“As an international student studying Islamic finance, I always had the notion that my academic aspirations would not be fully realized without a solid understanding of Arabic. Therefore, I took it as a challenge upon myself to engage with my Arabic-speaking colleagues, with the hope of building on my language skills. Making a conscious effort and decision made a world of difference to my studies. When I arrived to HBKU, I had the misconception that all academic interactions would necessitate firm knowledge of the country’s official language. It wasn’t long before I realized that a mosaic of cultures exists here, and that communication was never meant to be one-sided.”