His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), has announced the allocation of AED 550 million for scientific research at AUS over the next five years.

This came in the speech delivered by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah during the university’s spring 2019 graduation ceremony held Saturday, at University City Hall in Sharjah. In the presence of Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

Below is the full speech of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah: 

In the Name of Allah Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Praise be to Allah and blessing be on his prophet, kin and kith

My colleagues, members of the Board of Trustees; faculty and staff; parents, our dear graduates; and our esteemed guests,

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allahi Wa Barakatuh

We would like to start by congratulating you, my sons and daughters, graduates of today on this great achievement, and to also congratulate your parents, who have worked hard to see their children succeeding at AUS today. We are also very pleased to be sharing with you your happiness and excitement. Just as your success is ours, we are proud of you and wish that you continue to succeed in your careers across fields, God willing.

When we established AUS more than 20 years ago, our goal was to graduate generations that are cultured, creative, productive, multicultural, enlightened, well-versed on current events and constantly seeking knowledge and creativity. And you, graduates of today, and your fellow alumni have certainly lived up to our vision. We see them today participating in major academic conferences and participating in global competitions from Shanghai to New York. We have seen them shine in all disciplines in engineering, environmental science, design and architecture, business, international relations and much more, where they have won high accolades.

We are also proud to see the mark more than 14,000 AUS graduates have made wherever they have gone. Many have been appointed in high-level decision-making positions, while others have started their own businesses, worked in areas to help those suffering in crises, and excelled in space sciences, the environment, technology, architecture, business and many other fields. Further, our students and graduates have been accepted at leading universities around the world to pursue further studies, such as their master’s and doctorate degrees.

I am also very happy to see the university taking strides in achieving its multidisciplinary research agenda, which it launched last year. This agenda is in line with the university’s strategic plans. Accordingly, faculty members have received tremendous support to pursue research in their various specialties. Their work has been published in leading academic and scientific periodicals, presented at research conferences, and won accolades regionally and internationally. The research institutes also continue to work with industry sectors in Sharjah and the UAE to produce social and economic solutions that serve the community. I’m also happy to announce that we’ve allocated 550 million Dirhams for scientific research at the American University of Sharjah for the next 5 years.

AUS has achieved much in the past year. It will launch the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in Fall 2019, and is offering a minor in data science. Next semester, AUS will also inaugurate the new Engineering and Sciences Building, whose labs and classes are furnished with state-of-the-art equipment that will help students put theory into practice in engineering’s various disciplines for students across the bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs.

AUS has acquired, in a short time, an excellent academic reputation, which we have seen most recently realized in how it achieved Bloomberg Experiential Learning Partner Program (ELP) status in Spring 2019. AUS became the first university in the GCC and Middle East to receive this honor, as one of only 35 world-class universities to offer this high level of innovative education in business.

In light of the above, I look to you, dear graduates, to be the best ambassadors for your university, your countries and for humanity. You have a heavy responsibility to bear, and I am fully confident in what you can achieve; you are our hope for a better, brighter future. Go forth and follow in the footsteps of your fellow alumni and always aim for success. And remember, the doors of AUS will always be open to welcome you back.

We thank the faculty, staff and Board of Trustees for their continuous dedication and efforts.

Good luck and Godspeed.

As Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allahi Wa Barakatuh