Foreword AUS Chancellor
Welcome to the 4th AUS Business Forum and Career Fair, which together constitutes one of the year’s most prominent events.
For those interested in the region’s economic challenges, opportunities, trends, and players, please consider this year’s AUS Business Forum. Prominent figures from business and industry will discuss a broad range of subjects—family business, media, business investment, energy, urbanism and construction, among others. It is rare that you will have the chance to listen to so many experts at one event and even have the opportunity to interact with them.
The Forum is a special gathering of eminent men and women whose presence today fulfills an important purpose for this University: the sharing of bold, creative ideas by some of the finest minds with a receptive audience on matters relevant and current. Whatever your field of interest may be, you can find something of value at one of the panel discussions at the Business Forum.
Another feature of the event, the Career Fair is truly a gateway to opportunity. The Career Fair interfaces the AUS laboratory, where our students acquired skills and knowledge, and the world of business, where these skills and knowledge are put to use. Graduating seniors and alumni have the wonderful convenience of interacting with a multitude of company officers ready to hire suitable candidates. Many local and multinational companies will exhibit during the Career Fair, most from the United Arab Emirates but many from other countries as well.
However, the Career Fair isn’t just for job seekers. It has opportunities for undergraduates as well. Many of the companies at the Career Fair offer internships, an ideal way to develop practical and professional skills and to familiarize the student with a vocation. In addition, the Career Fair gives everybody—students and alumni—a chance to “network.” One of the most effective ways to begin a career and advance it is through networking. Talking with people you know and asking them to introduce you to other people is the core of networking, and the Career Fair is the perfect venue to exercise it.
To conclude, I would expressly like to thank the AUS Alumni Association and the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs for organizing this meaningful event. I congratulate them for their enormous effort to bring the Business Forum and Career Fair to fruition.
I would also like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors and partners from industry and ensure they realize how honored we are to have them with us today. The American University of Sharjah is indeed fortunate to count so many leading business figures among its friends. Whether you are a student or graduate, a professional making a change in your career, or just wanting to know the current economic conditions, I am sure that our AUS Business Forum and Career Fair will provide insights and contacts to help keep you on the right track.
Peter Heath,
Chancellor
