American University of Sharjah (AUS) signed this week a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al Najah Private School, Abu Dhabi, to provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration between the two educational institutions on a non-exclusive basis, in areas of mutual interest in the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement will include offering of workshops to teachers and staff, offer patronage of selected research, cultural, social and sporting activities and events organized by the Sharakah partner school, award partial scholarships to deserving students selected from lists provided by Al Najah School, and offer university preparation courses as well as recruitment of outstanding students from varied socio-cultural and economic backgrounds to AUS.

Signed by Dr. Peter Heath, Chancellor of AUS and Dr. Baria Abu Zain, Principal of Al Najah Private School, the MOU was part of the Sharakah initiative recently launched by the Office of Enrollment Management at AUS. Present at the signing ceremony was Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Provost; Ali Shuhaimy, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management; and other senior university officials, as well as Ibrahim El Aridi, Vice-Principle of Al Najah School. Al Najah is among a select group of schools that have been invited into this partnership.
"AUS is fast becoming the university of choice for students and their parents across the United Arab Emirates," said Abu Zain. She said students and their parents at her school considered AUS as one of their top university destinations.

AUS will also offer patronage of selected research, cultural, social and sporting events to be organized by the school as well as participate in sponsoring the school's yearbook and other institutional publications.
The Sharakah program is a new strategic initiative by AUS in collaboration with selected schools from across the United Arab Emirates. It will serve as yet another important initiative that the university will engage in at the local as well as national level.

"We are very pleased to announce the launch of Sharakah. We hope to play a significant role in this partnership through providing support and guidance to align the objectives of both entities in strengthening programs and the preparedness of their students for university education," said Dr. Heath.

Ali Shuhaimy, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, said that AUS was once again reaching out to the community through strategic partnerships such as the Sharakah program. "Through Sharakah, we will partner with select schools in the country to create a platform for a mutually beneficial educational and co-educational exchange programs," he explained. Shuhaimy believed that such associations play an important role in institutional development.