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At the beginning of the meeting, His Highness welcomed the Board members, appreciating their constructive efforts and supportive views on the university's remarkable progress at various academic, research, and administrative levels.
His Highness extended his thanks and appreciation to Dr Hamid Majul Al Nuaimi for his significant efforts in leading the university during the past period, which contributed to the university's development in various fields.
His Highness praised the University of Sharjah's progress and its continued efforts to maintain its prestigious status among universities. This is achieved through the continuous development of the scientific research system and the alignment of its academic programmes with global developments and modern technological advancements, in line with the needs of the business sector, 21st-century skills, and the future aspirations of students.
His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi expressed his pride in the university's remarkable progress in applied scientific research aimed at serving and developing the community, and in the university's advancement in various international rankings.
His Highness affirmed his pride in the distinguished position the university has attained locally, regionally, and globally. His Highness also expressed his special appreciation to the faculty members for their significant efforts over the past period, through meetings and interactive workshops. These efforts aimed to evaluate the university's performance and develop recommendations for continuous improvement and development, by devising executive action plans to ensure the university maintains its prestigious academic standing and reputation, and its leadership at the national and regional levels.
The Board approved the university's operating budget for the 2025-2026 academic year, amounting to AED 1.27 billion. The Board also approved the graduation of a new batch of students who have completed their graduation requirements by the end of the spring semester of 2024-2025. This total number of graduates is 2,026, including 1,643 bachelor's degrees, 16 postgraduate diplomas, 302 master's degrees, and 65 doctoral degrees.
The Board of Trustees also approved several new academic programmes that meet the needs of the changing labour market and provide the necessary competencies for development, thus supporting the economic and social growth of the country and the region. These programmes include: a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership in Higher Education, a Master of Interior Architecture in Adaptive Reuse, a Master of Science in Safety Engineering, a Master of Science in Innovation and Construction Management, a Master of Laws and Economics, a Professional Master in Shari'a Supervision and Auditing, and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering.
The Board also approved the establishment of two research centres: the Exeter-Sharjah Centre for Global Studies, which aims to help support interaction and communication between communities and their impact on various aspects of life. The second is the Centre for Advanced Biotechnology, which aims to support advanced interdisciplinary research and enhance international cooperation in vital areas related to sustainable development, innovation, and creativity, and to contribute to achieving research objectives in many important fields, especially in biotechnology.
The Board approved the promotion of 22 faculty members, including 8 to the rank of full professor and 14 to associate professor. This reflects the University's commitment to supporting its academic competencies and enhancing its educational and research standing, and is in appreciation of the influential scientific research provided by faculty members, their adoption of modern teaching and learning methods, and their efforts in serving and developing the community.
The Board reviewed a report by Dr Essam Al-Din Ajami, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, which addressed the University's performance and achievements during the 2024-2025 academic year. He began by thanking His Highness the President of the University and all partners, including the Board of Trustees, the university family, advisory councils, training and recruitment agencies, and accreditation bodies.
Dr Essam Al-Din Ajami also reviewed the achievements of the EDGE strategic plan, which extends until 2030. The plan is centreed around four main pillars: enhancing Emiratisation in academic and administrative positions, achieving full digital transformation, strengthening international and regional cooperation, and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship among students and graduates.
The report included indicators of the university's progress in global rankings, the rapidly evolving level of scientific research, and the acquisition of local and international academic accreditations for its programmes, which number 23 doctoral programmes, 58 master's programmes, 62 bachelor's programmes, and four postgraduate diploma programes. It also addressed academic performance evaluations, the feasibility of offered programmes, the appointment of qualified academic staff, the development of the university's internal policies and procedures, and efforts to develop the university's infrastructure, capabilities, community outreach, and local, regional, and global relations. The report highlighted the university's commitment to advancing its efforts to support and improve its good governance and scientific research systems, and to review and develop academic programs by integrating employment skills, artificial intelligence technologies, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The Council also reviewed reports from specialised committees and the Emiratisation Committee, which aim to increase the number of Emirati faculty and administrative staff and provide them with the necessary skills to perform their duties and lead the university to progress.
The meeting was attended by His Highness the Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Dr Mansour Mohammed bin Nassar, Chairman of the Sharjah Government Legal Department; Saeed Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA); Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA); Mohammed Abdullah, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank; Dr Essam El-Din Ajami, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah; Dr Hamid Majul Al Nuaimi, Advisor to the President of the University, Director of the Sharjah Academy for Space and Astronomy Sciences and Technology, and President of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy; Dr Obaid bin Butti Al Muhairi, former Executive Dean of Arabic Language and Emirati Studies at the Higher Colleges of Technology; and Dr Khawla Abdul Rahman Al Mulla, former Chairperson of the Family Affairs Authority.
The meeting was also attended by: Dr Jacques Vermont, President of the University of Ottawa in Canada; Dr Alexander Kuleshov, President of the Skolkov Institute of Science and Technology in Russia; Dr Mohamed Hamdi Ben Abdelshakour, Director of the University of Malaya in Malaysia; Dr Paul O'Byrne, Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University in Canada; Dr Martin Pestaro, Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Science Projects at the University of Leicester and Director of the Leicester Institute for Space and Earth Observation in the UK; Dr Kamal Youssef Toumi, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Co-Director of the Centre for Clean Water and Clean Energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States; and Dr Oussama Khatib, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and Director of the Stanford Robotics Centre at Stanford University in the United States.
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