Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education pledges AED 1.5 million to set up a fund to support students at AUS

American University of Sharjah (AUS) and Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education – the first higher education institution of its kind in Scotland – have signed a partnership agreement to set up a fund of AED 1.5 million to cover the tuition fees of students enrolled at AUS who are facing financial challenges. An agreement to this effect was signed recently between the two institutions. 

This generous contribution, which will be paid over five years, will support the mission of AUS in providing world-class education to the youth and in developing the human resources necessary to take the country and the region forward for generations to come. In keeping with the mission of Al Maktoum College of Higher Education which is to promote multiculturalism and build bridges between communities, this fund will be open to students with financial needs, regardless of their nationalities and/or majors. 

Dr. Björn Kjerve, Chancellor of AUS, thanked Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education for their continuous support of the educational mission of the university and for this generous contribution. He said:

“This fund will provide opportunities to deserving, qualified students to receive their diplomas from AUS and will help shape, guide and prepare leaders and contributing members of society. As one of the leading institutions of higher education in the country, AUS is committed to playing a pivotal role in contributing to the broader economic and capacity building development of the UAE. 

His Excellency Mirza Al Sayegh, Chairman of Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education, expressed his commitment to supporting and increasing the levels of knowledge and education in the country. “This fund is meant to support AUS students so that they can acquire quality education and knowledge and become exemplary models dedicated to serving communities across the nation in order to foster the ongoing economic growth and prosperity of the UAE,” he said.

Commenting on the occasion, Charles A. Diab, Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs at AUS, said that the university’s relationship with Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education extends far beyond this partnership. The two institutions have a long relationship wherein AUS students and alumni regularly participate in Al-Maktoum Leadership Program in Dundee. Speaking about the scholarship fund, he said:

“This generous contribution covers the payment of tuition and fees for students facing financial challenges and whose finances preclude them from completing their degrees at AUS, regardless of their nationalities and/or majors.”

Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education is an independent, not-for-profit educational charity, one of the small number of private colleges of higher education in the UK. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, is its Patron and Sponsor whose vision for multiculturalism is at the heart of Al-Maktoum College. The college offers courses fully SCQF credit-rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Arabic, Islamic economics and finance, and Islamic studies. Al-Maktoum College is based in Dundee, Scotland. Dundee has been named the UK’s first UNESCO City of Design, a prestigious recognition of the contribution the city has made to design and innovation.