Sharjah Deputy Ruler opens AUS Business forum

Under the patronageof His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme CouncilMember, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of American University of Sharjah(AUS), His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salim Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, DeputyRuler of Sharjah, opened the third annual AUS Business Forum at the AUS MainBuilding today, Monday, March 12.

Themed "TurningChallenges into Opportunities," the event was attended by leading executives inthe GCC. The forum, which engages business leaders, academics and industry leaders,is designed to initiate a platform for business and investment opportunities inresponse to the ever-changing business environment in the GCC.

The opening ceremonywas attended by Sheikh Salem Bin Abdulrahman Al Qassimi, Director of the Officeof His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah; Salem al Owais, Advisor at the Office of theRuler of Sharjah; AUS Trustee Hamid Jafar, Chairman of the Board and CEO ofCrescent Petroleum; Mohammad Diab Al Mosa, Advisor at the Office of the Rulerof Sharjah; Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, AUS Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs; AliShuhaimy, AUS Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management; Cleve McDaniel, AUSVice Chancellor for Finance and Administration; and AUS deans and senior officials.

"The forum is aspecial gathering of eminent men and women whose presence today fulfills animportant purpose for this university: the sharing of bold, creative ideas bysome of the finest minds with a receptive audience on matters relevant andcurrent. Whatever your field of interest may be, you can find something ofvalue at one of the panel discussions at the Business Forum," said Dr. PeterHeath, AUS Chancellor.

"His Highness theRuler of Sharjah envisioned that science and education must regain theirrightful place in the advancement of our society, and it is for this reasonthat the university continues a bold, collaborative strategy of networking theAUS community with the private sector to fulfill the needs of the UAE," saidDr. Nada Mourtada-Sabbah, AUS Vice Chancellor for Development and AlumniAffairs. "The forum, in its third year now, is one of the university's keychannels utilized to identify and address contemporary topics in a manner toprovide a 'formula for the future' that brings together leading industryexperts from various sectors, with farsighted governmental leadership, alongwith leading academic scholars. With the global economy's current challenges,we feel that the forum achieves a much-needed triangulation between academia,governmental agencies and the private sector," she added.

AUS Business Forum2012 featured keynote addresses by AUS Trustee Hamid Jafar, Chairman of theBoard and CEO of Crescent Petroleum, and Homaid Al Shemmari, Executive Directorof Mubadala Aerospace.

"Today's sessionswill be a great learning experience for all of you students, recent graduatesand alumni. I hope that it will spark a set of ideas and enthusiasm in you thatwill grow into successful careers that will benefit you, your families andsociety at large," said Mr. Jafar. "As you embark on this pursuit of suitablecareer paths for your future, I implore you to also take a leadership role ineducating your communities on better uses of available resources. Abuse ofresources is challenging our environment and jeopardizing our future-that iswhy I am asking you to be ambassadors for a sustainable future as you pursueyour future."

"Human capitaldevelopment is the most important challenge in the UAE. That is why it gives megreat pleasure to participate in this forum because this is one of the bestways to address this challenge," said Mr. Al Shemmari. "We as business leadersand government entities need to partner with educational institutions like AUSto find ways to develop the required human capital.

The event featuredsix panels including a keynote panel, which addressed the forum's theme,"Turning Challenges Into Opportunities." Keynote panelists included Raja EasaAl Gurg, Managing Director of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group; Fatima Obaid Al Jaber,Chief Operating Officer of Al Jaber Group; and Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, SecretaryGeneral of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology ofICT Qatar. Other panels featured prominent speakers from UAE, KSA and Qatardiscussing the topics Family Business and Entrepreneurship, Urbanism andConstruction, Energy, Business and Media.

The university'sannual Career Fair was held in parallel with the AUS Business Forum. The fairprovided the AUS community with the opportunity to meet with scores ofdifferent local, regional and international private, semi-government andgovernment agencies interested in recruiting AUS students and graduates aseither full-time employees and/or interns.

"The Career Fair istruly a gateway to opportunity. It interfaces the AUS laboratory, where ourstudents acquire skills and knowledge, and the world of business, where theseskills and knowledge are put to use. Graduating seniors and alumni have thewonderful convenience of interacting with a multitude of company officers readyto hire suitable candidates. Many local and multinational companies participatein the Career Fair, most from the United Arab Emirates but many from othercountries as well," Dr. Heath added.

Eighty prominentbusinesses participated in this year's Career Fair, including CrescentPetroleum and SAP Middle East as gold sponsors; L'Oreal, Unilever, Petrofac,National Petroleum Construction Company, Cummins and DEWA as silver sponsors; andAl Sayegh Media, Hewlett Packard, Chalhoub Group, Philips, Shell, Procter &Gamble, Dolphin Energy, Arabtec Construction, SABB, Technolous IntegratedSolutions, ADNOC, Tyco Valves, and Alstom as bronze sponsors.

The Career Fair wasorganized by the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at AUS as part of theuniversity's commitment to provide its students and graduates opportunities tolocate appropriate jobs and prepare them to be integrated within the labormarket. Both events attracted a large number of students, alumni, guests, and facultymembers.