The Doha Experiment: Arab Kingdom, Catholic College, Jewish Teacher

Gary Wasserman's The Doha Experiment is a look at the nitty-gritty realities of international education - a timely read in the run up to the NAFSA Conference. Wasserman was among the initial faculty appointments to Georgetown's Qatar campus. Perhaps reasonably, Wasserman has doubts as to how he will be received given his Jewish background. (Hint: better than the suggestion to place crosses outside each classroom to mirror the practice in Washington.)

In The Doha Experiment, Wasserman reflects on his time in Doha, as well as the initial founding and evolution of the school itself. Many of the anecdotes will elicit a familiar groan from those who have tried to navigate the developing world: the policeman who issues "slowing" tickets to every vehicle stuck in a traffic jam; the ubiquitous security that provides questionable value; the nightmare of navigating the roads.

Much of the book, though, is focused on the educational experience, and rightly, and offers plenty of food for thought for those of us who work in international education. The value of intercultural understanding and importance of travel can't be overstated, but Wasserman does pose important questions about the ability to overcome societal and family expectations and the ultimate value of a multicultural education if and when individuals return to the pre-set path.

Wasserman does not shy away from the difficult questions. To what extent are such campuses a form of American imperialism? How might such campuses further perpetuate social class dynamics? (He ruminates at length on the proper approach to dealing with "the help," which in Qatar consisted largely of terribly underpaid South Asians who had their passports confiscated as a condition of employment.) To what extent must a university tolerate government interference, or a government tolerate dissent by the college?

Although I personally found The Doha Experiment terribly interesting, I recognize this is one book that appeals to a particularly niche audience. If you're part of that audience, by all means, read away. If you're not, you may find greater interest between the pages of another book.

Four stars.