From the Desk of Chancellor Seghir

A Monthly Statement Issued by the Chancellor of Ajman University

As Academic Year 2025–2026 draws to a close, Ajman University has much to celebrate with pride and gratitude.

This has been a defining year in the University’s journey. It has been a year of major achievements, meaningful progress, and strong institutional resilience. It has also been a year in which Ajman University continued to move forward with confidence, strengthened by the dedication of its people and inspired by the spirit of the UAE.

What we have achieved this year did not happen by chance. It is the result of vision, discipline, teamwork, and the sustained efforts of many across our community. It reflects the commitment of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners, and supporters, all of whom have contributed to Ajman University’s continued rise as a leading institution of higher education with impact.

A Monthly Statement Issued by the Chancellor of Ajman University

Karim Seghir, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Ajman University

© Ajman University. All rights reserved.

University St., Al jerf 1, Ajman
United Arab Emirates

University St., Al jerf 1, Ajman
United Arab Emirates

May 2026

Among the highlights of this academic year are several achievements that stand out. Ajman University continued to advance strongly in international rankings, reaching the top 440 universities globally and 12th in the Arab region, according to QS Rankings. In addition, our Dentistry program was ranked in the range of 51-150 worldwide and number 1 in the UAE in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. These achievements reflect not only the quality of our academic and research environment, but also the consistency, focus, and hard work required to compete successfully on a global stage.

We also recorded a significant increase in student enrollment, with numbers rising to approximately 8,700 students, alongside growth in graduate enrollment. This momentum reflects the growing confidence in Ajman University and the relevance of our academic offerings, particularly in areas linked to digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and health-related fields.

Our research performance remained a major source of pride. During 2025, our faculty produced more than 1,600 Scopus-indexed publications in one year, while over 10 percent of our faculty ranked among the top 2 percent of researchers globally in their respective disciplines in Stanford University’s list. More importantly, our research strength continues to grow in areas of high relevance and impact, including sustainability, AI applications, biomedical engineering, and technology. According to US News & World Report Rankings, AU ranks among the top 200 HEIs worldwide for percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited as well as for normalized citation impact. It ranks 277 worldwide for percentage of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited papers. Furthermore, AU ranks #2 worldwide for international research collaboration.

This year also marked meaningful progress in fundraising and alumni engagement. Through our development efforts and our growing partnerships with the wider community, we secured major philanthropic commitments, including the Khatib & Alami Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the Ajman Bank Financial Markets Lab, and several endowed scholarships. These milestones reflect the strength of these partnerships and the growing support for AU’s mission. As we build toward our 40th anniversary in 2028, we continue to strengthen a culture of giving in support of our role as a non-profit institution.

Another significant moment this year was the successful organization of our first Alumni Conference in November 2025, which brought together more than 300 participants representing our global network of over 46,000 alumni across the UAE, the GCC, the Arab region, Africa, Asia, and beyond. The conference reaffirmed the strength of our alumni community, deepened our connection with it, and opened new pathways for engagement, volunteerism, mentoring, professional development, and philanthropic support.

At Ajman University, we know that excellence is never final. Progress must be sustained. Quality must be protected and enhanced. Innovation must continue. Strong institutions are built patiently, thoughtfully, and with a long-term commitment to purpose and performance. We also know that while this year has been exceptional, there is still much more to do. Our ambitions remain high because our mission matters. We are determined to continue strengthening Ajman University as an institution that combines academic excellence, student success, relevant research, meaningful partnerships, and tangible societal contribution.

In doing so, we remain deeply inspired by the UAE, a nation that continues to show the world what visionary leadership, resilience, ambition, and preparedness can achieve. Ajman University is proud to be part of this national journey, and proud to help shape the future through education, research, innovation, and service.

As we conclude this academic year, I extend my sincere appreciation to every member of the Ajman University community. Thank you for your commitment, your hard work, and your belief in what this University stands for and what it can become.

Together, we look ahead with confidence, purpose, and renewed determination.

Sincerely, 

In February, Ajman University also hosted a highly successful Executive Education Symposium in Dubai. The event brought together senior leaders from across the public and private sectors and marked an important step in positioning Ajman University as a serious contributor to executive and professional learning in the UAE and the region. We were honored by the participation of H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and by the presence of distinguished speakers including Dr. Dipak Jain, former Dean of INSEAD and
Kellogg, Mr. Essam Al Tamimi, Chairman of Al Tamimi & Company and Mr. Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum. The symposium reaffirmed our commitment to building meaningful partnerships that contribute to the UAE’s forward-looking economic vision.

Building on this momentum, Ajman University is preparing to launch its Center for Executive Education later this spring. This is an important strategic step for the University and one we have been preparing for carefully over the past two years. The Center will offer high-quality executive learning opportunities that are globally informed, locally relevant, and firmly rooted in the needs of the UAE and the wider GCC region.

This academic year also witnessed Ajman University’s hosting of the Arab-Indian University Presidents Summit, an important gathering that reflected our commitment to international dialogue, academic cooperation, and the
strengthening of higher education partnerships across regions. In a rapidly changing world, such platforms are essential to collective progress and shared innovation.

At the same time, we continued to deepen our service to society. One important example is our plan to expand the mobile dental clinic into a more integrated health clinic model, allowing us to broaden our outreach and provide more comprehensive healthcare services to communities in need. This is fully aligned with our commitment to societal impact and community engagement.

Each of these achievements is important in its own right. Together, they tell a larger story, one of a university that is growing in strength, confidence, relevance, and impact. At the same time, every achievement raises expectations. Each milestone brings with it a greater sense of responsibility toward our students, our faculty and staff, our alumni, our donors, and the wider community we serve.
We welcome that responsibility.