Students from UAE schools take part in AUS eco day

More than 400 students and staff from 27 schools around the United Arab Emirates, along with representatives from industry and government along with students and faculty members from the American University of Sharjah (AUS), attended the popular annual Environmental Day 2019 held at AUS on April 18. Organised by the university’s Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with the AUS Office of Enrolment Management, this year’s event theme was “The Energy of Science.”

The event plays an important part in underlining the institution’s long-term commitment to promoting sustainability awareness and introducing students to the wide variety of high-impact careers in the sciences through the environmental sector. It also highlights the much sought after AUS Bachelor of Science degree programmes in biology, chemistry and environmental sciences.

Welcoming the students to the event, Dr Juan Sanchez, Provost and Chief Academic Officer of AUS, said: “This is a very important day that focuses on significant issues, most prominent is the protection of the environment. This has become an existential issue that requires our attention and I am glad to know that you are focused on it. Thank you for caring to protect the environment and I wish you a fun and knowledge-filled day.”

Environmental Day this year saw high school students participate in a wide variety of activities that included seminars by prominent speakers from the UAE environmental sector; live demos; student competitions; students and attendees posters display; interactive activities; and exhibits by prominent industrial and governmental groups and agencies.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mahmoud Anabtawi, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said: “It is a pleasure to see our annual Environmental Day go from strength to strength each year. The popularity of this event can be evidenced from the fact that there is a great increase in the number of students attending the event this year as compared to last year. As one of the leading universities in the region, AUS is committed to spreading awareness of environmental and sustainability issues.”

Ali Shuhaimy, Executive Director of Enrolment Management at AUS, welcomed the participants to AUS and briefed them about the various undergraduate programmes offered at the university and its extensive campus facilities. He also informed them about the university’s decision to offer merit-based scholarships to qualified incoming students that amount to between 20 to 50 per cent of the tuition. He also encouraged them to take the time out to tour the campus and interact with students currently enrolled in the biology, chemistry and environmental sciences programs.

The event, which was sponsored by the Chalhoub Group, EGA, and Bee’ah, saw many prominent corporate names participate in the activities. While officials from the Chalhoub Group and Bee’ah delivered special lectures, Wacker Chemicals Middle East presented the benefits of the Model House Project launched in collaboration with Dubai Central Laboratories (DCL) to deliver sustainable green solutions and safer environment in the region; Del Monte Foods shared their sustainability programmes at both on the local and global levels; and Alliance Global (AGBL Labs) presented their courses on life sciences career options for high school students, and courses on molecular biology, genomics and NGS-Bioinformatics designed for university students and researchers.

The event ended with the announcement of the day’s competitions’ winners. Three competitions took place during the event. The first competition involved AUS students creating a poster about important scientists in history. Fareha Khan and Muhammad Alvi were declared winners in this competition, with Farah Elhosseiny and Zahra Jawaad Khan winning second and third place respectively.

The second competition was targeted towards high school students creating a poster highlighting their school’s efforts towards sustainability. The Philippine Global School won first place with Philadelphia Private School being declared runners-up. Sharjah American International School-Sharjah Branch and The New Filipino Private School won honourable mentions in the competition. Finally, the third competition consisted of a two-round science quiz and Environmental Jeopardy.

This was won by The Indian High School, Dubai, with GEMS Modern Academy-Dubai coming second and Cambridge International School, Dubai, winning third place.

The American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah. Sheikh Sultan articulated his vision of 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.

Firmly grounded in principles of meritocracy and with a strong reputation for academic excellence, AUS has come to represent the very best in teaching and research, accredited internationally and recognised by employers the world over for creating graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and drive to lead in the 21st century.

AUS values learners not driven only by academic success, but by those that embrace our dynamic campus life and embody our ideals of openness, tolerance and respect. This combination of academic excellence and community spirit ensures AUS is filled with world-class faculty and students, poised to become the innovators, thinkers, contributors and leaders of tomorrow.