Celebrating our Silver Jubilee
25 Years of AUS
American University of Sharjah is the fulfillment of the vision of our founder, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS.
When His Highness raised the UAE flag to inaugurate AUS in Fall 1997, our pioneer students, faculty and staff took hold of his vision to see this new institution shape and impact society and future generations through science, education and research.
As we mark our 25th anniversary, this continues to be lived out in our lecture halls, studios, laboratories, classrooms, and offices on campus, and indeed around the world, as proud AUSers carry out the vision of His Highness.
This page will be updated regularly as we chronicle our Silver Jubilee celebrations and initiatives, highlight our achievements over the past 25 years, and look ahead to our aspirations for the future.
Silver Jubilee Podcast
Created by student and faculty from the Department of Mass Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the AUS Silver Jubilee Podcast features interviews with key individuals who have contributed to the success of our university over the past 25 years.
Listen here, on Spotify and other platforms.
Calendar of Events
The AUS Silver Jubilee will be marked from Spring 2022 through Spring 2023.
From concerts and events to creative collaborations and academic conferences, across social media and on campus, we plan to deliver a range of activities that will celebrate faculty, staff, students, alumni, and our business and community partners.
The following schedule highlights some of the key events that are planned to celebrate our first 25 years.
Note: Schedule is subject to change.
AUS Alumni Silver Jubilee Reunion
Under the patronage and in the presence of our founder His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS, the AUS Alumni Silver Jubilee Reunion was held on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at the AUS Main Plaza.
This year's celebration brought the AUS community together under the theme #AUSis25, with thousands of alumni and high profile delegates attending from all over the region.
The night's festivities included a magnificent light show highlighting the university's iconic Main Building, a performance by the AUS Choir debuting the official AUS anthem, a motivational presentation by UAE entrepreneur Anas Bukhash, and a spectacular fireworks display. His Highness also recognized several outstanding members of the AUS alumni community for their achievements and contributions to the community, which included alumni inducted in the AUS Hall of Fame 2023, and winners of the AUS Alumni Volunteer Service Award 2023 and Most Active Council Member Award 2023.
The following corporate sponsors were also acknowledged for their generous support: Alef Group, Arada, Bee’ah, Crescent Petroleum, Emaar, Etisalat, Invest in Sharjah, Petrofac, Sharjah Media City (Shams), Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Sharjah National Oil Corporation, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority and Commerce Development Authority, and Talabat.
AUS Gratitude Park
The AUS Gratitude Park was inaugurated on Saturday, January 28, 2023 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah as part of the AUS Alumni Silver Jubilee Reunion.
The Gratitude Park was commissioned to mark the 25th anniversary of the university and pay tribute to the contributions AUS alumni and friends of the university have made to AUS, helping it to become one of the region’s leading institutions. The park’s design comes from two notable architects who are AUS alumni, Eman Shafiq and Samrakshana Suresh. The architects graduated from the AUS College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
The Gratitude Park acknowledges these achievements with its field of rising columns, anchored by a foundational stone wall at its center. Set in a 310 square meter space on the AUS campus, the columns rise as they radiate away from the center wall, representing the commendable work of AUS students and alumni. The timber columns display the names of notable alumni and recognizable contributors to the university’s success over the past 25 years. New columns will be added in future years to mark the new contributions alumni and other supporters will inevitably make to the university.
The surrounding park celebrates the educational standards and methodologies of AUS as it celebrates a quarter of a century of outstanding education. Employing a non-invasive landscape strategy with a landscape palette consisting of plants suited to the environment of Sharjah, the park has a reduced environmental impact, consistent with AUS’ position as an international leader in sustainability.
Watch this video to meet the architects and to learn more about their vision.
AUS Commemorative Silver Coins
In celebration of AUS’ Silver Jubilee, American University of Sharjah (AUS) in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), has issued 1,000 commemorative silver coins.
The issuance of these commemorative coins aims to celebrate 25 years of achievements since the establishment of AUS in 1997, in fulfillment of the vision of our founder, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of American University of Sharjah.
AUS alumni were able to acquire the commemorative coins, and the proceeds were allocated towards the Silver Jubilee Scholarship Fund, which aims to provide the equivalent of 25 scholarships for 25 students in celebration of AUS’ 25th anniversary. The coins were sold out within 24 hours of announcing this initiative.
Each coin weighs 40 grams. The front side includes an image of AUS with the year of its establishment in 1997, surrounded by the name of the university in Arabic and English. The reverse side of the coin includes the official AUS Silver Jubilee emblem with the name of the Central Bank of the UAE written in both Arabic and English.
Thank you to everyone who took part in this initiative and contributed in making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Celebrate With Us
Give to the AUS Silver Jubilee Scholarship Fund
As part of our Silver Jubilee celebrations, the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs is spearheading the #AUS25for25 initiative, which aims to raise the equivalent of 25 scholarships for 25 AUS students.
By participating in some of the initiatives and events in our Silver Jubilee calendar, friends and supporters of AUS community will be able to contribute to AUS Silver Jubilee Scholarship Fund—an unrestricted non-endowment fund that will be used to address the critical needs of our students. The students who benefit from this fund will be selected for their good academic standing and demonstrated financial need as determined by the university’s financial grants and scholarships review process.
For more information about how to contribute to the AUS Silver Jubilee Scholarship Fund, please email [email protected].
Buy AUS Merchandise
Did you know that by purchasing any of our official AUS merchandise, you help support AUS students with financial needs? For every purchase, 8 percent of the total purchase price will be donated to the AUS General Student Support Fund.
A great selection of apparel, gifts, accessories and more is available through the online AUS Merchandise Shop.
The online store is the only place to get official, licensed merchandise, so check it out today!
Enter a Competition
In celebration of our Silver Jubilee, the College of Engineering (CEN) is hosting three multimedia competitions.
The competitions are open to all AUS students, alumni and employees with monetary prizes awarded to the winners.
Learn more about the competitions and how to take part by clicking the links below.
Share Your AUS Memories
As we look back at how our campus has changed over the past 25 years, we also acknowledge the students, faculty and staff who made their own personal mark on the university and made it what it is today.
If you have any old photos of AUS, or stories about how the university has impacted you personally or professionally, we'd love you to share them with us via email at [email protected].
You can also tag us on social media using #25yearsofAUS.
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