Leading industry experts, professionals, faculty members and students attended the launch of Enterprising Youth – Innovation, Technology, Sustainability, held at American University of Sharjah (AUS) today Thursday, May 3. The event, organized by the AUS Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs (OAAA), was a capacity-building initiative built on partnerships with industry to foster the creation of youth-driven innovative ideas and projects that can be launched into sustainable start-ups.

The event was divided into two parts, with the first – entitled Innovation Showcase – held in the Rotunda of the AUS Main Building. It featured pavilions and displays by a range of prominent governmental and private sector organizations including: Bee’ah, Etihad, Catalyst (Masdar-BP Initiative), GE, HP, Johnson Controls, Area 2071, Parsons, Daikin, and Sheraa.

The second half of the event consisted of a lively and informative panel discussion entitled “Advancing Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic growth for Sustainable Development.” Moderated by Dr. Ghaleb Husseini, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Associate Dean, AUS College of Engineering, the discussion featured distinguished industry professionals including Cinar Kurra, CEO, Catalyst (Masdar-BP Initiative); Samer Choucair, Vice President, CE-Creates, Crescent Group; Fadle Saad, Country Manager – Enterprise Business and Partnerships, HP Printing and Personal Systems; Ghada Elkeissi, Director, Software Engineering and Analytics, GE; and Mohamed Abboud, Territory Manager, UAE, IBM Middle East.

Speaking on the occasion, Charles A. Diab, Executive Director of OAAA, said, “We stay on the cutting edge of technological breakthroughs, and seek out innovative ideas and ambitious entrepreneurs. This initiative is a unique development platform for creative and talented specialists who are ready to realize their design and entrepreneurship ventures.”

Enterprising Youth was yet another manifestation of AUS’s commitment to engage with industry and provide its students with opportunities to interact with and learn from industry leaders. The event was supported by: Crescent Petroleum (strategic Partner), EGA and Petrofac (institutional advancement sponsors), GE (knowledge partner), Catalyst and Sheraa (community partners), and Etihad Airways (raffle sponsor).