The College of Computing and Informatics at the University of Sharjah convened its Advisory Council meeting, attended by His Highness Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah, and His Excellency Prof. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah. The meeting aimed to explore avenues for enhancing academic programs and advancing research and innovation.

His Excellency the Chancellor opened the session with a welcoming address, in which he conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah. Prof. Al Naimiy underscored the crucial role of the Advisory Council in providing recommendations to improve the academic process and align the college’s curricula with the evolving demands of the job market. He also highlighted the University’s recent research achievements and its distinguished regional and global standing in higher education rankings.

His Highness Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi then chaired the council’s deliberations, which included the election of His Excellency Abdullah Hashem as Vice Chairman of the Advisory Council. In his remarks, His Highness Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi emphasized the importance of supporting students, equipping them with the necessary skills for the labor market, and strengthening academic partnerships with the private sector to create more training and employment opportunities. His Highness commended the increasing interest among students in enrolling in the College of Computing and Informatics and stressed the need to sustain this momentum while maintaining high academic standards. Furthermore, His Highness highlighted the necessity of developing accurate statistical indicators to track the employment of Emirati graduates and analyze their job opportunities in both the public and private sectors.

Prof. Abbes Amira, Dean of the College of Computing and Informatics, provided a comprehensive presentation on the college’s inception, and academic programs and disciplines, along with its future plans to introduce specialized programs that cater to market needs. He outlined key statistics related to the college’s current academic programs, the newly implemented outcome assessment system, and the strategy for attracting distinguished faculty members and researchers. Additionally, he reviewed the upcoming events and conferences that the college is hosting. The council also discussed a range of proposals related to the development of scientific research, student training, and collaboration with various institutions to enhance the college alumni’s practical and theoretical skills.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Salah Taher Al Haj, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, as well as heads of academic departments within the college. The council also includes an elite group of leaders and experts from various sectors, including His Excellency Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du); His Excellency Dr. Gregorios Fragkos, President of the Sharjah Cyber Security Center; Her Excellency Dr. Ahoud Ali Shehail, Director General of Ajman Digital Government; His Excellency Abdullah Al Zarouni, Vice President for Technology Development and Transfer at Emirates Global Aluminum; His Excellency Ameen Al Zarouni, CEO and Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy at SAP; His Excellency Sabri Ali Yahya, Chief Information Officer at Etisalat UAE; His Excellency Hemant Yolka, Global Technology Executive at Emirates NBD Bank; His Excellency Wael Morsi Abdelaziz, Director of the Education Sector in the Gulf Region at Amazon Web Services; His Excellency Dr. Waleed Rashid Al Bakr Al Zaabi from the National Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management Authority; His Excellency Dr. Zaidi Habib, Head of the PET Imaging Laboratory; and Mera Khalifa Al Muqarrab, Director of Information Technology at the Advisory Council of the Emirate of Sharjah. Also in attendance was His Excellency Abdullah Hashem, a member of the Advisory Board of Nets International Communications.

This meeting aligns with the University of Sharjah’s ongoing efforts to foster partnerships between the academic sector and the technology and industrial sectors. The objective is to refine academic curricula, support scientific research, and empower students and graduates to keep pace with the latest advancements in the fields of computing and informatics.