Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama: “The new membership is in line with the noteworthy competence and reputation of HBMSU at the local and international level.”
H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim: “The selection of Dr. Al Awar by the Association of Arab Universities as a member of the Executive Council was not surprising to me at all.”
H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar: “We look forward to imparting our outstanding experience under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum to shape the future of Arab higher education.”
His Excellency Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), has been appointed as a member of the Executive Council of the Association of Arab Universities (AARU). Through this designation, Al Awar will represent the UAE in the council’s 53rd and 54th regular sessions. This new achievement affirms the role of Emirati leadership figures in reshaping the future of higher education on both Arab and international levels. It also confirms the stellar reputation of Al Awar among the academic circles, amid widespread praise for the renown of HBMSU as the first Arab hub for smart education, which is the cornerstone for building future skills based on innovation and technology.
The selection of Dr. Mansoor Al Awar and other members of the council was based on a decision issued by the General Conference of the Association of Arab Universities. Each was chosen from among a set of presidents and directors of universities in Arab countries that are members of the association, one member from each country. The process of selecting candidates for membership was based on an official nomination by one of the association’s three bodies — the General Conference, the Executive Council, and the General Secretariat — provided that the name of the candidate is put up for a vote by the members of the conference, and that he obtains the votes of the absolute majority.
Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary General of AARU, said: “The joining of HBMSU as a member of the Executive Council of AARU to represent the UAE is in line with the distinguished reputation of the university at local and international levels. This reflects the exceptional leadership that the university enjoys which is represented by Dr. Al Awar, given his renowned scientific experience through many leadership positions in various local and international academic institutions, in addition to his impressive academic qualifications. HBMSU has been in close partnership with AARU, which we greatly appreciate especially as the university participates in most of the scientific events and other activities that we organize periodically. We hope that this trust will further solidify our partnership and bolster future cooperation between AARU and UAE universities in general, and HBMSU in particular, which will undoubtedly play its hoped-for role in promoting the Association’s activities with all parties concerned with higher education in the UAE.”
His Excellency Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chief of Police and General Security in Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), said: “Choosing Dr. Al Awar as a member of AARU’s Executive Council was not surprising to me at all, and I think that was the case for the vast majority of those who know him closely. I have known him for more than a quarter of a century. He has a creative and innovative mindset; not only can he communicate distinct new ideas, but he also can implement them. Examples of this are many: he is the first to establish the first government department specializing in quality, and that was in the Dubai Police more than twenty years ago. I called him Father of Quality due to the clear imprint he left in establishing the concepts of quality and excellence in Dubai Police. He is also the first to establish an opinion polling center, also in the Dubai Police, as well as a non-traditional accredited university in the Arab and Middle Eastern region, namely HBMSU.”
H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim added: “Everyone who got acquainted with the dynamic personality of Dr. Al Awar immediately sought to attract him to his field or organization to learn from his distinct capabilities and potentials. For example, the officials of UNESCO, as soon as they got acquainted with him, they elected him as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of their Institute for Information Technologies in Education. I expect this man will achieve a lot in the future, as he is a bright and honorable image of the UAE and its people.’
Dr. Al Awar also expressed his pride in becoming a member of the Executive Council of AARU, which he considers a great honor and responsibility that motivates him to contribute efficiently in bringing about a radical and positive change in the traditional education system in the Arab world, so as to keep pace with technological developments for graduating entrepreneurs, innovators, knowledge ambassadors, and future creators. He said: “I can only give credit where its due, bearing in mind that my greatest honor is the interest and appreciation that we receive in HBMSU from the supreme and wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), who has led our university to reach incredible milestones to become a driving force for spreading and enriching knowledge and building skills in the 21st century. I highly appreciate the continuous follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan to ensure that we proceed according to strategic directions so that we will always be an educational trailblazer at Arab and international levels. Through the membership, I look forward to sharing the experiences led by the UAE under the insightful vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who continues to enhance the presence of our country as an ongoing story of inspiration.”
He added: “I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, whom I am proud to work under his direct supervision, and I owe him credit for controlling the pace of the university and educational work and for leading the march of academic excellence in our university. Due to his guidance, we have succeeded in making a head start in the field of smart education and lifelong learning to always have a voice in global forums. I must commend the role of members of the academic and administrative bodies, thanking them for their sincere efforts to uphold the university’s status. I also extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to AARU for its trust, reiterating the pledge to place my knowledge and experiences in the service of its ambitious aspirations, as well as placing emphasis on HBMSU’s experience to enable Arab universities to harness technological innovation to efficiently, smoothly, and quickly transform toward the smart education and distance learning model as the best bet for shaping the future.”
The competencies of the Executive Council of AARU include many main areas, the most prominent of which is raising a recommendation to the General Conference to adopt the general policy of the association and to consider the requests of education institutions wishing to become members, as well as studying the possibility of suspending, dropping, or reinstating the membership. The council forms the specific committees necessary to follow up the implementation of the association’s activities and define their tasks, in addition to supervising scientific and research activities and following up on the implementation of the decisions of the General Conference.
