Iraqi refugee achieves international success

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MIT graduate Shams Al-Chalabi is all set for her challenge as a PR-consultant in the thriving international city of Dubai.

Thursday, 08 March 2007

Iraqi refugee turns fortune around and achieves international success

Shams Al-Chalabi’s job search for her first professional role took a dramatic turn when she was head hunted by a Dubai-based public relations (PR) company.

Just one week after two successful phone interviews, conducted in both English and Arabic, Shams was renewing her passport ready to jet across the world to take up an open-ended contract as a PR consultant this month.

The 24-year-old Howick resident recently achieved her Degree in Applied Communication at MIT’s School of Communication Studies and was fired up with the confidence the course gave her. She put her CV on the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) website where it was spotted by the New Zealand-born manager of Cicero and Bernay in Dubai, a firm with clients as prestigious as the Saudi Arabian royal family.

“The company was specifically looking for someone bilingual with that Kiwi can-do attitude,” says Shams. “To me that means someone who takes responsibility, is work-oriented and will go anywhere and do anything and that’s me. I’ve never been to Dubai before but I just want to go for it.

“Being at MIT has been the best thing in my life. I really found myself – it changed the way I think and how I see the world. I think it’s made me a very adaptable person, very open-minded and tolerant. I’m just so excited that I’m going to be using the skills from the course in an international city like Dubai. The only disappointment for me is that I miss graduating with all my friends.”

Shams is already an international success story, arriving in New Zealand with her siblings seven years ago as an 18-year-old Iraqi refugee to be reunited with her parents.

“I grew up in Baghdad and learnt English at school but it was pretty limited. I finished school at Howick College and did an English course there for new settlers and then I was off! In my culture we have a very high level of respect for teachers but no one in my family had gone on to earn a degree before. Luckily for me the atmosphere at MIT was like one big family. I always felt supported, I was never put down, and the lecturers were always kind with such a diverse range of knowledge.”

That family feeling continues with Shams’ youngest sister Aiam inspired to enrol at MIT where she is working towards a Certificate in Communication.

Meanwhile Aiam’s big sister is packing her bags and looking to the future with great excitement. “The firm wants someone who can bring Western public relations processes and blend them with the Arabic. I’m looking forward to learning about the similarities and the differences in method and in the cultures.”

Manukau Institute of Technology’s formal graduation ceremony is on 29 May 2007 at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau City. At this key annual event the institute celebrates the success of its students with family, whanau and friends.

ENDS

About MIT

Manukau Institute of Technology is one New Zealand’s largest polytechnics. It offers more than 100 formal programmes at degree, diploma and certificate level and has a student population of around 32,000. Established in 1970 as the country’s first purpose built polytechnic, MIT delivers vocational education and training. With a workforce of 900, MIT is one of the biggest employers in the Counties Manukau region. Manukau City is New Zealand’s fastest growing metropolis.

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