AUS Student Leadership Conference focuses on global citizenship

Under the theme “Leadership in the Time of Change,” the Student Leadership Program at American University of Sharjah (AUS) organized its annual conference to offer students the opportunity to learn about innovative and adaptive approaches in leadership.

Featuring student speakers and AUS alumni and entrepreneurs, the conference focused on systems leadership, a leadership approach that emerged as part of the work towards meeting the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. It requires the engagement of various stakeholders within a complex system and is considered a departure from the traditional top-down hierarchal approach to implementing change.

“It was great to speak about systems leadership and its connection to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the AUS Student Leadership Conference 2022. Understanding how connected we are as a community, locally and globally, gives us a realization that anyone in any role can make a difference in achieving the goals of the SDGs.  I truly enjoyed listening to students and their input and feedback about systems leadership, said Dr. Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo, Executive Director of Student Experience at AUS.

The conference also included the workshop “Systems Building: A Declassified Guide to Hacking Success—How to Build Effective Systems to Achieve Better Goals,” by Pooja Baburaj, CEO and Co-founder of GroundZ and an AUS alumna. The first-generation alumna spoke about her university experience and how the skills she gained helped her become a global citizen.

Dr. Moscaritolo and student guest speaker Fazel Banouei—a mechanical engineering student, peer leader and head of the AUS first generation initiative—also led a discussion on systems leadership at AUS.

“We talked about system leadership and what it means in our context as students. This is an emerging leadership approach that encourages individuals to create change and make an impact regardless of their level of authority. I found system leadership useful in launching some of the initiatives at AUS, such as first-generation initiative and student Arabic classes,” said Banouei.

For first-year biology major Ayah Zaiour, the conference offered insight on some of the key issues impacting her university life and future.

“The conference was about how we, as students, need to always look at the bigger picture and see how we can employ the skills and knowledge we gain. As a first-year student, it was helpful to hear from senior students and alumni who created a path for themselves in this world. One of the key issues I learned, which I heard from both Baburaj and Banouei, is to always focus on the learning experience rather than the grade or saying I attended a particular class. It is the skills and knowledge that will help us become better world citizens,” she said.

Zaiour, who is also a first-generation university student, took inspiration from the conference as she said she identified with many of the issues highlighted by the speakers. 

“I am the first person to go to university from my father’s family side and there is always that struggle with expectations, goals and the university experience as a whole. I found the conference both educational and enlightening because the speakers’ experiences resonated with me. I am glad there are opportunities like this at AUS that allow students to learn from experiences and engage on pressing world topics,” she said.

The AUS Student Leadership Program engages students in leadership activities that hone their leadership skills and mold them into active leaders of tomorrow. It cultivates positivity and strives to develop lifelong leaders by fostering ethical leadership qualities and offering a wide range of opportunities that develop students' leadership, personal and communication skills. The program offers students the opportunity to participate in international, regional and national conferences to explore and analyze new issues related to different fields and industries.

For more information about the AUS Student Leadership Program, please visit www.aus.edu/life-at-aus/student-life/leadership-program.