Leading experts discuss regional and global economic issues at AUS Careers Forum

Business leaders, high-level policymakers and prominent scholars from the industry discussed important global and regional economic challenges during panel discussions held as part of the annual AUS Careers Forum held today, March 14 at American University of Sharjah (AUS).

The panel discussions, held under the theme "Global Economic Challenges: Current Impact and Consequences for the Job Market," focused on topics that included professional career choice and development in family firms, digital revolution and future economies, and issues surrounding promoting globalization at a time of protectionism.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Leland Blank, Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer at AUS, welcomed the delegates to the event and said, "The forum is one of AUS's flagship events as it connects both academia and aspects of academe with the world of business. There is a lot more to higher education than just a fixed place in a classroom or a laboratory. It is an experience of seeing what is happening in business and understanding how globalization is taking place."

"This is a very special forum where discussions that happen today in addition to tomorrow's career fair, offer opportunities for students, members and employers to get together, one on one, make plans and look at career opportunities," he added.  The Provost also thanked the sponsors for their generosity.

As one of the most high-profile events held on campus, the Careers Forum aims to connect the country's top public and private employers with the best young talent in the region, in the form of the university's graduating students and alumni. This year's panel discussions saw a host of prominent industry and government experts including His Excellency Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations, Government of Sharjah; His Excellency Marwan Al Serkal, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq); His Excellency Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah Al-Hamidy, Director-General and Chairman of the Arab Monetary Fund Board; and Sheikh Saqr K. Al Qasimi, Head of Corporate Development, GIBCA Limited, Patrick Chalhoub, CO-CEO, Chalhoub Group among others, share their views on issues of import. The opening session was also attended by senior AUS officials, faculty members and students.

The two-day forum will continue tomorrow, March 15, with 65 national and multinational companies participating in the event's Career Fair, which includes local, regional and international private, semi-government and government agencies. Career Fair provides AUS seniors and alumni the opportunity to meet representatives from the private and public sectors interested in recruiting AUS students and graduates as either full-time employees or interns. The organizations participating in the event include Aramex, Chalhoub Group, Emirates NBD, TECOM Group, Fast Building Contractors, Deloitte Middle East, and many more.

The sponsors for the event were:

• INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT: All Prints Distributors and Publishers, Bee'ah, Crescent Enterprises, Crescent Petroleum, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Petrofac
• GOLD: Cummins Middle East
• SILVER: Procter & Gamble (P&G), Unilever
• BRONZE: Accenture, Aecom Middle East Limited, L'Oreal Middle East, Pepsi Cola International (PepsiCo), Tajawal General Trading LLC