From the Desk of Chancellor Seghir

A Monthly Statement Issued by the Chancellor of Ajman University

The tale of Ajman University’s rapid growth particularly over the past few years exudes confidence, trust, and gratitude.

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

April 2025

The confidence we developed based on the trust of our Board of Trustees, community leaders, parents, employers, and multiple other constituencies had a lot to do with where we are now and how fast we got there. This trust offered us the will to push forward and the ability to score solid achievements in a very competitive environment. The result is the Ajman University of today with more than 7000 students, 300 faculty members, 1400 research publications in 2024 alone, multiple accreditations, and robust local, regional, and international rankings.

Beyond student scholarships, donors are already behind new innovative academic programs as evidenced by our recently opened AW Rostamani Group Center for Inclusive Learning catering to students with special learning needs.

The donations we have received from these philanthropically minded individuals and institutions were among the reasons that encouraged us to go non-profit thereby making a signature commitment to sustainable excellence and developing our fervor for community service in as many areas as possible. Donors trust is an act of faith in the vibrant future of Ajman University. The depth of our appreciation and gratitude is difficult to capture in words. Stated simply, AU insists on becoming a world-class university. This requires world-class resources and fundraising is our way of getting there.

Now that we are legally and formally non-profit, we are, of course, in a better position to attract donations based on a proactive effort on our part. To that end, we have developed about a dozen proposals ranging from our 40th Anniversary Scholarship Fund, to a Center for Case Development, a Finance Lab, an Endowed Chair in AI, an Integrated Mobile Clinic, and two Major gifts proposals for naming the College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering and IT. Other strategic initiatives are in the making as well. These are all major gifts in the six-digit range.

Our approach to fundraising is to pursue it in the context of forging close partnerships with our community. We view donations to AU as a vote of confidence in our mission and an investment in the future of UAE youth, their market readiness, and the accelerating transformation towards the knowledge economy in which they will live.

We are determined to build a university on par with UAE global leadership, the energy and dynamism of Ajman, the aspirations and potential of our youth, and the unprecedented challenges that loom on the horizon. Higher education today is a global competitive industry, and our pledge is to always be at the forefront. 

Behind this pledge stands our credibility as an institution that has excelled in self-renewal and in the course of eight years repositioned itself close to the top of the higher education food chain. Behind this pledge stands a list of achievements that puts us today at the heart of best practices and thought leadership.
Ajman University has proven time and time again its ability to deliver on its promises, walk the talk, and demonstrate that it holds no priority higher than the trust of its community. Our entire body of administration, faculty and staff is fully mobilized in this direction.

Based on a special relationship with a supportive community that never failed to stand by us, Ajman University is on the verge of launching its first comprehensive fundraising campaign that will move us to the next level. This involves the projects listed above and several others to follow.

We want to build our Scholarship Fund to the point where no deserving student will be denied the opportunity to get a first-class higher education. We seek to be leaders in the sweeping digital transformation current at the service of our society. We strive to turn our colleges into hubs of innovation capable of trailblazing our way into the future. We seek to be an inclusive comprehensive university that is a source of pride and admiration. Our record proves our ability to do exactly that and much more given the additional resources we seek to garner through fundraising.

For such a strategic pursuit to become a sustainable reality, we need a level of resourcing commensurate with our current plans and future projects. We need you to invest in Ajman University. We look forward to partnering with you in mutually beneficial alliances that will drive growth and digitization in our economy and society. For us, the sky is not the limit and no peak is too steep to climb.

We are about to turn the page and usher in a new era for Ajman University. You are key players in the multifaceted process leading to this new era of joint action and shared triumphs.

Together we can build a future worthy of this country and its vision 2031.
 
Together, we can!

There is also the Mobile Dental Clinic, launched thanks to a generous donation by Al Ajamani Charity Foundation, and our Islamic Finance Center, supported by Noor Bank. These are indeed uplifting stories of overflowing humanity, inspiring generosity, societal cohesion, and support for our transformative mission of empowering the youth and accelerating our path to a knowledge economy. Expanding our donor base is a strategic priority for us that can only be realized through your joining forces with us. We look forward to that and stand ready to facilitate it in all ways possible.

Stories of Inclusion: 
Muada’s Journey From Displacement to Determination

A visually impaired student who fled conflict in Sudan, Muada found more than an education at AU—she found belonging. With assistive tech, tailored learning tools, and peer support, Muada is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Featured in Gulf News: Read the article

The Mobile Dental Clinic
Powered by Generosity, Driven by Purpose

Poised for a Visionary Donor to Drive It Forward and Broaden Healthcare Access Across the UAE.

The Future Integrated Mobile Clinic

One constituency, however, deserves special mention and a heartfelt word of appreciation. These are our donors who, early on, endorsed our mission of excellence and empowered us with additional resources. Their generosity and good will translated into valuable educational opportunities to multiple scores of students who were able to unlock their future. This was made possible through generous gifts that started pouring in even before we formally became non-profit.

By way of example only, I mention the AW Rostamani Annual Fund with AED 8,000,000 and 4 years paid so far. I should also mention the Dr. Raja Al Gurg Graduate Fund with over 1,500,000 AED and 3 years paid already. Immensely noteworthy as well, is the Al Rostamani Group non-recurring annual fund of AED 11,000,000. Nor should I fail to mention many other generous benefactors like Dar Al Ber with a donation of AED 4,000,000, IFFCO, AED 3,500,000, Needy Families Association, AED 3,000,000, Sharjah Charity International, AED 2,000,000, The Kanoo Group 1,600,000 and 6 other major donors with student-related donations of over AED 1,000,000 each. To this should be added another six major endowment-based student scholarships jointly amounting to over AED 3,000,000.

H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi; Crown Prince of Ajman, Chairman of the Executive Council, Chairman of Ajman University’s Board of Trustees; Inaugurates Ajman University’s Center for Inclusive Learning for Students of Determination.

Empowering Access to Education