A professor of anthropology at the American University of Sharjah and the author of "Impossible Citizens: Dubai's Indian Diaspora" and "Teach for Arabia: American Universities, Liberalism, and Transnational Qatar," Neha Vora talks about her experience living in the United Arab Emirates, the influence of South Asian communities in Dubai, the concept of citizenship beyond legal definitions, and the evolving diaspora dynamics in the Gulf. The conversation touches on the impact of American university branch campuses in the region and their long-term effects on citizenship and community.

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Living in the UAE: An Anthropologist's Perspective

01:31 Exploring the Book "Impossible Citizens: Dubai's Indian Diaspora" 

01:52 Dubai: A South Asian City?

03:39 Community vs. Citizenship in the Gulf

06:39 Expat vs. Migrant Worker: Defining Terms

11:24 Researching South Asian Diaspora in Dubai

21:47 Citizenship and Belonging: A Complex Relationship

26:40 The Gulf as a Fluid Space

28:57 Introducing "Teach for Arabia" and Critiques of Branch Campuses

33:29 Impact on Citizenship and Society

42:14 Generational Perspectives in the Gulf

48:32 Retirement and Residency Changes

52:06 Current Research Focus: Stray Animal Care

53:30 Final Thoughts 

Neha Vora is Professor of Anthropology in the Department of International Studies at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE. She received her PhD in anthropology and gender studies at University of California, Irvine. Her interdisciplinary research and teaching interests include diasporas and migration, citizenship, globalized higher education, gender, liberalism, political economy, and human-nonhuman encounters, primarily in the Arabian Peninsula region. She is the author of "Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora" (Duke University Press, 2013) and "Teach for Arabia: American Universities, Liberalism, and Transnational Qatar"

Connect with Neha Vora 👉 https://twitter.com/nativeinformant

Hosted by: 
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

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