American University of Sharjah (AUS) and Arabtec Construction has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at fostering cooperation between the two entities in areas of mutual interest.

At a special ceremony held on the sidelines of the recruitment Tawdheef exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Acting Chancellor of AUS, and Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Director of Emiratization at Arabtec Construction, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions. His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Development, inaugurated the event and met with senior officials from both AUS and Arabtec.

"It gives me great pleasure to sign this agreement with Arabtec, one of the leading construction companies in the region," said Dr. Hochstettler. "It has always been our goal to partner with institutions that represent the best values of their industry. Arabtec and AUS both share a passion for excellence. We have many areas of mutual interest, and this MoU is a tangible manifestation of our commitment to work together for the benefit of not just our individual organizations but our respective industries as well," he added.

Hasan Abdullah Ismaik, Chairman of the board of directors for Arabtec Construction, commented: "Arabtec has always been keen on supporting the UAE's socioeconomic development, and attracting local talent to our fast growing business is at the heart of this initiative. The signing of this MoU coincides with a large-scale campaign to recruit ambitious Emirati youth in a wide range of openings. Indeed, this MoU with AUS is an important milestone in this respect and we look forward to attracting scores of AUS graduates to our business and enabling them to marry their quality education with superb practice at our diverse world-class operations."

The MoU will focus on jointly promoting and implementing cooperation in areas where both AUS and Arabtec have common interests. These include activities such as supporting employment of students and graduates; organizing of student-related programs such as summer training programs and work placement programs; customized corporate programs for Arabtec employees as well as mutual site visits. According to the terms decided, the MoU shall remain in effect for a five-year period.

The agreement is reflection of the university's strategic goals and its emphasis on community outreach. AUS is well known for its focus on building bridges with industry leaders and is committed to establishing and enhancing partnerships that play a palpable role in the progress and development of society. The university has well-established forums where industry leaders are invited to share their expertise and experience. As part of the growing relationship between AUS and Arabtec, Dr. Al Hammadi from Arabtec will be joining one such forum, namely the National Advisory Council of the university's College of Engineering.