CEN discusses potential collaboration with Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority

As part of its efforts to further enhance industry partnerships and increase community engagement, the College of Engineering (CEN) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) held a collaborative meeting with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) recently on campus.

Discussions focused on connecting talented AUS students with opportunities with TDRA and exploring potential areas of collaboration in research and innovation. A tour of the Engineering and Science Building followed, introducing the visiting delegation to the college’s state-of-the art facilities.

This meeting comes as part of CEN’s strategic agenda that focuses on enhancing the student experience and establishing global collaborations and partnerships in academia and industry to further contribute to the UAE’s vision of becoming a knowledge-based economy.

The visiting delegation was represented by H.E. Mohammad Al Zarooni, Deputy Director General - Information & Digital Government Sector; Eng.Majid Al Madhloum, Head of Digital Capability and Awareness; and Eng. Amal Al Qasim, Digital Capability Team Leader.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about how academia and industry can work together to understand how technological and digital transformations have changed the fundamentals of work and the skills required for the current and future job market. Through this meeting, we were able to explore potential areas of collaboration between us. Higher education institutions play a fundamental role in graduating highly skilled citizens, and we are very mindful of that at AUS as we seek to contribute positively to the UAE Centennial 2071 while adopting a global outlook,” said Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of CEN.

Commenting on the visit, H.E. Eng. Al Zarooni said: “The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority is keen on the continuous cooperation and communication with educational institutions in the country with the aim of assessing future trends of the labor market, especially those related to ICT and digital transformation. We are also looking to collaborate to qualify national human cadres capable of work, creativity and innovation in these areas to lead the future of the digital transformation process in the UAE, achieve the sustainable development goals and ensure a prosperous future for the UAE society.”

He added: “Through our visit to American University of Sharjah, we highlighted TDRA’s initiatives aimed at developing human cadres, such as TDRA Virtual Academy, Digital Future Leaders Program, Seeds for the Future and other initiatives that give university students the opportunity to practical training and direct knowledge of ICT and its prospects to empower students with specialized skills and abilities in order to raise their competitiveness in the labor market now and in the future.”

CEN is a leader in engineering education in the UAE and region. It has received international recognition for its state-of-the-art facilities, expert faculty and its commitment to providing quality education through its undergraduate and graduate programs. For more information about CEN, please visit www.aus.edu/cen.