Earlier this summer, University students from the Middle East enjoyed a ten-day trip to Lincoln during which they studied under top architecture professors at the University of Lincoln's School of Architecture.At the end of their stay, around 90 young people from Egypt, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Oman (as well as Portugal and Pakistan), were presented with their certificates of completion for the University of Lincoln’s Architecture, Conservation and Sustainability Summer School. For many the summer school was the first time they had been outside their home country. The intensive course was run in conjunction with Dr Ahmed Elseragy, Dean of International Network and Affairs from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, London International Office, which operates under the League of Arab States.
Senior Lecturer in Architecture Dr Amira Elnokaly, who was instrumental in setting up the course, said: “Lincoln is an ideal city in which to study architecture and the built environment. As an urban campus in a small and compact city, students have the benefit of easy access to the historic centre with its many amenities.
“There has been an emphasis on the contemporary and historical, learning by doing and practical problem solving. The course has been a real success and we look forward to next year’s.”
During the students’ stay they took part in field trips, lectures, seminars and studio projects and were taught by architects, conservators, historians, academics and researchers with varied cultural and international backgrounds. A break from the intensive learning was an excursion to the New Art Exchange - Nottingham’s first dedicated cultural facility for Black contemporary arts, where they relaxed, enjoyed Eastern cuisine and entertained each other with music from the various countries. A short video of their visit can be viewed on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP79bqsWKAs 
The students were mainly from the following universities: Arab Academy for Science and Technology, Alexandria and Cairo campus; Cairo University; British University in Egypt and Kingdom University in Bahrain. 