ANN ARBOR — On Tuesday, September 4, Global Ties Detroit and U of M’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted a welcome reception in honor of the students from Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU) in the Michigan League University Avenue building in Ann Arbor.

Global Ties Detroit, in partnership with the University of Michigan (U of M) and the Arab American Women’s Business Council (AAWBC), recently welcomed a group of 40 students along with five of their professors from PPU to explore Metro Detroit’s extensive entrepreneurial ecosystem and take part in partnerships with institutions and academics. Both Global Ties Detroit and AAWBC are nonprofit organizations that focus on citizen-based needs.

The event was introduced with a warm welcome from AAWBC board member Nabelah Ghareeb and Barbara Peitsch of Global Ties Detroit, who is also senior program advisor/consultant at U of M’s William Davidson Institute.

The networking event included a hot and cold buffet, along with coffee, tea and soft drinks. Students also gathered in a circle around the room and began sharing their interests and hopes for their studies and future careers. A few young students shared their talents by singing songs that are well known in Palestine.

Another key focus of the get-together was to give the Palestinian students the opportunity to network with students in similar professions. Students from the Muslim Student Association of U of M were also welcomed to attend. PPU students, along with Global Ties officials and the U of M students, were able to engage in mutual understanding between the Eastern and Western cultures.