AURAK’s three-day National Day celebration honors ‘unity, resilience and progress’ of UAE

In an outstanding display of loyalty to the UAE, the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) hosted an array of performances and events during three days of celebrations from November 25 to 27 marking the 53rd UAE National Day.

Guest of Honour, Her Highness Sheikha Hana bint Juma Al Majid, attended the celebrations on the second day and participated in an open forum with faculty, staff, and students. She was welcomed by AURAK President, Dr. David A. Schmidt, First Lady, Ms. Yuchun Schmidt, and Dr. Khaledah Almansoori, Community and Cultural Liaison, AURAK.

The calendar of events was packed with cultural shows, exhibitions, workshops, talks, panel discussions, sports events, and other activities spanning the UAE’s culture, traditions, achievements, and covered topics such as the space sector, renewable energy, green initiatives, sustainability, robotics, etc.

One of the highlights was a talk on ‘UAE’s Outstanding Achievements in the Space Sector’ by UAE astronauts Mohammed AlMulla and Nora Al Matrooshi, who took the audience on a fascinating tour of their journey and the nation’s vision in the space sector.

Dr. David A. Schmidt, President of AURAK, said: “As a university based in the UAE – a country that has ascended to global prominence in just half a century of independence – it was fitting that we pulled our resources to put together a celebration that encapsulated the core of the UAE’s uniqueness and achievements. Our various schools and departments extended themselves to present a tapestry of traditions and accomplishments, laced with talks and discussions, reflecting the best of UAE’s accomplishments and cultural uniqueness.”

The School of Engineering and Computing (SOEC) presented fascinating glimpses of UAE’s outstanding achievements in emerging fields. Besides the talk by star astronauts Mohammed AlMulla and Nora Al Matrooshi, the school presented a ‘Craft Your Journey to Mars’ game, a video presentation on ‘UAE Milestones and University Initiatives for a Greener Future’, a talk on ‘Managing Water Resources’ by the Associate Dean of SOEC, Prof. Hamed Assaf, and a panel discussion on ‘UAE’s Transition to Renewable Energy’ featuring experts, academics, and professionals.

The School of Business (SOB) hosted a talk on ‘Perennial Wisdom for Leading Adaptive Change’ by the Dean of SOB, Prof. Joseph Wallis, a ‘Bottom-up perspective of UAE Vision 2030’ by Dr. Pranav Kumar, and the ‘Impact of cultural diversity on Employee Performance’ by Dr. Abdelfatah Arman.

The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) hosted a talk on ‘UAE and Science Innovation’ by Prof. Riad Bayoumi from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University, a students’ photo exhibition ‘UAE Through Our Lens’, ‘Celebrating the UAE Through Arabic Language and Literature’, and a presentation on ‘Calligraphy and Writing’.

A host of exhibitions were organized on the occasion, covering robots, IoT equipment, and sustainable products. There were poster competitions on UAE forts, UNESCO cultural heritage sites, and unique architectural structures. There was also a workshop on ‘Burqa Making’.

Several sports events were held as part of the celebrations, including a 1000-meter run, a tug-of-war, a women’s basketball match, and a unisex volleyball match.

AURAK wrapped up the program with colorful grand celebrations on November 27, which featured the Ras Al Khaimah Police Band, the AURAK Band, and Razeef and traditional performances.