We went to Abu Dhabi because of the promises of a dean, a former stateside colleague. A major part of her pitch was all the other opportunities for earning, especially for my husband whom she promised would be a major part of Zayed's external seminar and teaching program. In fact, at the first faculty meeting she singled him out as an important asset for the school. Nothing she promised ever came to fruition. He did end up teaching high-level diplomats for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but agreed upon fees were always late, reduced, or argued about after the fact.
As for myself, I was appalled at the quality of the undergraduates; ill-prepared but quite willing to blatantly cheat and plagiarize. The colleagues I arrived with became disillusioned as quickly as I did, and we shared the same stories of broken promises and indifferent students.
Colleagues who had been there for a few years fell into two camps: Those too scared to make a peep, and those who toed the party line, and did the dirty work for the sheiks and deans.
I taught one graduate course, but only after the original curriculum I proposed was completely "dumbed down." I cannot imagine a graduate degree from Zayed having the same academic heft as a typical U.S. high school diploma.
Their undergraduate degree is utterly worthless, as students are passed along so as not to offend their influential fathers.
This was a horrid waste of time, and we left in June for a "visit" back home, leaving a fully furnished apartment behind, never to return. It's the only way to do it; tell them you're quitting and the cancel your visa and hold your money hostage. After we left a colleague and his family were booted out of the country with no reason given - and 30 days to clear out!
I see they've posted job listings for the coming year; hopefully prospective applicants will stop at glassdoor first.
