Alumni speak from around the globe

Although University of Phoenix alumni may hail from points around the globe, they share one thing in common: their ability to learn and grow wherever they may be. Phoenix Focus interviewed four alumni living in Japan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Egypt to get their perspectives on current events, local delicacies and what it’s like to live in foreign lands.

One-minute bio: Dr. Tchedre is originally from Togo, a French-speaking country in West Africa. After he earned his bachelor’s degree there, he moved to the United States in 1999 to pursue graduate studies. After earning his Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, he received his Ph.D. in biomedical science. When Tchedre first joined Menicon, he lived for three months in Lyon, France. Then, his job took him to Japan. In his current role as senior scientist, he conducts research on glaucoma and multipurpose contact lens solution and works to establish collaboration with other research institutions.

On living in Japan:

Most memorable moment

“I was at work when the earthquake hit Tokyo. We felt it [163 miles away in Nagoya], but not at the same level as Tokyo. It was my first time to experience an earthquake. I have never seen anything like that. It is scary, but I am getting used to the aftershocks.”

Biggest inspiration

“Japanese people are resilient and very patriotic. I noticed that they came together to face the disaster. There are many donations for the affected areas.”

Life lesson

“We should not take things for granted because nature still has the upper hand. I personally think if people around the world could realize how fragile life is on earth, the world would look different.”

Defining characteristics

“Japanese people are very respectful. I also have noticed that it is difficult for a Japanese person to say no.”

At the table

“Japanese foods are unique in the world, but most places make sure you do not stuff yourself before leaving the table.”

In the know

“I would say the best-kept secret here is that Japan is 99.999 percent Japanese. It is a very developed country, but it is still not very open to the rest of the world.”

One-minute bio: Dr. Batterjee was born in the United States, but grew up in Saudia Arabia. Later, she returned to the United States to pursue her education. Today, she lives in Saudi Arabia with her family, husband and children. Together they established the first and only Breastfeeding Resource and Women’s Awareness Center in the country where they provide prenatal education that includes information on breastfeeding and childbirth, breastfeeding counseling for mother and baby, breast self-examination lectures and awareness, first aid and CPR. Dr. Batterjee’s center provides breastfeeding and infant care support products that range from breast pumps to baby carriers.

On living in Saudi Arabia:

A nuanced culture

“The culture here has many layers; we have internal and external cultures. These layers are determined by desired levels of privacy, trends and image setting. The Saudi community also has female and male cultures that are separated and overlap in only specific situations.”

Social restrictions

“Most local customs are very different from the United States. The customs in Saudi Arabia are very unique and special to this area. Many are self-imposed, and others are governmentally imposed. One major custom is the fact that women cannot drive cars, travel or be admitted into the hospital for any medical care without guardian consent.”

What’s happening now

“Right now, the country is celebrating the healthy return of King Abdullah and relishing in the millions of dollars he has spent on the military, National Guard, all government health care facilities, schools and more. We sense a mild instability because of nearby demonstrations in countries surrounding us.”

Stumbling block

“The most challenging part [of living in Saudi Arabia] is I feel that most women here enjoy learned helplessness. They have been brought up to be consumers and not participants in the community.”

What they’re wearing

“Fashion trends include colorful abayas [traditional cloak worn by women] instead of black, wearing gold jewelry and some of the same trends seen in Europe and the United States.”

Off the clock

“The most popular form of entertainment is eating. We have many restaurants from all over the world. Another form of entertainment is shopping. Women and men spend most of their time off walking around in malls or sitting for a several-hour meal in a restaurant. The hours spent in a restaurant are with friends gossiping and smoking argila (water pipes).”

Under the radar

“Life on the beaches is very open and similar to life abroad because they are well guarded and enclosed. Men and women find ways to commingle without being conspicuous. In Saudi Arabia, there is an underground youth lifestyle that is kept very secretive, where younger adults find low-key, respectful ways to interact that are not so public and against our cultural and traditional ethos. On a social level, they have more freedom socializing at private home parties, weddings and social events on private beach properties, with consideration to the traditions of their families.”

Big win

“We recently worked in collaboration with Princess Reema bint Bandar and with Zahra Breast Cancer Foundation to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest human pink ribbon, which included 3,965 women. Our efforts were focused to raise breast cancer awareness in the Kingdom and the Middle East.”

Greatest joy

“The most satisfying part of working in my area is that I can make a big difference in someone’s life. I feel that the level of general knowledge is so low here that a minor fact can change a life significantly.”

One-minute bio: Dr. Infiorati moved to Kathmandu from Florida in 2007 with her husband, who was assigned to a U.S. Embassy post there by the Department of Justice. There, she works as an independent consultant and provides integrated training to various organizations in Nepal on the following topics: personality, leadership and cultural conflict; disaster planning, management and recovery; customer service; democracy and law enforcement; project management and strategic planning. She also has started a stained glass business in Nepal that she hopes to turn over to trained individuals to continue once she departs. In addition, she works as a counselor and assists individuals, couples, schools and organizations with communications problems. On the side, Infiorati runs a small baking business in Nepal that provides sweets to other expats.

On living in Nepal:

Culture shock

“[My transition to life in Nepal] was not easy. For the first four or five months, it was quite exciting as the environment, culture, practices and food were all new. However, things we take for granted in the United States, like the availability of constant power or people generally following the rule of law, are missing. Nepal also has very few roads that are maintained, and very few in the major city of Kathmandu. The state of the road system, along with a blatant disregard for traffic rules accompanied by the government’s inability to control vehicle pollution, for example, make it very difficult and extremely unpleasant to travel anywhere by vehicle.”

Political instability

“Nepal is a country of more than 70 ethnic groups, and within the ethnic groups, many practice the caste system, which is a social stratification system. In short, these two elements have caused tremendous disparity in the equality of Nepalese citizenship. Although they officially ended their internal civil war in 2006, which was essentially the Maoist party against monarchy and its political party, [the Nepalese] have yet to create a constitution and are now on their fourth prime minister since the elections in 2008. Politically it is unstable, although the probability of an outbreak of nationwide violence is unlikely.”

Bring your appetite

“One custom that seems to be practiced across the country is that of snacks. While the term means the same as it does in any other English-speaking country, snacks [here] are akin to appetizers. Quite often snacks are served from 6 or 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. After that a full multi-course meal, ranging from five to nine separate dishes, is served. On many an occasion, the snacks overwhelmed me, and by the time dinner was ready I was overfull! This is a common occurrence for foreigners visiting Nepal.”

Down and dirty

“The most challenging part of working and living in Nepal has been related to health and sanitation. In general, the culture does not practice good hygiene, which causes hundreds of deaths every year due to diarrhea, cholera and other water-borne diseases. It is rare that a month goes by without getting a stomach bug of some sort simply because the water is contaminated and the walls, railings and walkways are bacteria ridden.”

Offering hope

“I am a fundraiser for the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Center (SIRC) located in Saanga, Nepal, outside of Kathmandu. This summer, I am working on a series of 14 stained glass windows, which will be sold through private auction to raise funds. I also coordinate the entry of the U.S. Embassy’s electric vehicles in an electric car rally operated in coordination with REVA, the electric car manufacturer and SIRC, for the benefit of SIRC.

I also volunteer with a small group, the Tipling Weavers, who come from a very small village in the mountains. I help the Tipling Weavers learn business practices and assist them in finding new markets for their products. They have been able to increase their annual earnings from the equivalent of $960 per year to $2,240 per year using new business marketing skills. This is a huge aid to them, as they have now been able to buy enough seed for annual crops and have also added an indoor school building for the village.

Life may seem daunting at times, but all the work is well worth the effort when I see a child graduate from high school or complete their master’s thesis, or see the progress of every patient when I visit the SIRC.”

One-minute bio: Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Merabet has lived in Cairo for the past 27 years. She is the founder and executive director of a consulting firm, North South Consultants Exchange, which specializes in sustainable development. Her firm focuses on supporting the identification, management and evaluation of international cooperation and development programs between international organizations and governments of the Middle East and Africa. In Egypt, Merabet supports implementation of programs for socioeconomic development, shaping new policies and national sector reforms.

Editor’s note: On Jan. 25, 2011, thousands of Egyptians began public protests against President Hosni Mubarak, who ruled as an autocrat for 30 years. Angered by poverty, corruption, the lack of free elections and the economy, among other issues, demonstrators forced Mubarak from office on Feb. 11. On March 19, Egyptians voted to pass a referendum that would pave the way for elections in the fall.

Life after the revolution

“[Egyptians] have witnessed a very complex process in which different [political] parties and stakeholders are moving to get a bigger role and advocate for their concerns and interests while the original actors in the revolution, politically unorganized youth, are learning and trying to preserve the main spirit of the 25th of January revolution. The public trust in the commitment of the army to protect the country and support the transition period is overwhelming. The participation of people in the referendum was also an impressive show of the people’s feeling toward what the revolution meant to them. People, especially professionals and intellectuals who never participated in previously rigged elections, came forward as they believe their vote [is now] important. People came hours before the opening of the polling stations to line up. Egypt is notorious for its lack of a ‘queue culture,’ yet on the day of the referendum, you could see peaceful and organized queues of several hundred meters of determined people.”

On President Mubarak’s resignation

The process leading to the stepping down of [former Egyptian President] Mubarak has been completely unexpected, quick and led by a genuine youth movement. For the vast majority of the population, including the traditional political parties, it was a wakeup call. The dream became reality and people started feeling and tasting the freedom of expression and the hope for a better future. There were so many deeply moving scenes in the streets. The youth groups launched a very powerful slogan, which can be translated as: ‘Lift your head up, you are Egyptian.’ It means now you can be proud of being Egyptian and move ahead—you succeeded in getting rid of the sources of humiliation and dictatorship.”

Upcoming elections

“The stepping down of Mubarak led to the formation of the High Council of Armed Forces in charge of the executive power and the nomination of a cabinet of ministers to manage the public affairs for six months. The forthcoming elections in the fall, both the parliamentarian and presidential elections, are dominating the political scene. There is again a sense of euphoria and confidence that the time is opportune to push for real and important changes. At the same time, there is a concern that those who crafted the spirit of the revolution, the young group, may not be sufficiently represented due to their limited level of political education. The civil society and the international community are making efforts to support the education and the political organizations of the youth.”

An economy in turmoil

“Clear and significant negative impact on the national economy emerged for the first months following the revolution. The International Monetary Fund estimated that the economic growth of Egypt for this fiscal year will decline from 5.5 to 6 percent to 2.5 to 4 percent. The political unrest is one of the factors affecting the economic performance, but other regional and international factors, such the high rise in food prices and energy, also play a critical role as the government subsidies on these items represent a significant portion of the national budget. Tourism, one of the three key sources of revenues of Egypt and an important source of employment, has been deeply affected by the events. The stock market has opened again recently with some surprising small—but real—progress. The positive trends were partially due to public campaigns to invite all Egyptians to support the economy by investing, even small shares, in the stock market.”

High hopes

“Enthusiasm, hope and expectations have improved the general atmosphere and relations among friends and family.”