American University of Sharjah (AUS) and Cambridge Assessment English have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a frame of cooperation and facilitate collaboration in areas of mutual interest between the two organizations. The agreement was signed at a special ceremony held today, November 14, at the AUS campus by Professor Kevin Mitchell, Chancellor of AUS, and Liam Vint, Regional Director of Cambridge Assessment English, a department of the University of Cambridge, on behalf of their respective institutions.

As one of the leading universities in the region, AUS is committed to providing its students and faculty members with both internal and external resources that will help enhance their academic experience. This agreement with Cambridge Assessment English, an internationally-renowned provider of a range of qualifications for learners and teachers of English with expertise gathered over 100 years of language assessment, is a manifestation of that commitment.

According to the MoU, both AUS and Cambridge Assessment English will cooperate in a range of areas, including sharing best practices in curriculum design, delivery and assessment of programs in English language and collaborative research and development projects.

Commenting on the agreement, Chancellor Mitchell said:

“AUS is pleased to sign an MOU with Cambridge Assessment English. The agreement provides a framework for collaborating on research that has the potential for improving teaching and learning and contributing to knowledge in fields related to language learning.”

Liam Vint from Cambridge Assessment English said:

“Our mission is to help people to learn English and prove their skills to the world, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with AUS on this exciting initiative. Together, we will be able to offer students in Sharjah access to English language skills which will be valuable throughout their education and working life.”

He explained that “Cambridge English exams are taken by more than five and a half million people a year, all over the world, and recognized by over 25,000 universities, employers and government ministries. What makes them particularly valuable is that they are designed to ensure that learners master the skills they need in the real world.”

The agreement will support the collaborative and research engagements AUS is known for both locally and regionally, including in the field of language instruction and training by its faculty members. A recent example is the publication of a new textbook by Cambridge University Press, authored by Dr. Alessandro Benati, Professor of English and Applied Linguistics and Head of the Department of English at AUS, which aims to help language teachers enhance their skills by focusing on the most effective way to teach.

ENDS