Kyle Long ’07 was appointed the fifth president of the American University in Dubai (AUD), continuing a reputable career in international higher education. His tenure at AUD will begin on August 15, 2024.
“His visionary leadership and proven commitment to American universities across different cultures and regions make him exceptionally suited to lead AUD into its promising future," said Justin Cooper, chair of the AUD governing board, in the University’s announcement.
Long is one of the foremost authorities on American-modeled universities abroad. After earning his master’s degree from St. John’s College, he helped start the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani from 2010–14. That experience led to a Ph.D. in international and comparative education from Columbia University and teaching appointments at George Washington and Northwestern Universities.
Long first became interested in international education, while studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland during his junior year at Wabash.
“I met interesting people there,” Long said. “I became interested in how other countries were structuring their education systems, the sociology of education, and later, comparative education.”
Long admits “international education is an elusive term,” so he prefers to use the term internationalization of education, describing it “less as a thing and more as a process.”
“That includes study abroad,” Long explained, “but also making the curriculum more inclusive of global perspectives, partnerships between and among universities in different parts of the world, and joint research projects with faculty from one institution in the U.S. and another institution abroad.”
While at Wabash, Long interned with the Center of Inquiry, where he gained early experience in higher education and a passion for helping universities improve teaching and learning.
The American University in Dubai is part of an ongoing trend to emulate the American educational system around the world. Today, approximately 60 such “American universities” exist, mostly unaffiliated with each other. AUD, which enters its 30th year of existence this year, is the oldest such institution in the Persian Gulf, and Long intends to uphold the progressive ideals on which the university was founded.
“My work has taken me around the world to different university campuses,” Long said, “and it’s no exaggeration to say that the American University in Dubai is among the select few operating outside the United States that really feels like you're on the campus of a liberal arts college in the U.S. It is green and leafy, there are kids playing frisbee and guitar—it really does have that student life component that is very distinctive of American higher education.”
AUD’s 2,000 students come from more than 100 different countries, and a big draw to attend an “American” university is the campus life.
“I want to make sure that our campus and our student experience remains distinctively American,” Long said. “That means hosting lots of events and making sure the student experience is unparalleled.”
While AUD offers specific programs geared toward engineering, business, education, and more, each school at AUD is based on a curriculum that prioritizes education across diverse fields. The concept of “broad before deep” education is very unusual outside of institutions in the U.S., Long says, and it is one of the reasons students choose to study at an American university abroad.
Another facet of educational internationalization Long values is global partnerships, something he is already starting to develop before his tenure begins.
“I’ve been trying to get up to speed by reading a lot, having conversations with potential partners in the United States, and trying to become well acquainted with the people, places, issues, and challenges there, so when I get there in August, I'm not playing catch up,” Long said.
“There's a considerable time difference right now, which means a lot of 7am phone calls for me this summer,” he added with a laugh.
One of Long’s early priorities will be to identify programmatic and research areas where AUD can distinguish itself. To do so, he intends to capitalize on progress already made in Dubai and the United Arab including artificial intelligence, sustainability, health sciences, international finance, and media.
“Dubai is one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the world,” Long said. “It’s a global hub for talent and continues to grow quickly. It’s dynamic and fertile for innovation. Those are extremely attractive conditions for someone leading a higher education institution.”
Once Long arrives on campus, he will meet with students, alumni, deans, and faculty to help him get a feel for the community at AUD. The University’s provost assembled an advisory committee that Long intends to use to help “keep an ear to the ground” and make the transition as smooth as possible.
His broad, driving goal is simple: “I want AUD to be perceived as one of the finest universities in the region.”