His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and Founder and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), will attend the university’s Fall 2009 Commencement on Wednesday, December 30, 2009. The commencement will be held at the University City Hall, Sharjah.
More than 470 undergraduate and graduate candidates will participate in the ceremony.
Dr. Peter Heath, Chancellor of AUS, thanked Sheikh Dr. Sultan for his tremendous support to the university since its inception more than a decade ago. Dr. Heath also conveyed his congratulations to the members of the Board of Trustees, graduates and parents on this occasion. Salem Al Qaseer, AUS Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, praised the university’s achievements, saying that the university had come a long way in a short period of time under the patronage and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi.
AUS has succeeded in becoming a pioneer higher education institution in the region and in meeting the needs of the UAE and Gulf society. The university has partnered with representatives of the private and government sectors to meet the needs of the market, which is a step toward bridging the gap between higher education institutions and the job market.
Founded in 1997, the university has fulfilled His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan’s vision of a distinctive institution against the backdrop of Islamic history and in the context of the aspirations and needs of contemporary society in the UAE and the Gulf States. Over the past decade, the student body has increased considerably necessitating the recent launch of two graduation ceremonies per year.
With 26 majors and 42 minors at the undergraduate level, AUS also offers 13 master’s degree programs through the following academic divisions: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Business and Management, and School of Architecture and Design.
As a provider of quality higher education in the Gulf, AUS is licensed in the United States by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215 662 5606). AUS is also licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the UAE, and all undergraduate and graduate programs are recognized by the ministry and have been awarded either accreditation or accreditation-eligible status. All six of the bachelor’s degree programs in the AUS College of Engineering are accredited by ABET in the United States.
