Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Ruler of Sharjah and Supreme Council Member and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), AUS is hosting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 83rd Session on International Refugee Law on campus February 7¬-11, 2016.

The session has been organized by UNHCR in collaboration with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and AUS. Yesterday's opening event was attended by Dr. Björn Kjerfve, Chancellor of AUS; Kevin Mitchell, Interim Provost; Dr. Nabil Othman, the Regional Representative of the UNHCR; as well other AUS senior officials and UNHCR representatives.

Dr. Kjerfve welcomed the attendees and briefed the audience about the university's history and its programs.

Dr. Othman thanked His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan for hosting the session at AUS. "The session aims to introduce the participants to the international refugee law and targets governmental figures who work in drafting legislations and laws related to refugees and internally displaced individuals," said Dr. Othman.

A number of high-profile participants representing governments and human rights units from the Middle East and North Africa region are participating in the training session. Participants include 50 governmental representatives, of which 23 came from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The participants will receive intensive training from specialists in the field of international protection.

The session will continue until February 11, 2016.