AUS celebrates outstanding achievements of its students
The American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated the outstanding achievements of its students at the Annual Student Appreciation Awards 2025, held in the presence of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of AUS.
During the ceremony, forty-nine awardees were honoured, comprising 21 individual and 28 group awardees recognised for excellence in leadership, athletics, volunteering and residential community engagement.
The event was attended by more than 650 AUS students, acknowledged for their contribution to extracurricular activities throughout the year.
Participating in extracurricular programmes is an essential part of the American University of Sharjah student experience, with more than 124 student clubs, over 30 sports teams and numerous community service opportunities open to students.
A performance during the American University of Sharjah awards ceremony.
The ceremony commenced with welcome remarks from the student hosts.
Guests then viewed a video presentation highlighting major initiatives and events organised by the Office of Student Experience during the academic year.
Speeches were delivered by Dr Tod Alan Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, and AUS alumnus Mahmoud Gaith, followed by a video highlighting AUS Global Day 2025.
Shaima Bin Taliah, Vice Chancellor for Student Experience, congratulated the award recipients: 'At AUS, we believe that true achievement lies not only in personal success but also in the ability to uplift and inspire those around us.
'The students we honoured have demonstrated leadership, creativity, compassion and dedication to their community. Their accomplishments strengthen the spirit of AUS and serve as a powerful reminder of what is possible when ambition and purpose come together.'
The ceremony continued with the presentation of awards across various categories, including individual achievements, group recognitions, Global Day awards, and Student Council honours.
Cultural dance performances by the Jordanian, Indian, Sri Lankan, Palestinian, Pakistani and Syrian cultural clubs brought the celebration to a vibrant close, showcasing how cultural exchange enriches the AUS experience for students representing more than 90 nationalities.
Reflecting on her journey, Sanjana Bharwani, a management student and recipient of the Most Outstanding Student Leadership Award, shared her experience of growth and leadership development at AUS, taking on roles with the Indian Cultural Club, as a Peer Leader and as a trainer for delegates to the National Model United Nations conference in New York.
'Beyond results, what has mattered most to me is empowering others to see their potential.
'Leadership, to me, is about inspiring and supporting those around you to reach heights they never imagined. AUS has given me a community where mentorship, encouragement and personal development are part of everyday life.
'Being recognised with the Most Outstanding Student Leadership Award is a reminder of the incredible community we are all privileged to be a part of,' she said.
These extracurricular achievements align seamlessly with the UAE's national priorities for developing future-ready graduates with both academic excellence and practical skills.
Through a wide range of student engagement opportunities, AUS continues to foster essential leadership, teamwork, communication and organisational skills among its students — equipping them to thrive in their future careers and to make a meaningful contribution to society.
Recently, WAM reported that AUS is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to transform the university's research environment and accelerate the adoption of advanced cloud technologies across the university.
Through this collaboration, AWS will provide AUS with technical, infrastructural and strategic support, enabling the university to strengthen its digital foundation and expand cloud fluency across its community.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Faya Palaeolandscape marks 11 years in UNESCO programme
Sharjah's Faya Palaeolandscape, one of the most scientifically significant prehistory archaeological sites in Arabia, continues to serve as a cornerstone in UNESCO's Human Evolution, Adaptations, Dispersals and Social Developments (HEADS) programme. For 11 years, the site has played a vital role in advancing global understanding of early human migration, adaptation, and survival in desert environments. This long-term collaboration between Sharjah and UNESCO HEADS programme has established Faya as a global reference point in palaeoanthropology and archaeology, placing the UAE at the centre of international scientific discourse on human origins. The property's uninterrupted record of over 210,000 years of human habitation has made it a key contributor to the evolving narrative of early life in Southeast Arabia. 'Faya's recognition in the HEADS programme for more than a decade is a testament to the UAE's commitment to safeguarding its ancient heritage,' said Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the official ambassador for Faya Palaeolandscape ongoing UNESCO World Heritage nomination. 'Sharjah has never viewed archaeology as merely a glimpse into the past, but as a vital part of our national identity and a platform for international cultural dialogue. Faya stands as evidence of how Sharjah combines scientific research with cultural vision, elevating the emirate as a leading contributor to global heritage. The site strengthens our cultural identity, supports cutting-edge research, and invites the world to explore how deeply rooted our region is in the story of human civilisation.' According to Eisa Yousif, Director-General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA), Faya has played a pivotal role in shaping international scientific discourse on early human life. 'Faya has long been a cornerstone in the global understanding of how early humans adapted, survived, and evolved in arid landscapes,' he said. 'Its archaeological record - spanning more than 210,000 years - reveals unprecedented insights into toolmaking, burial practices, and shifting lifestyles in response to climatic extremes. Faya challenges long-held assumptions and affirms that the Arabian Peninsula was not merely a corridor, but a cradle of human evolution in its own right. It demonstrates that early societies did not just pass through this region - they thrived here, innovated, and laid cultural and social foundations that deepen our understanding of human resilience.' As one of the few documented Stone Age desert landscapes in the world, Faya provides exceptional evidence of early modern human adaptation to hyper-arid environments over tens of thousands of years. From the earliest hunter-gatherer communities to pastoral nomadic herders with funeral practices, the archaeological record at Faya reveals how humans evolved socially, technologically and spiritually in response to extreme and changing climates. Beyond its regional significance, the property contributes to a larger global understanding of how early humans navigated survival, resource management, and social development in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. The sediment layers and preserved palaeoenvironmental features at Faya have made it a key site for understanding water availability, vegetation distribution, and climatic shifts during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. These findings offer invaluable insight not only into human resilience but also into wider environmental transformations that shaped early civilisations. Faya is part of key sites recognised by the UNESCO HEADS programme for their critical contributions to human evolutionary studies, including Klasies River Caves, Border Cave and Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, and the Tchitundo-Hulu Rock Art Site in Angola. What distinguishes Faya, however, is its location within the Arabian Peninsula - a region previously understudied in global narratives of human migration. Faya is now helping reshape that narrative, anchoring Arabia as a key locus in the shared history of species. WAM
Al Etihad
6 days ago
- Al Etihad
Sharjah's Faya Palaeolandscape marks 11 years of advancing the global understanding of early human life in desert environments
3 June 2025 16:10 SHARJAH (WAM)Sharjah's Faya Palaeolandscape, one of the most scientifically significant prehistory archaeological sites in Arabia, continues to serve as a cornerstone in UNESCO's Human Evolution, Adaptations, Dispersals and Social Developments (HEADS) 11 years, the site has played a vital role in advancing global understanding of early human migration, adaptation, and survival in desert long-term collaboration between Sharjah and UNESCO HEADS programme has established Faya as a global reference point in palaeoanthropology and archaeology, placing the UAE at the centre of international scientific discourse on human property's uninterrupted record of over 210,000 years of human habitation has made it a key contributor to the evolving narrative of early life in Southeast Arabia.'Faya's recognition in the HEADS programme for more than a decade is a testament to the UAE's commitment to safeguarding its ancient heritage,' said Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the official ambassador for Faya Palaeolandscape ongoing UNESCO World Heritage nomination.'Sharjah has never viewed archaeology as merely a glimpse into the past, but as a vital part of our national identity and a platform for international cultural dialogue. Faya stands as evidence of how Sharjah combines scientific research with cultural vision, elevating the emirate as a leading contributor to global heritage. The site strengthens our cultural identity, supports cutting-edge research, and invites the world to explore how deeply rooted our region is in the story of human civilisation," she to Eisa Yousif, Director-General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA), Faya has played a pivotal role in shaping international scientific discourse on early human life.'Faya has long been a cornerstone in the global understanding of how early humans adapted, survived, and evolved in arid landscapes. Its archaeological record — spanning more than 210,000 years — reveals unprecedented insights into toolmaking, burial practices, and shifting lifestyles in response to climatic extremes."Faya challenges long-held assumptions and affirms that the Arabian Peninsula was not merely a corridor, but a cradle of human evolution in its own right. It demonstrates that early societies did not just pass through this region — they thrived here, innovated, and laid cultural and social foundations that deepen our understanding of human resilience.'As one of the few documented Stone Age desert landscapes in the world, Faya provides exceptional evidence of early modern human adaptation to hyper-arid environments over tens of thousands of the earliest hunter-gatherer communities to pastoral nomadic herders with funeral practices, the archaeological record at Faya reveals how humans evolved socially, technologically and spiritually in response to extreme and changing its regional significance, the property contributes to a larger global understanding of how early humans navigated survival, resource management, and social development in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. The sediment layers and preserved palaeoenvironmental features at Faya have made it a key site for understanding water availability, vegetation distribution, and climatic shifts during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene findings offer invaluable insight not only into human resilience but also into wider environmental transformations that shaped early is part of key sites recognised by the UNESCO HEADS programme for its critical contributions to human evolutionary studies, including Klasies River Caves, Border Cave and Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, and the Tchitundo-Hulu Rock Art Site in distinguishes Faya, however, is its location within the Arabian Peninsula - a region previously understudied in global narratives of human migration. Faya is now helping reshape that narrative, anchoring Arabia as a key locus in the shared history of support of this global effort, Dr. Knut Bretzke, one of the lead researchers on the Faya site, recently presented the findings and significance of the landscape at a UNESCO HEADS programme meeting in Cairo, underscoring the international importance of the site and Sharjah's continued leadership in heritage-based research. As the Faya nomination for World Heritage inscription progresses, the property's legacy is already firmly established: a pivotal source of scientific inquiry, international cooperation and national pride. Faya continues to show the world that the answers to humanity's oldest questions are not only written in stone but preserved in the land.
Gulf Today
6 days ago
- Gulf Today
AUS celebrates graduation of 794 students in Sharjah
American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated the graduation of 794 students at its Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony, held at University City Hall in the presence of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of AUS. The event brought together university leadership, faculty, families and guests to recognise the achievements of a graduating class representing 47 nationalities. Sheikha Bodour and AUS Chancellor Dr Tod Laursen each delivered a commencement address, sharing messages of pride, perseverance and purpose. Sheikha Bodour said, 'Through determination and tenacity, our graduates leave AUS equipped with firstly academic credentials they can be proud of, but also with the courage to ask tough questions, the empathy to lead with care, and the vision to shape a world of progress and humanity. As they step into the uncertainty of the future, I have every confidence they will adapt, lead with purpose and compassion, and that their decisions will be anchored in highest values of AUS and of Sharjah.' Chancellor Laursen added, 'This graduating class reflects the very essence of our mission-empowering students with the academic strength, ethical grounding and global perspective needed to navigate and lead in a rapidly changing world. We are proud to see them leave AUS not just with degrees, but with the confidence, curiosity and resilience that will define their contribution to society.' Guest speaker Emi Mahmoud, a poet, activist and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, addressed the graduating class with a powerful reflection on resilience and purpose. A Yale graduate, Mahmoud is internationally recognised for her spoken-word poetry and humanitarian work, using her platform to advocate for peace, education and climate justice. Her message to students highlighted the importance of applying their education and skills to drive meaningful change. In recognition of outstanding contributions to academia and research, AUS conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Dr Manahel Thabet, honouring her exceptional achievements in the fields of economics and artificial intelligence. Thabet is a distinguished economist, scientist and expert in quantum mathematics and financial engineering. She is a Guinness World Record holder for conducting the largest memory lesson and is recognised among the 30 smartest individuals alive by Super Scholar. Her global impact includes advising institutions on AI-driven economic strategies and earning accolades such as the Brain of the Year Award and the Arab Woman of the Year Award for Achievement in Scientific Development. She also serves as the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Commonwealth in Science and Technology. Student voices were central to the ceremony. Graduate Kareem Mohmoud Hijazi spoke about overcoming self-doubt and building confidence through academic rigour and mentorship at AUS, while graduate Ahmed Ayman Ahmed emphasised the privilege of education amid global unrest and the responsibility to give back. Their reflections captured a collective spirit of resilience, ambition and gratitude. The ceremony also featured the announcement of the university's top student honours. For the first time in AUS' history, the President's Cup was awarded to four students for achieving the highest academic standing in their graduating class-Hussain Ali Sajwani (finance), Hamze Kassem Soueid (electrical engineering), Omar Khaled Farrag (computer engineering) and Yousef Belal Irshaid (computer engineering with a minor in data science). The Chancellor's Cup, awarded to a student who demonstrates exceptional academic excellence, character and service, was presented to Fahad Mahmoud (management information systems with a minor in supply chain management), who graduated magna cum laude. 'AUS is where I made unforgettable memories with friends who became like family. We grew stronger through every challenge, fuelled by discipline and support,' said graduate Sajwani. WAM
