AURAK Celebrates Design and Research Day

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah’s (AURAK) School of Engineering has hosted its first design and research day on campus: an exhibition centered on showcasing students’ senior design projects, undergraduate research projects, and graduate field projects.

Prof. Abdul Rahim R. Sabouni, delivered the keynote speech, choosing to emphasize the importance of the student experience. He pointed out that, especially the students on the verge of graduation, should make the most of their final weeks as university students.

He also congratulated the students for their achievements, highlighting that their time, and the skills they have developed, at AURAK will be of vital importance to their future, especially considering the rapid developments within the fields of engineering and technology which have led to us living in a ‘sci-fi’ world.

Concluding his speech, Prof. Sabouni, speaking directly to the students, stated, “I want to point just how privileged you are to be studying at such a university. You are supported by a wonderful faculty and dean, and you should also be proud of yourselves for what you have achieved.”

The day’s winning project, following a judging process, was Solaris, a solar-powered car produced by Mohammed Al Shamsi, Osman Abdul Salam, Zahidur-Rahman Abdul Rahim and Basil Qadoor, all of whom study mechanical engineering, under the supervision of Prof. Mousa Mohsen, dean of the School of Engineering, and Hussein Attia.

Other projects which were awarded included Omar Khan and Masoud Eyad’s virtual reality system for lab-based education, under the supervision of Dr. Abdul-Halim Jallad, and Rabih Ghalayini and Abdulrazaq Al Arab’s innovative structural design for a residential building, supervised by Prof. Moayyad Al-Nasra.

In total, 26 projects were presented and displayed. During the day’s closing ceremony, Prof. Mousa Mohsen congratulated everyone who took part in making the day a success, particularly the students and their professors who have worked diligently over the last academic year to produce such high-quality work.

Adding his remarks on the day’s proceedings, Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, AURAK president, was also keen to stress his satisfaction.

“Today has been magnificent. We can see how these students have grown in their time at the university, starting out as teenagers fresh out of high school, developing into young adults, and are now actively taking part in research and developing projects that can have a positive impact on society. This is what education is all about, and days like this really emphasize the importance of what we are doing AURAK.”