American University of Sharjah offers Najah visitors a taste of the student experience

American University of Sharjah (AUS) invites prospective students to discover “the AUS experience” at Najah—the UAE’s leading higher education event—which is being held from October 31 to November 2 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). 

Celebrating the unique profile of AUS, including its position as one of the most internationally diverse universities in the world, this year’s exhibit highlights the theme “There’s no other university like AUS.” 

The exhibit has been designed to give visitors a taste of the AUS student experience, offering prospective AUS students a glimpse of what their future at the university might look like based on the experience of current students and graduates. 

With up to 16,000 parents and students expected to visit Najah this year, AUS invites visitors to learn more about the innovative work of students from its College of Engineering by offering an exclusive viewing of a battery-powered drone designed by students to maintain heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units. 

The exhibit also features a large-scale display of the widely acclaimed photograph Redressing the Renaissance, a work by recent graduates of the AUS College of Architecture, Art and Design—which offers the region’s most prestigious design programs. The photo documents a real-life reenactment by students and faculty of the famous Raphael masterpiece painting School of Athens.

To emphasize the success of AUS alumni, Mustafa Al Daour, an AUS graduate and small business owner, has been invited to promote his own Sharjah-based café Karakiatto at the stand, offering visitors a selection of handmade sweets boasting the label Made by a Proud AUS Graduate. 

Professor Kevin Mitchell, Vice Provost of Undergraduate Affairs and Instruction at AUS, says prospective students and their parents often are often unaware of some of the important differences between universities. He, therefore, encourages both to come to events such as Najah to see what makes AUS unique.

“Parents are understandably concerned about employment after graduation, but the factors that influence employability in a rapidly evolving job market can often be overlooked. AUS graduates are competitive because they possess depth of knowledge in their particular field of study and the ability to negotiate complexity gained through exposure to a wide variety of courses from across the university. I would recommend that parents look closely at figures such as the number of full-time faculty at a university as this is important for ensuring a quality education. Students will of course want to ensure that they have access to varied extracurricular opportunities. Najah visitors can speak with AUS students and faculty members who will be able to provide information ranging from scholarship and grant opportunities to dorm living and employment rates for graduates. We invite anyone with questions about university to come and talk to us at Najah.”

Speaking about the number of nationalities that enrich the campus, Mitchell noted: “The AUS experience is more than just pursuing a degree — it is about engaging with a diverse community of students, staff and faculty. The fact that the university boasts a student body of more than 90 nationalities means AUS truly is a remarkable place.”

This diversity has given AUS worldwide acclaim, with Times Higher Education naming AUS as having the highest percentage of international students of any university in the world, for the past two years running.

Visitors to Najah have the chance to meet current AUS students and recent graduates, with student representatives from the university on hand at the AUS exhibit to answer questions and provide advice. Faculty from the four AUS colleges will also be present at the AUS stand, providing prospective students and their parents the opportunity to ask questions about specific degree programs.

For regular updates from the AUS exhibit at Najah, follow American University of Sharjah’s official Instagram account: wwwausedu.