim, we had the world with us.
From the American, particularly radio and television, media, one could easily believe that the Middle East is one huge cauldron of violence and explosions. Surely, there are some dangerous places, and some sticky foreign policy issues. The entire region is going through transition. But much of it is a peaceful transition, at least for now.
I did hear one explosion during my tenure in Oman. I was on my computer in the living room of my apartment. BANG. An explosion in my kitchen. I had been boiling some eggs, and forgot about them. When the water is boiled off and the heat is still on, guess what - they eventually explode.
As department head, I didn't do a lot of teaching, but did some. Instruction at SQU is in English except for their College of Arts. The Sultan has wisely decided that if Oman, and Omani college graduates, are to participate in the modern world, they need to be able to communicate in English. While it makes it a bit difficult for students, it is doubtlessly best for them in the long run.
In my Dec. 28 column I'll discuss further my experiences, and impressions of the Middle East. For the December 21 interlude, we will revisit the annual Christmas Price Index for the items in the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
