AUS signs Sharakah MoU with Sharjah American International School

American University of Sharjah (AUS) has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sharjah American International School (SAIS) at the university's Faculty Senate Room 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 MoU, which was signed by Dr. Peter Heath, Chancellor of AUS; and Dr. Nawaf Fawaz, Director of SAIS, is part of the Sharakah program, an AUS Office of Enrollment Management strategic initiative, in collaboration with selected schools from across the United Arab Emirates that will serve as an important tool to help the university engage with educational institutions at the local as well as national level.

"Dr. Fawaz is one of the very first people in the education sector that I met and worked with when I came to AUS in 2008. So this signing today is a formalization of an ongoing partnership. This will enable us to benefit from their experience in dealing with university-bound students and their parents and we will help in strengthening programs and the preparedness of their students for university education," said Dr. Heath.

"We are very pleased to participate in this Sharakah program. We know that AUS is highly regarded as one of the best universities in the Arab region. Most of the times the first question parents ask when they come to us is if we can help their children get admission to AUS," said Dr. Fawaz. "So we are very pleased with this partnership because now we can assure parents that AUS is actually our partner in education."

The agreement aims to enhance the role of AUS in providing the necessary tools for secondary students to prepare for the university journey. According to the MoU, AUS will offer workshops to SAIS teachers; offer patronage of selected research, cultural, social and sporting activities and events organized by SAIS; award partial scholarships to deserving students selected from lists provided by SAIS; and offer university preparation courses as well as recruitment of outstanding students from varied socio-cultural and economic backgrounds to AUS. The university will also offer SAT and TOEFL preparation courses for SAIS students.

Present at the signing ceremony were Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, AUS Provost; Ali Shuhaimy, AUS Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management; other senior AUS officials; and the principals of both SAIS campuses, Sharjah and Dubai.