11 May 2008 The IEEE Student Branch at American University in Dubai organized a one week study tour to France. A group of eight juniors from electrical and computer engineering left Dubai on May 4 for the one week study tour, accompanied by Dr. Boutheina Tlili, chair of WIE in UAE, and Dr. Colin Christy, Student Branch advisor. Throughout the stay in France, students visited major engineering companies such as Schneider Electric, PSA Peigeot Citroen, and Airbus in Toulouse, where they got a rare opportunity to see the A380 aircraft assembly line. The participants also visited academic institutions including Télécom ParisTech ENST, where they discussed recent research projects.

On the side, the tour included visits to various historical and cultural places in Paris such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, and Chateau de Versailles. The France study tour marks the second year in a row where the IEEE student branch at AUD organizes a study tour to Europe. Last year, a group of 10 students and two faculty members participated in a similar activity in Germany to learn about the latest in solar energy technology.