AUS and KSA’s Maarif Education sign Sharakah agreement

As part of American University of Sharjah’s (AUS) community engagement efforts, the university has been successfully expanding its renowned Sharakah Program in the region with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Maarif Education, KSA, making it the third regional school to join this initiative.

The Sharakah Program is a strategic initiative that aims to promote sustainable partnerships with select schools, to engage schoolteachers and students by offering a wide range of events, activities and programs, from teacher workshops and training to academic events and sports competitions for students, as well as sponsorship for school publications and events. According to the MoA, AUS will consider students nominated by the school for partial scholarships. It will also offer patronage of selected research, cultural, social and sports events organized by the school, in addition to organizing workshops for the school’s faculty and staff.

The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Susan Mumm, Chancellor of AUS, and Ihab Osman, Chief Executive Officer of Maarif Education, in the presence of Dr. Juan Sanchez, AUS Provost; Ali Shuhaimy, Executive Director of Enrollment Management at AUS; Dana Abu Goura, Chief Education Officer at Maarif Education; Hala Al-Jundi, Sharakah Program Officer at AUS; and other senior officials from the two institutions.

“We are delighted to partner with Maarif Education. Both of our institutions believe that we have a responsibility for the transfer of knowledge and skills and creating community change. As we celebrate 25 years of educational excellence at AUS, we are glad to see our Sharakah Program expand regionally. AUS has always been committed to supporting talented future generations to reach their potential, and we look forward to working with Maarif Education to realize this objective,” said Chancellor Mumm.

Speaking about the importance of the partnership between the school and university, Osman said:

“American University of Sharjah is an education beacon in the region, and I have been part of several events that you have held here in the past years. As you know, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is going through a massive transformation, as we work towards the realization of Vision 2030. Education is a key area in the transformational process taking place in the kingdom. By partnering with AUS, we are looking to equip our students with skills and knowledge to contribute to KSA’s national agenda, which is driven by Saudization. We are happy with this partnership and look forward to more collaborations along the way.”

A number of select schools from across the UAE and region currently participate in the Sharakah Program at AUS, with their students and staff benefiting from a variety of opportunities. For more information about the program, please visit w.aus.edu/sharakah.