Media Updates 20151008 by American University of Sharjah

AUS Media Clippings Newspaper Clippings of American University of Sharjah 08 October, 2015

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AUS and Chalhoub Group announce the launch of their first Luxury Brands Symposium - Business Intelligence Middle East - bi-me.com - News, analysis, reports www.bi-me.com /main.php UAE. American University of Sharah (AUS), one of the leading universities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the Chalhoub Group, the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East held at AUS today their first Luxury Brands Symposium focusing on the topic of “Sustainability in the Gulf.” Experts from the Chalhoub Group, professors and academics from AUS and abroad in addition to industry and sustainability experts shared their expertise and knowledge with the AUS students and alumni on the topic of sustainability. The conference opened with remarks by Dr. Björn Kjerfve, AUS Chancellor, who welcomed the audience at AUS. Reflecting on the partnership with Chalhoub Group, Dr. Kjerfve said, “Having launched the first Luxury Brand Management Professorship in the MENA region with the support of the Chalhoub Group two years ago, we share a very strong bond through commitment to education and thought leadership. As a leading entity in the field of luxury goods, the Chalhoub Group represents the quality of partnerships that AUS associates with.” The AUS Chancellor also highlighted the luxury courses AUS offers in cooperation with Chalhoub Group. “At AUS, it has been our mission to engage with industry and society and to act as a bridge between the two. Our luxury course offerings have been growing since 2012 when we first introduced a 400-level senior luxury brand management course. Over the past two years, we have introduced two new luxury courses—one in fashion marketing and one on the ‘business of luxury’—and student demand to take these courses has been extremely high. With almost 90 registered students across all three luxury courses, the university’s commitment to the luxury brand industry is growing stronger.” A keynote presentation followed by Patrick Chalhoub, co-CEO of the Chalhoub Group, who presented the content of the Chalhoub Group’s third White Paper “Luxury in the Gulf: A Sustainable Future.” A panel discussion with key players in the sustainability field in the GCC and abroad helped the audience get a broader and clearer idea on the challenges, priorities and opportunities related to sustainability in the GCC. Sustainability in the Gulf is a subject that is gaining more emphasis at the government level, corporate level and individual level. The Gulf is a society dependent on energy and non–renewable resources and suffering from high youth unemployment. The speakers discussed the solutions and initiatives that are put in place to respond to these challenges. “As a family owned business that has been in the region for the past 60 years, we believe in the potential of this region and its youth. This is why we have chosen to place education as a main pillar within our sustainable strategy. We believe that the youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow and it is our responsibility to give them the right tools, education and platforms to learn. We are proud of our partnership with AUS through scholarships and the Luxury Brand Management professorship that we created together two years ago. We believe that through this kind of initiative and by combining our individual efforts we will be able to contribute to the region’s sustainable future,” said Patrick Chalhoub, co-CEO of the Chalhoub Group.

The day concluded with an essay competition in which around 150 students participated. Students were very enthusiastic to write about the topic and share their views and understanding on sustainability. The Luxury Brands Symposium is the first edition of a sequence of conferences that will take place every year and will focus on various topics. About Chalhoub Group The Chalhoub Group is the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East since 1955. As an expert in retail, distribution and marketing services based in Dubai, the Group has become a major player in the beauty, fashion and gift sectors regionally. By blending its Middle East expertise and intimate knowledge of luxury, the Chalhoub Group is building brands in the region, by offering service excellence to all its partners and a unique experience to its customers. With a growing workforce of more than 12,000 people, implemented in 14 countries, as well as operating over 650 retail stores, the Group's success is attributed to its most valued asset: highly skilled and dedicated teams. Professionalism and passion are what fuel the Chalhoub Group's competitive edge in today's market. By being committed to implementing sustainable practices into their business, the Chalhoub Group was awarded in 2015, for the third consecutive year, the CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and has been accepted as a new member of the United Nations Global Compact Community. For more information, please visit www.chalhoubgroup.com About AUS American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The university was envisaged by His Highness as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. Located in University City, Sharjah, AUS is a not-for-profit, independent, institution of higher education formed on the American model. It offers 26 majors and 46 minors at the undergraduate level, and 14 masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees through the College of Architecture, Art and Design; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Engineering; and the School of Business Administration. These programs are designed to meet the challenges of a competitive and dynamic business and industrial environment. As a provider of quality higher education in the Gulf, AUS is licensed and its programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates. AUS is accredited in the United States of America by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. OECD publishes 'Base Erosion Profit Shifting' (BEPS) recommendations date:Posted: October 6, 2015 UAE. The tax landscape has been transformed by the globalisation of business and the advent of the digital age; BEPS will have a broad impact on the region's businesses, says PwC. 'Soft-landing' for Dubai real estate market date:Posted: October 6, 2015 UAE. Slowdown continues in Dubai residential and Hotel markets while Retail sector reaches cyclical

peak and Office sector remains stable, according to JLL Q3 2015 Market Report. Opportunity in emerging markets amid falling global growth and a tumultuous start to Q4 date:Posted: October 6, 2015 UAE. According to Saxo Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Essential Trades for Q4, there is hope - and investment opportunities - even though the pretend-and-extend cycle of denial persists; "The perfect storm raging through emerging markets is also the biggest opportunity in decades." MORE COMMENT & ANALYSIS

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Middle East & Africa

UAE Higher Education Minister receives first copy of 2015 QS Arab Region University Ranking and papers per faculty from Scopus (5%).

HE Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan receiving the 2015 QS Arab Region University Rankings results from Mr Ashwin Fernandes, head of client relations at QS Asia

United Arab Emirates – QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the producer of QS World University Rankings, officially launched the QS University Rankings: Arab Region 2015 in the United Arab Emirates on June 10, 2015. HE Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, minister of higher education and scientific research and chancellor of United Arab Emirates University was presented with the first copy of the results by Mr Ashwin Fernandes, head of client relations at QS Asia, during a private ceremony. This launch event was followed by a public function in Dubai on June 11, 2015, which was attended by close to 100 higher education leaders from 8 Arab countries—UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Jordan. The event was organized in partnership with United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and sponsored by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The Arab region ranking was first introduced as a pilot project in 2014 when QS undertook extensive consultation with university leaders in the region to identify a suitable methodology. The methodology for the Arab Region ranking differs from the global ranking, using different indicators and changing the weighting of existing indicators. The first edition of the rankings was based on nine indicators: academic reputation from global survey (30%); employer reputation from global survey (20%); faculty student ratio (20%); web impact from Webometrics (10%); proportion of international faculty (2.5%); proportion of international students (2.5%); proportion of staff with PhD (5%); citations per paper from Scopus (5%);

Participants at the launch event received exclusive information and analysis about the rankings formulation. Speaking at the event were Ms Mandy Mok, CEO of QS Asia Quacquarelli Symonds; Ms Baerbel Eckelmann, research manager at QS Intelligence Unit; Dr Kevin Downing, director of knowledge, enterprise and analysis at City University of Hong Kong; and Mr Ashwin Fernandes, head of client relations at QS Asia Quacquarelli Symonds, Singapore. The QS University Rankings: Arab Region 2015 features 100 universities from 15 Arab League countries. Saudi Arabia has the largest number of universities at 19, while Egypt has 15 and the United Arab Emirates has 13.

Two universities from the UAE have made it into the top 10—United Arab Emirates University in sixth position and the American University of Sharjah close behind in seventh position. Professor Mohamed Albaili, deputy VC for academic affairs of UAEU said during the opening of the launch that UAEU is proud of its ongoing strategic partnership with QS and added that under the guidance of HE Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan the university has developed a strategic plan for the advancement of all services provided by the university beginning with teaching and research services and ending with its active role in community service. The ranking of UAEU in 6th place is not only seen as an accomplishment but rather a new step forward down the road of excellence as a pioneering world-class institution.

Qatar University to experience new horizons in energy efficiency Qatar – Qatar University (QU) in cooperation with Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO) launched the Heat Exchanger Pilot Plant at the Gas Processing Center (GPC) of the College of Engineering (CENG) on June 10. The plant will study sea water behavior in heat exchanger applications. It is part of an agreement signed between the two organizations in 2012 to enhance cooperation in areas related to energy systems and to develop teaching, academic research and training opportunities at the GPC and CENG. The agreement also included the establishment of a QAFCO Chair in Energy Systems at CENG to develop an applied research program in the area of energy systems according to QAFCO needs. Attending the event were GPC Director Dr Mohammed Jaber AlMarri, QAFCO vice chairman and CEO Khalifa al-Sowaidi, and several QU, CENG and QAFCO officials. “Such partnerships enhance the process of connecting research with education towards achieving the objectives and priorities of the state of Qatar. The significance of the pilot plant is the opportunity it provides to open the center to new horizons

Heat exchanger pilot plant

and extensive scientific research in corrosion and energy efficiency,” said Dr Al-Marri. Mr Al-Sowaidi said “QAFCO is committed to the further development of Qatar and views itself as a partner in contributing to the transfer of knowledge between university and industry. This we intend to achieve through participation with universities and research institutes in Qatar. "The commissioning of the plant is a part of the series of initiatives that are planned between Qatar University and QAFCO. It will study sea water behavior in heat exchanger applications. The research work will benefit QAFCO and other industries to study sea water-related problems of metallurgy on a pilot scale. It will benefit the university engineering students to understand industrial applications, and to study and develop solutions to industry-related problems.”