Ajman University Organizes “Reach for the Stars Series” about Nobel Prize Winning Literary Works

Ajman University’s (AU) Student Counseling Unit has launched the "Ajman University reaching for the stars series" dedicated to literary discussions on the works of Nobel Prize winning authors. The first session focused on discussing American author Ernest Hemingway’s novel, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ was held at the Student Hub building located within the AU campus.

The novel written in 1953, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and was cited by the Nobel Committee as a key reason for the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature being awarded to Hemingway. The aim of the seminar was to discuss the theme of the novel with students and to reflect on the writer's work and life.

In his book, Hemingway shed light on the importance of determination for human beings, indicating it as a universal theme through reflections on the old man's experience, considering it an inspiration for living one's own life and dealing with its problems. 

The discussion was led by Dr. Belal Ibrahim, HOD of Foreign Languages, College of Humanities and Sciences at AU, who welcomed the guests and introduced the Speakers.

Dr. Micah Robbins, Acting Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Assistant Professor of English at the American University in Dubai discussed the impact of solitude and community on how we develop the internal resources needed to overcome situations of crisis. He mentioned the most important quotes from the novel and discussed them with the audience.

He said “I think that what I like to suggest is that you should have a sort of understanding of yourself, not only in relation to each other, but also to the world that we have, and the world we cannot see. So, in that, it will give us inner resources that make us undefeated.”

Dr. Mohamed Nasor, Dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology at AU, stressed the relation between luck and faith. Also, he highlighted the impact of the story on students and how it encourages them to be determined to achieve their dreams.

Dr. Gabriel Andrade, Assistant Professor, College of Medicine at AU, shared his opinion about the novel  and how it helps individuals in confronting challenges. “It is a highly autobiographical novel, as it reflects Hemingway's struggles which, sadly, ended in suicide.”, he said.