Sheikha Bodour opens annual graduation exhibition of AUS
The College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) presented its highly anticipated annual graduation exhibition, 'Six Degrees,' on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP).
Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of AUS, attended the opening and officially inaugurated the exhibit.
In its 15th year, the exhibition brought together the work of graduating students across CAAD's diverse degree programmes — architecture, interior design, design management, multimedia design, visual communication and urban planning.
The opening ceremony was open to the public and served as an important platform for connecting emerging talent from CAAD with representatives from the design professions in the UAE.
'For each student, Six Degrees represents the culmination of four or five years of rigorous studio practice, creative exploration and growth. It offers our community a moment of celebration, reflection and pride,' said Dr. Varkki Pallathucheril, Dean of CAAD.
'The show has grown significantly over the years, and, as I mark my final year as dean, I am deeply grateful to those at CAAD who work tirelessly to bring it to life. I feel fortunate to have witnessed so many generations of CAAD graduates launch their professional journeys through this platform.'
'We are proud to host Six Degrees at SRTIP, a celebration of creativity, innovation, and the exceptional talent nurtured at the American University of Sharjah. This exhibition reflects our ongoing commitment to bridging academia and industry, and to empowering the next generation of designers and architects who will shape more sustainable, human-centred cities and products for the future,' said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, the Chief Executive Officer of the SRTIP.
The event also included the CAAD annual awards ceremony.
This year, 28 outstanding students and faculty were recognised for their exceptional academic performance, creative accomplishments, leadership and service to the university community.
'Six Degrees has always been more than just a showcase — it's a celebration of transformation. Year after year, it captures the evolution of creative thought, the courage to challenge convention and the spirit of design that defines CAAD. Returning to the show is a reminder of the energy and imagination that first shaped me as a student and now fuels my work as a professional,' said CAAD alumna Tala Alnounou.
CAAD is widely recognised for its distinctive studio-based education model and interdisciplinary approach to design.
As the top-ranked school (tied) for architecture and the built environment in the UAE and among the top 260 schools globally for art and design (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025), CAAD offers creatively-gifted students a dynamic environment in which to sharpen their creative skills and make their mark in the world of design.
This year's Six Degrees showcase was accompanied by Najat Makki, Artist in Residence, 2024–25, a special exhibition of selected works by pioneering Emirati visual artist Dr. Najat Makki, developed during her residency at AUS.
Dr. Makki's exhibited works explore transitions in time and place through layered colour, ornamentation and abstraction — offering a deeply personal yet universally resonant reflection on memory, heritage and modernity.
Dr. Makki's residency at AUS was part of a broader vision championed by Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of AUS, to position creative practice as a central pillar of academic life.
The Six Degrees showcase and Najat Makki Artist in Residence 2024–25 are part of the same exhibition space at SRTIP.
From June 1, the exhibition will be open to the public from 9:00am to 11:00 p.m. The exhibition will remain open until June 6.
Recently, the AUS Board of Trustees, chaired by Sheikha Bodour, convened to review and approve a series of strategic actions focused on leadership development, academic excellence and financial sustainability.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
11 hours 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
a day 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
a day 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
