The newly elected AUS Alumni Association (AUSAA) Council held its first gathering recently with members flying from across the world to meet at American University of Sharjah (AUS). The convocation was attended by 54 council members; AUS Chancellor, Dr. Peter Heath; AUS Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs, Dr. Nada Mourtada-Sabbah; and the AUSAA Board representatives.

With council elections being conducted on October 30, 2012, 75 alumni volunteers were voted in by the 7,700 AUS alumni to represent the various geographical chapters of the association as well as each class from the colleges and schools corresponding to every year of graduation. 

In congratulating the new council members, Dr. Heath expressed his confidence "that members of the newly elected Alumni Association Council will continue to endeavor to take the name of their alma mater far and high, and that they will use their elected term within AUSAA for the betterment of society." Chancellor Heath commended the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs team, led byDr. Mourtada-Sabbah, for the considerable efforts invested and the great strides made in a short time in providing meaningful opportunities for AUS alumni to connect and network. The AUSAA has become a role model in the region.

Dr. Mourtada- Sabbah also congratulated the newly elected council members and wished them success in fulfilling their responsibilities to take the AUSAA to greater heights of achievement. "The Alumni Association boasts men and women of unbridled vision, dynamism, dedication and talent. You are men and women of determination and action who can ascend any challenge. As the leaders of the association, you and your members have already raised the AUS flag from many mountains and are ready to plant the flag high in new terrain this year and in many years to come," she said. She remarked that alumni ambassadors across the world, already count among their members heads of diplomatic missions; first secretaries of embassies; commercial attaches to international trade delegations; doctorates in many academic fields; acclaimed artists; executives that have already ascended the career ladder into board rooms; recipients of prestigious awards in industry and in academic disciplines; and the "movers and shakers" of their respective communities. "In short, the AUS Alumni Association knows how to get the job done and has demonstrated success many times over," she added.

AUSAA President Ahmed Al Jbori thanked his fellow council members for taking time from their busy schedules to attend the meeting. "Our vision for the next two years is to engage every single alumnus and alumna with the association as the AUSAA should be the alumni's network for life," stated Al Jbori. He also announced the forthcoming leadership training workshop which will be provided to alumni leaders on the AUSAA Council by the Protocol School of Washington to provide protocol, cross cultural communication and diplomacy guidance to all members-elect. 

The meeting also served as ground for the newly elected council members to meet and interact with one another and discuss future strategic plans for each respective chapter/class or constituency and the AUS Alumni Association as a whole. The gathering marked the official launch of both Simplicity, the new career development platform being made available to AUS alumni to assist their search for employment and internships opportunities; and Encompass, the new alumni networking portal. The showcasing of these new social networking platforms educated council members on the systems' functions in addition to encouraging them to promote their use among other fellow alumni.