His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), will attend the university's Spring 2014 Commencement on Saturday, June 7 at the University City Hall, Sharjah.

A total of 527 undergraduate and graduate candidates will participate in the ceremony.In preparation for the event, a rehearsal was held today, June 5, followed by a class photo and a luncheon organized by the AUS Office of Development and Alumni Affairs (ODAA) in honor of the graduating class.

Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Acting Chancellor of AUS, thanked Sheikh Dr. Sultan for his extensive and visionary support to the university since its inauguration 17 years ago. Dr. Hostettler stressed on the hope that the university's fresh graduates represent before the challenges of the modern world. "Nowhere is this hope more dramatically personified than in a gathering like this one today, when we celebrate together the collective and individual achievements of talented and educated young men and women," said the Acting Chancellor.

Speaking at the luncheon, Dr. Nada Mourtada-Sabbah, AUS Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs, said: "As AUS's youngest alumni to be, you, collectively, bear the unmistakable imprint of years spent within our community of learners and questioners. Your diploma signifies that as an AUS graduate, you have mastered free inquiry, originality, academic and social responsibility and personal integrity."

Also present at the event were Ahmad Al Jabouri, former president of the AUS Alumni Association, and Suhaila Al Falasi, an AUS alumna who is now working as an examiner at the Central Bank of the UAE. The two alumni congratulated the graduating students and shared their experiences with them. Present were also senior AUS and UAE Central Bank officials.

AUS has succeeded in becoming a pioneer higher education institution in the region. The university has endeavored to develop long-lasting ties with public and private sectors, which is a step toward bridging the gap between higher educational institutions and the job market, both for the present and future generations of students and alumni.Founded in 1997, the university has fulfilled His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan's vision of a quality institution catering to the aspirations and needs of the UAE and the wider Gulf community as a whole. Over the past decade, the student body has increased considerably, necessitating the launch of two graduation ceremonies per year.