American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated the achievements and academic accomplishments of 439 students at the Class of Fall 2022 commencement ceremony at University City Hall, Sharjah. 

Dr. Susan Mumm, Chancellor of AUS, conferred the degrees on the members of the graduating class, who represented various majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

“AUS was founded 25 years ago by a great visionary, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed AlQasimi, member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS. He established the university with a mandate that emphasized the liberal arts, with a focus on education as a vehicle for the betterment of society. There is a great need for universities with values such as those embedded by His Highness in AUS, which we continue to hold as we celebrate our Silver Jubilee,” said Chancellor Mumm in her address. 

She added: “We look forward to seeing you create knowledge, participate in building national economies and living a healthy civic life. You learned to be hardworking, persevering, tolerant, creative and courageous. You are what the world needs, and we will always be proud of you as true representatives of your alma mater. Our alumni work in some of the most important international and national organizations, with many proving themselves as successful entrepreneurs with established multi million-dollar organizations. We have alumni who turned to academia and are working in some of the most prestigious universities around the world, while others who chose to serve their countries and communities as government officials and ministers to influence policy.” 

Chancellor Mumm further noted: “It is because we believe that tomorrow matters that we want to build on our successes. We are committed to investing in the future and to seeing our talented students, ambitious alumni and world-class faculty contribute to the betterment of their communities, the UAE’s development agenda and making a difference in the world.”

Speaking on behalf of the Class of Fall 2022, student speaker Maha Mansour described AUS as a universe that brings together people from different backgrounds and cultures as they plan their journeys into their future. 

“While reflecting on the years that have gone by and thinking about the people in our universes who supported us and helped us make it this far, I am overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude. Firstly, to Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah and President of AUS. Thank you for your vision, which has provided us with access to an incomparable education. To our families, thank you for believing in us even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. To our friends, thank you for always having our backs and for standing behind us no matter what. To our professors, thank you for always pushing us to do our best. And to all of the staff members at AUS who work tirelessly day in and day out to make sure that the AUS universe runs smoothly, a big thanks to you,” she said.

Mansour added: “To fellow graduates, as we join new universes, I urge you and myself to take what we learned at AUS in the classroom and outside of it to contribute. Remember to always lead with goodness and to strive to leave a positive impact on the people around you. You never know: an interaction that you deem to be small and trivial may be life changing for someone else.” 

The breakdown of the Class of Fall 2022 is as follows:

Number of undergraduate students receiving degrees: 367

Number of graduate students receiving degrees: 72

Number of male graduates: 220

Number of female graduates: 219

Total number of UAE nationals graduating: 132

A breakdown of the graduating class by college/school is as follows:

College of Architecture, Art and Design: 18 undergraduate and one graduate 

College of Arts and Sciences: 48 undergraduate and eight graduate 

College of Engineering: 204 undergraduate and 42 graduate 

School of Business Administration: 97 undergraduate and 21 graduate

Founded in 1997, AUS articulated the vision of its founder as a distinctive institution against the backdrop of Islamic history and in the context of the aspirations and needs of contemporary society in the UAE and the Gulf region. Since its establishment, AUS has been nurturing and equipping students to become award-winning architects, designers, scientists, journalists, engineers, innovators, researchers, successful entrepreneurs–and even leaders of the UAE’s space program. Celebrating 25 years of excellence, it is ranked among the top 10 universities in the Arab world, acclaimed for its academic excellence, multicultural environment and outstanding facilities.