American University of Sharjah (AUS) student Yousef Khalifa Al-Ghufli was named the 2012 Arab Thought Youth Ambassador for the UAE during the FIKR10 Conference, the tenth annual conference of the Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) held earlier this month in Dubai under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Al-Ghufli, a senior in international studies with a double concentration in international relations and Western studies, is the first Emirati to hold the title. He joins 21 other youth ambassadors in representing countries in the Arab World and will represent the UAE at the next ATF conference.

"I was nominated for the title as a result of my experience in youth empowerment as well as active participation in extracurricular activities and global youth conferences," said Al-Ghufli. "This title is a highly selective and highly competitive honorary position that is sought after around the Arab World."

As part of his duties, Al-Ghufli will meet with the other youth ambassadors to identify the goals of the program for the next year. "Our aims will be to engage in youth empowerment and promote community service within our respective communities. I also wish to establish communications with UAE youth organizations as well as government institutions concerned with youth development to identify common ground that would bring all these institutions and organizations to work together," he said.

Themed "The Arab Spring: What's Next," the conference was graced by attendees and speakers such as the Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; His Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Al-Saud, Governor of Makkah Province and Chairman of ATF; His Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud, Former Saudi Ambassador to the USA and Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; His Excellency Fouad Siniora, former Prime Minister of Lebanon currently serving as a Member of Parliament; and His Excellency Amr Moussa, Former Secretary-General of the Arab League and Former Foreign Minister of Egypt; as well as prominent Arab intellectuals and businessmen.