American University of Sharjah (AUS) announced yesterday names of the four winners of Sheikh Khalifa Scholarship, an AUS highly competitive award that recognizes academic excellence, leadership potential, service to the community, demonstrated talent in the field of study, and participation in extracurricular and university activities. AUS Chancellor Dr. Björn Kjerfve honored the four outstanding students who were awarded the prestigious scholarship for the academic year 2015-2016.

The winners of the Sheikh Khalifa Scholarship were Husain Rangwalla, School of Business Administration; Sakeena Khatri, College of Arts and Sciences; Nouran El Messalami, College of Engineering; and Reema Abu Hassan, College of Architecture, Art and Design. The four students were selected based on their excellent academic standing and participation in extracurricular activities. The latter includes taking part in cultural events and student clubs, international competitions, student organizations and volunteer work.

Chancellor Kjerfve first congratulated the winners, after which Kevin Mitchell, Interim Provost, praised them for their hard work and dedication. "The Sheikh Khalifa Scholarship is truly the highest honor that an AUS student can achieve. It not only recognizes academic excellence but also broader contributions to the AUS community," said Mitchell.

The scholarship is awarded through an annual two-stage competition that includes a rigorous review of applications by committees within each college/school and by a university committee that includes representatives from academic and non-academic units. The scholarship identifies students who exemplify the ideals of open intellectual inquiry, ethical behavior, and social and civic responsibility that form the core of the AUS mission.

Husain Rangwalla, the recipient from the School of Business Administration, said, "The Sheikh Khalifa Scholarship means a great deal to me. I've been working toward this dream since I joined AUS and the dream paid off today. This is not the end of it; I'd call it the beginning. There's a lot more that I plan to achieve in the year and a half that I have left at AUS."

The Sheikh Khalifa Scholarship awardees receive funding that covers up to 16 credit hours for four consecutive semesters or until graduation requirements are met. The scholarship funds come from the revenues of an AED 10 million donation by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to AUS during a visit to Sharjah University City in 2005. The ceremony was attended by the AUS deans and senior officials.