Education, still in demand

摘要

America used to sell well in the Arab world. Banks, cars, appliances, even a brand of tinned fava beans, Egypt's national food, boasted happily of their American origin. But with America threatening to strike Iraq, and with sporadic boycotts slashing sales of American goods, there is only one American product whose appeal remains undented: education. Not only have venerable schools such as the American University in Cairo and in Beirut (AUC and AUB) prospered through decades of turbulence. Their success has spawned multiple imitations. Sharjah and Dubai, neighbouring Gulf cities, have both opened "American" universities, and nearby Qatar has just set up a branch of Cornell medical school, one of America's best. Beirut has added two more "American" colleges, and even the war-blasted Palestinian town of Jenin is home to a new Arab-American University.