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Showing posts from May, 2012

University of Dubai plans new campus

University of Dubai Dubai: The University of Dubai (UD) is going to launch a new campus in Dubai. Majid Al Shamsi, Chairman, UD Board of Trustees, unveiled the new plan during the 10th graduation ceremony of the UD at Shaikh Rashid Hall in Dubai World Trade Center. Brand new state-of-the-art campus will be opened at the education capital of Duabi, Dubai International Academic City.  The design of the new campus is almost completed and it is expected to be fully ready by 2014. Construction for the first phase of the new facility will begin in December 2012. Majid Al Shamsi, Chairman, UD Board of Trustees, said that His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has granted a plot of land of 3 million square foot at the Academic City to establish a new campus for UD.  Once completed, it will have buildings for the College of Business Administration, College of Information Technology, College of L

AUS medical invention wins international awards

Mobile Application by AUS students  Sharjah: A medical mobile application to detect sleep apnea developed by engineering students at American University of Sharjah (AUS) is being recognized with numerous awards from both local and international organizations.  Shamma Al Qassim, Mahdumeta Ganesh, Shaheen Khoja and Meher Zaidi, computer engineering students at the AUS College of Engineering, have designed a phone application that they named Sleep Apnea Monitor (SAM) which helps diagnose and monitor sleep apnea patients by utilizing some of the phone’s built-in features, in a cost-effective and comfortable manner. The application is designed to run on both Windows and Android mobile phones.  Since its unveiling in March 2012, SAM has won numerous awards including the du Mobile Development Award; second place in the Microsoft Imagine Cup UAE competition; second place in the 7th National Mobile Contest organized by Khalifa University and Khalifa Fund; third place in the IEEE C

Omani student was stabbed in US

University of Kentucky Newyork: An 18 year old Omani student, Hilal Barwani, was attacked and stabbed in Lexington, US. He is currently under close observation in the intensive care unit of a hospital in that city.  Sources with knowledge of the incident told that the University of Kentucky student was attacked as he returned to his dormitory after going shopping.Initial reports suggesting the incident occurred after an argument between a group of international students spiralled out of control. The details of the incident are unclear but the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, indicated that Barwani had suffered multiple injuries. He was supposed to be back in Oman soon for his holidays.  Officials at the University of Kentucky said it appeared to be an stray incident. The university has been in contact with the victim's family. The Omani Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the attack, saying they were still gathering information from authorities i

SQU's tie- up with National Instrument Corporation

National Instruments Corporation campus in US Muscat: As part of long-term plan to excel in the field of instrumentation, Sultan Qaboos University's(SQU) has started joint venture program with National Instruments Corporation (NI), a leading US-based company in instrumentation. With over 5,000 employees and has operations in 41 countries NI is a leading producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software and headquartered in Austin, Texas.  This tie-up is part of SQU's policy to build strong links with noted international academic and industrial organisations to strengthen its educational and research programs.  At the beginning SQU's Electronics & Communication Engineering (ECE) Department has opened LabVIEW academy with the help of NI. SQU's Engineering and science graduates will use LabVIEW software, an advanced graphical development environment. LabVIEW software is used by several prominent universities and established industr

AUS helps rebuild Iraq’s higher education

War-torn Iraq Sharjah: The World Bank and American University of Sharjah (AUS), will host tomorrow, Thursday, May 24, at Lecture Hall A, in the ground floor of the AUs main building, a training course for about 40 senior Iraqi education leaders, on strategic planning and quality assurance in higher education institutions. The nine-day training course is designed to equip Iraqi university representatives involved in strategic planning and quality assurance with the required skills to improve the quality of education offered by higher learning institutions in Iraq as the country works on rebuilding itself as a unified nation. The training is in line with AUS’s strategic goal of becoming the leader in higher education in the Middle East by being able to share its expertise with other countries in the region, especially helping its Arab neighbors such as Iraq achieve its potential. The course will touch on important subjects that include: A Framework for Strategic Pl

Deputy Ruler inaugurates symposium

His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah with other members Sharjah: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), a symposium on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis was opened by His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, at the Dr. Sultan Al Qassimi Centre of Gulf Studies, today, May 22. The three-day regional symposium is hosted in the framework of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)’s Architectural-Archaeological Tangible Heritage in the Arab Region (ATHAR) program and the newly established ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah. The symposium will move to the AUS campus tomorrow, May 23 and will conclude at AUS on May 24.

Conference on Islamic banking in Oman

Islamic Banking: the next big leap of Oman Islamic Banking is going to spur the next big investment drive and a major employment generator in Oman in the upcoming years. So Oman Islamic Banking and Finance Conference to be held at the Grand Hyatt on 5 and 6 June, 2012 are awaited with much anticipation.  As the key speaker of the conference, Mr. Mohammad Harris' presence will be noted with extreme curiosity. He is one of the pioneers of Islamic Banking in Pakistan and Kenya and having played a key role in establishing the first Islamic banks in the two countries. He is the ideal choice for speaker at Oman Islamic Banking and Finance Conference to be delivering his insights on the Successful implementation of Islamic Banking in Africa. This is happening as part of the initiative by OITE (Oman International Trade and Exhibition) under the theme "Building a Growth for Islamic Banking & Finance" in Oman through improved regulation, innovation, standardization

Sultan opensAUS symposium

His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in a function Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS) will open at the Dr. Sultan Al Qassimi Centre of Gulf Studies tomorrow, May 22, a three-day regional symposium on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis. The symposium, the first of its kind in the Arab World, is hosted in the framework of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)’s Architectural-Archaeological Tangible Heritage in the Arab Region (ATHAR) program and the newly established ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah. The last two days will be held at AUS. Leading experts from around the world are attending the symposium. The event includes presentations, discussions, plenary brainstorming sessions and group w

Sharjah Ruler to inaugurate symposium

Sharjah, Sunday, May 20, 2012— Under the patronage and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), a three-day regional symposium on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis will be held from May 22–24, 2012, at the Dr. Sultan Al Qassimi Centre of Gulf Studies and AUS. The symposium is hosted in the framework of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)’s Architectural-Archaeological Tangible Heritage in the Arab Region (ATHAR) program and the newly established ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah, UAE. This symposium, which aims to spread health, social, environmental and safety awareness among students and the general public, will be the first major activity attributed to the centre and is hosted in partnership with the College of Architecture, Art and Design at AU

ISB enters into the Middle East

Indian School of Business (ISB) , a premier b-school of India and 20th place in Financial Times ranking for Global MBA , is set to enter into the Middle-east higher education market. ISB will start their plan with executive education programs at the beginning. The focus of the program is to groom senior and middle management in the Middle East as a first stage of testing the higher education market. All programs will be controlled by the Centre for Executive Education (CEE) at ISB.The Indian School of Business (ISB) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bahwan CyberTek (BCT) Group of Oman, to provide executive education courses in the Middle East. Under the agreement, the Centre for Executive Education (CEE) at ISB would deliver executive education courses focused at grooming senior and middle management in the Middle East.  An agreement has been signed between the senior director of CEE, ISB- Ramanathan Hariharan and director & CEO of Bahwan CyberTek Grou

Omani student presents paper in Vienna

Kawthar Al Quraishi Muscat: Students of the Department of Applied Geosciences attended the European Geosciences Union EGU 2012 in Vienna. About 11,000 international researchers participated in the conference. Kawthar Al Quraishi, a fourth year student of BSc Applied Geosciences at GUtech, gave a presentation on her research paper for the bachelor thesis titled: 'Late Quaternary delta evolution on an uplifted coastal area Wadi Haida Sultanate of Oman, Arabian Peninsula'.  The conference is one of the largest congregations of geo researchers worldwide. The students were quite motivated to attend this conference at which they were able to discuss the results of their research papers with an international audience. Professor Dr Goesta Hoffmann, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Geosciences at GUtech was the supervisor of Kawther's BSc thesis.Kawther's study is integrated in the research project 'Short and long-term environmental changes a

Four AUS students win Shaikh Khalifa Scholarships

Sharjah: Four outstanding students at American University of Sharjah (AUS) have won the prestigious Sheikh Khalifa Scholarships for the upcoming academic year, university officials announced, yesterday, May 9. The winners of the 2012–2013 Sheikh Khalifa Scholarships were: Shiham Syed, College of Arts and Sciences; Juhi Chanchalani, School of Business and Management; Waleed Hijazi College of Engineering; Shaima Rizvi College of Architecture, Art and Design. Annually, AUS students who excel academically and show individual leadership skills and distinguished societal service, as well as other non-curricula merits, win the Sheikh Khalifa scholarship. Each college nominates students for the award and an academic panel chooses the winners. The scholarship funds come from the revenues of a Dhs.10 million donation by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to AUS during a visit to the Sharjah University City in 2005. AUS Chancellor Dr. Peter He

Dr Bob Kelly enlightens on how to cope in a crisis

Dr Bob Kelly London: Dr Bob Kelly gave students at his alma mater an insider’s perspective on the banking crisis in an informal speech yesterday afternoon. The former CEO of BNY Mellon returned to Cass Business School, part of City University London, to address the students and field questions on the financial crisis and the financial services sector. Kelly gave a detailed analysis of his understanding of what triggered the crisis, (the retail property boom of the 1990’s) and shared his learnings and experiences with the attentive audience. He outlined his regard for stress tests, “stress tests are awesome”, and warned the students “never to rely on ratings agencies.” Commenting on the plans to ring fence wholesale and retail banking Kelly said: “I’m ok with ring fencing wholesale and retail banking, subject to learning the details.” He went on to explain to the students his preference for traditional retail banks saying, “I am not a huge fan of wholesale banking as earn

AUS students head for Cannes

Sharjah: Short films by nine students from American University of Sharjah (AUS) have been accepted into the Short Film Corner at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Also accepted is a film by College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) professor Jack Swanstrom, making it an even ten films that have been accepted from AUS at the prestigious film festival taking place between May 16–26, 2012. Considered a meeting place for professionals from around the world, the Short Film Corner is more of a showcase than a competition, though entries are selected by a committee. Through it participants can meet prominent filmmakers, exchange ideas in a professional area, promote their films and attend workshops and conferences. According to CAAD professor, Jack Swanstrom, whose film Bu Qtair has also been accepted into the corner, "The College of Architecture, Art and Design and the Department of Design have always strongly supported independent and student voices in regional cinem

Renowned playwright visits AUS

A scene from the drama at AUS Sharjah: American University of Sharjah (AUS) hosted a series of evenings called 8 at 7, from May 8–11, featuring short plays by Tom Coash, winner of the AUS Middle Eastern Playwriting Competition. The first AUS Middle Eastern Playwriting Competition, an international short play competition, was conducted by the theatre program at AUS in the summer of 2011. The competition, open to playwrights from all over the world, had professional and student playwrights from four continents submitting manuscripts. All the entries had to be based on themes related to Middle-Eastern culture.  The winning one-act plays were Veils and Khalass, which deal with very real and important contemporary social issues and made for compelling educational rehearsal and presentation material. Both plays were written by Tom Coash, an American playwright and director, who attended the first performance of 8 at 7 to accept his award as the first winner of the playwriting compe

Henley Business School in Dubai

Henley Business School Henley Business School has announced the launch of a new business school in the Middle East, bringing a series of tailor-made education programs for executives and senior managers to the UAE and Qatar. In partnership with Dubai-based Future Learning UK, Henley Business School will be offering executive education programs that allow professionals to construct tailor-made courses and training solutions across a spectrum of disciplines. A part of Reading University in England, the world-renowned Henley Business School was set up more than 60 years ago to develop future leaders with the skills to inspire people and drive progress through excellence and high performance. Operating in 17 countries and ranked among the top schools in Europe and being one of only 53 business schools in the world to hold triple-accredited status, Henley has a truly global reputation and reach. The partnership is the school's inaugural venture into the Middle East and brings e

Two AUS students win award

Sharjah, Sunday: Two American University of Sharjah (AUS) students won the 2012 Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for the Distinguished Academic Performance. They were honored at an award ceremony held recently at the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Center. Loai Khalayli, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering student, and Vidya Diwakar, a double major student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Bachelor of Arts in Economics, won this year’s Distinguished University Students Award in the higher education category. “This is the greatest achievement I have had so far. It is the sweet fruit of the many efforts and hard work I have been doing, especially in the last three years both academically and in community service,” said Khalayli “This achievement has encouraged me so much; it has made me a stronger and a more confident person both academically and in extracurricular activities.” The award, which aims to improve the quality of education

A London MBA changes me: Noufi Al-Malki

Noufi Al-Malki Noufi Al-Malki wants to build a business empire of her own. This is an over-ambitious dream for a woman from Arabian Peninsula as the women there generally stays in the confines of home to raise families. But buoyed by the confidence of higher education, more and more Arab women are thinking of entrepreneurship in their search for freedom and stand on their own feet.  With baking as passion she eagerly looks to carve a niche in this area of business. Management study in London has helped to shape her dreams on a strong platform. She is pursuing an MBA at the University of Lincoln.  Recent studies prove that in many GCC countries women university graduates outnumber men. However, the success in bridging the gender gap in education is not reflected in the workforce. The study found that women comprise only 19.2% - fewer than one in five - of the workforce in the GCC economies. This means that the countries are underusing a significant resource that could o

Omani college for Islamic finance training

CBFS students in a graduation ceremony The College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS) in Oman has launched four in-house training offerings in Islamic Finance for the banking and financial sector.  The programmes cover certifications in fields of Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI), the Diploma in Islamic Finance of Certified Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), UK, Certified Islamic Public Accountant (CIPA) and Chartered Sharia Auditor and Adviser (CSAA) of the Accounting and Audit Organisation of Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), Bahrain.  The program launching ceremony was held on April 25, 2012 in the College premises in Bowshar Heights under the auspices of Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman. Hamood bin Sangour Al Zadjali delivered the keynote address. He observed that with global assets of $1 trillion and a projected annual growth of 20 per cent, the I