Arab Educational Information Network

The increasing popularity of interdisciplinary programs, courses, and pedagogies in the humanities and social sciences (especially in the realm of general education) has been well documented and examined in the West, particularly in the United States. This research has yielded important findings that can and should be examined in a broader international context. The literature, however, provides little substantial analysis of interdisciplinary programs in universities across the world, particularly in the Middle East/ Gulf region. Using Zayed University as a case study, I will discuss how interdisciplinary courses and curriculums are being used to structure and promote the study of the humanities and social sciences at the general education level and at the majors level within the program of International Studies. I will then go on to address the successes and challenges that have confronted both the implementation of the Global Awareness sequence within the general education program and the International Studies major. Overall, the interdisciplinary model has been an effective approach in promoting the study of the humanities and social sciences within a region that has tended to place greater value or emphasis on those majors and courses that are tailored to the immediate demands of the marketplace.