I graduated from Abu Dhabi University with a Bachelor of Architecture and a GPA of 3.98 – top of my class. During the winter semester of my senior year, I interned with GHD Engineering. The company was so pleased with my work that they extended the internship until the end of my senior year. After graduation, I was selected for Gensler's six-month Professional Internship Program. Gensler - ranked the top architecture firm globally at that time - was impressed with the quality of my portfolio and my design program capabilities. Had the global pandemic not resulted in a hiring freeze, I would have secured a full-time position with Gensler.
Following this, I decided to pursue a postgraduate program and chose the Master of Construction Management at the University of Kansas, USA, out of multiple offers from UK and USA universities. I am on course to graduate this year (May 2023) with a GPA of 4.0. and the options for my next step are wide open. GLMV Architecture in Kansas City extended my summer internship and offered me a full-time position after graduation. Or I might accept an offer from Kansas State University to study for a Ph.D. in Environmental Design. Abu Dhabi University gave me the skills to succeed in my field, and I am grateful to all the professors and teaching assistants who supported me through my undergraduate and postgraduate journey. I am excited to see what the future holds.
Esraa Abuelrub
Graduate Bachelor of Architecture
My journey at Abu Dhabi University has been nothing short of incredible, and it has played a huge role in shaping who I am today. As a graduate with honors from the Bachelor's program in Mass Communication in 2016, I had the privilege of being a student of some of the most knowledgeable and experienced educators in the field.
The program provided me with a solid foundation in communication theory, and I learned about various forms of media such as print, broadcast, and digital media. This allowed me to pursue my passion for content creation and media, and I was able to start my career as a content creator and presenter.
In 2019, I graduated with a Master's degree in Business Administration with a fellowship from Griffith University, Australia. I owe this achievement to the exceptional education I received at Abu Dhabi University.
ADU gave me a platform to develop my skills and knowledge beyond the classroom. As a member of the Media Youth Council, I had the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the media industry, and we developed solutions for various media-related issues in the UAE.
Today, as a content creator and presenter, I owe much of my success to the education, mentorship, and opportunities provided by Abu Dhabi University. I am grateful to the faculty, staff, and fellow students who have supported me throughout my journey.
Shehab Al Hashemi
Mass Communication and MBA Graduate
I was privileged to be taught by an outstanding faculty, providing incredible teaching efforts and support. Without this continuous support and world-class teaching, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the achievements I’ve always dreamed of. I was able to complete my bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in three years due to the flexibility and availability of courses, which allowed me to graduate among the first cohort of students in 2014.
The resources available at ADU provided me with the opportunity to explore modern challenges in the field of conditioning monitoring and opened doors to new challenges. I also worked as a teaching assistant while pursuing my master's degree in mechanical engineering.
Thanks to ADU, I had the opportunity to broaden my academic horizons and learn from some of the best minds in the field. I am currently working as a doctoral researcher on the topic "AI-based condition monitoring of electro-hydraulic systems" at Tampere University, Finland.
Abid Abdul Azeez
Mechanical Engineering Graduate
"I aimed to make a positive impact on ADU during my time here."
"Having worked in different sectors for several years, I realized that law was my true passion. After conducting extensive research to find the best institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in law, I found Abu Dhabi University to be impressive with its accreditations and world rankings."
"I am receiving the highest standards of education in my program, with excellent facilities and incredibly knowledgeable and supportive professors. The co-curricular activities at ADU have provided me with opportunities to participate in seminars and conferences, enabling me to apply what I have learned in real-world situations on an ongoing basis."
Salama Al Meraikhi
Graduate of the Bachelor of Law (Arabic)
As an alumna of Abu Dhabi University's Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (English) program, I can confidently say that it provided me with the opportunity to learn the best practices in media production for various media platforms. Working with sophisticated equipment such as high-end cameras, lighting, vision mixers, and the audio console in the TV studio was an experience that gave me the confidence to work at both front and back camera in television production. The program helped me discover my true potential and transformed me into someone always ready to accept challenges. My parents were my motivation to succeed; my friends gave me the necessary support; my teachers provided the tools.
Set your goals and make a plan to achieve them!
Nada Ali
Graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (English)
As a current Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering student at ADU, I can confidently say that the university has provided me with countless opportunities for growth and learning, both academically and personally. The faculty and professors have always been dedicated to ensuring that students receive a quality education, as well as inspiring us to push ourselves to new heights.
The supportive community at ADU has helped me to achieve my goals and aspirations, and I am grateful for the guidance and encouragement I have received from everyone involved. Although I will eventually graduate and move on to new endeavors, I know that the experiences and knowledge I have gained at ADU will stay with me throughout my life.
In short, ADU has had a profound impact on my academic journey and personal development, and I am proud to be a part of this exceptional institution.
Sven Ivak
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Student
ADU was one of the most significant stations in my journey. It provided me with ample opportunities to invest my time and energy in various extracurricular activities such as research, competitions, sports, and volunteering. I used to enjoy spending my time on campus using the available facilities. I am immensely grateful for the professors who acted as mentors and provided me with their knowledge and support, helping me identify my goals and achieve them in my career path. As a graduate in Business Administration, I am delighted that my BBA degree is double accredited by AACSB and EQUIS, which is a distinction only 1% of business schools worldwide have achieved.
Sara Kittaneh
Bachelor of Business Administration Graduate
The professors at ADU encourage you to succeed by nurturing your enthusiasm as well as improving your knowledge in the areas of biology, medicine, and engineering. Their doors are always open, and they deliver the classes in such an enjoyable way.
I have really enjoyed my biomedical courses and learned a lot, including about medical devices and how to design and classify them. Because of this, I feel I will be able to make a real difference in the biomedical engineering field and the health industry in general.
State-of-the-art technology is used in all the labs, providing students with an optimum hands-on learning experience. In fact, the Bioimaging Research Lab is affiliated with the University of Louisville's Bioimaging Lab, making it one-of-a-kind in the UAE.
Huda Tarek Sliman
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
“Prevention is better than cure!”
"I'm currently working in health education focusing on giving lifestyle advice to people with type 2 diabetes. As part of my program, I took an internship with the Department of Health and this experience helped me secure this position with Daman shortly after graduation.
ADU has given me so many opportunities. With the encouragement of my professors, I started the Public Health Club and held the position of Club President for a year. Through the Club, we attended numerous events and conferences related to our field, gaining a lot of practical experience along the way.
I've experienced several proud moments during my time at ADU including being honored in the Dean's List for my high GPA. My high point, however, was being appointed as a UAE Public Health Ambassador through the Health Authority Abu Dhabi's (HAAD) Public Health Ambassador Program. This aims to engage communities in healthy life choices which is, I believe, my vocation in life."
Maram Hijjah
Bachelor of Science in Public Health Graduate
ADU Hosts The Largest Edition of The Undergraduate Research Competition
813 students supported by 367 mentors from 53 universities across the MENA region including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others took part in the competition.
ADU held its ninth annual Undergraduate Research Competition (URC) and awards ceremony. The URC provides an opportunity for students to transform their creative ideas into research and innovation projects to support the development of their 21st century skills to produce the researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs of the future for the UAE’s knowledge economy. ADU’s URC is the largest undergraduate research event in the GCC and MENA region that encompasses all major programs and serves as a platform that allows universities to showcase their undergraduate research. The competition is sponsored by ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy providers and chemical manufacturers.
This year’s competition witnessed its highest number of submissions received from 320 research teams which included 813 students supported by 367 mentors from 53 universities across 10 countries including GCC countries and beyond. Teams were also given the opportunity to submit their research projects to be included in the ‘Launchpad Start-Up’ program in collaboration with ADU Innovation strategy (ADUi) which serves as an engine for the advancement of innovation and entrepreneurship education in the UAE by supporting the incubation of university enterprises. For selected projects, the Launchpad Start-Up program nurtures a pipeline of university start-up and spin-out businesses by providing support including mentoring and funding to transform their promising projects into commercial enterprises.
During the competition 10 teams from Abu Dhabi University and 60 teams from other universities were awarded prizes across 27 categories for their outstanding research, with three teams granted Launchpad Start-up Initiative Awards.
Through URC, ADU enables young researchers to explore methods that extend their knowledge and improve their critical and analytical thinking by presenting their projects to a panel of judges from various universities and industries. As an integral part of ADU’s vision, the university aims to strengthen students’ confidence and research abilities by giving them the space to transform their projects into innovative business ideas, while exploring new frontiers in their fields of study and preparing them for graduate level studies.
Professor Philip Hamill, Associate Provost for Research and Academic Development at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), said: “We are honored to once again collaborate with ExxonMobil to host the ninth edition of the annual Undergraduate Research Competition (URC). We owe this accomplishment to all the students who submitted their projects and participated in Abu Dhabi University’s (ADU) URC. The competition aims to equip students with a research-centric and entrepreneurial mindset which will best prepare them for the knowledge-economy driven job market.”
He added: “Developing a project and submitting an application is an invaluable learning experience for students during their educational journey. The competition helps in building skills necessary for the 21st century employment including teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all the mentors and judges for their hard work and efforts as well as the continued sponsorship of ExxonMobil for enabling the success of the competition.”
Christian Lenoble, ExxonMobil’s UAE Lead Country Manager commented: “In the UAE, we work with Abu Dhabi University (ADU) to ensure our efforts are tailored to address both students and educational needs. We are committed to education being the fundamental building block of individual opportunity and economic growth, one in which STEM skills in particular is critical. Towards that goal, we are privileged to sponsor Abu Dhabi University’s Undergraduate Research Competition (URC) for the past two years, fostering the interest of students in the UAE and the region to try out new ideas and innovate with cutting edge technology.”
ExxonMobil is one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy providers and chemical manufacturers, develops and applies next-generation technologies to help safely and responsibly meet the world’s growing needs for energy and high-quality chemical products.