SDG1: NO POVERTY

Poverty in the UAE

While the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is often recognized for its wealth and rapid development, poverty does exist, particularly among low-income migrant workers and vulnerable communities. The government has acknowledged this issue and has implemented various initiatives to combat poverty, emphasizing social welfare and economic empowerment.

Government Initiatives

The UAE government has established a range of programs aimed at alleviating poverty, including:

Social Welfare Programs: The Ministry of Community Development offers financial assistance and social services to low-income families, ensuring access to basic needs such as food, housing, and healthcare.

Employment and Skill Development: Initiatives aimed at training and upskilling citizens and residents help improve employability. Programs focus on vocational training and education, ensuring that the workforce can adapt to the evolving job market.

Support for Small Businesses: The government has introduced measures to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through funding and resources, promoting entrepreneurship as a means to economic stability.

Community Development Initiatives: The UAE emphasizes community-based projects that aim to improve living standards in poorer areas. These initiatives often involve partnerships with NGOs and the private sector.

Al Ain University and SDG 1

Al Ain University (AAU) plays a significant role in addressing Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1), which aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. The university's approach includes:

Educational Opportunities: AAU provides scholarships and financial aid to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring that higher education is accessible to all, regardless of economic status.

Research and Community Engagement: The university actively engages in research that addresses local socio-economic challenges. By collaborating with government and non-profit organizations, AAU works on projects that aim to reduce poverty and enhance community welfare.

Skill Development Programs: Al Ain University offers programs that focus on skill development, equipping students with the knowledge and tools necessary to secure gainful employment, thereby contributing to poverty reduction.

Awareness and Advocacy: Through workshops, seminars, and community outreach, AAU raises awareness about poverty-related issues, encouraging students and faculty to participate in initiatives that support vulnerable populations.

Conclusion

While poverty remains a challenge in the UAE, the government's proactive approach, combined with the efforts of institutions like Al Ain University, demonstrates a commitment to eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development. By focusing on education, community engagement, and skill development, both the government and the university are working towards a future where all individuals can thrive.

Grants and Financial Aid

The purpose of the Grants and Financial Aid fund is to offer financial incentives to students who excel academically or in extracurricular activities. The University also provides humanitarian assistance to students who have harsh financial conditions preventing them from completing their undergraduate studies.

First: Academic Grants

1. High School Excellence Scholarships:

A - The top five students in the country are granted a full scholarship for credit hour fees, and in order for this scholarship to continue during the study period, they must maintain a semester GPA of no less than 3.8 as a result of registering a number of hours of no less than 15 hours.

B - The student who obtained an average of 99% or above in high school is granted a scholarship equivalent to a 50% discount on the fees for the credit hours in which the student registers for the first semester of his enrollment at the University. In order for the discount to continue, the student must obtain a semester average of no less than 3.8 as a result of registration. The number of hours is not less than 15 credit hours.

C - The student who obtained an average of 98% to 98.99% in high school will be granted a scholarship equivalent to a 40% discount on the fees for the credit hours in which the student registers for the first semester of his enrollment at the University. In order for the discount to continue, the student must obtain a semester average of no less than 3.8. The result of registering a number of hours not less than 15 credit hours.

D - The student who obtained an average of 94% to 97.99% in high school will be granted a scholarship equivalent to a 30% discount on the fees for the credit hours in which the student registers for the first semester of his enrollment at the University. In order for the discount to continue, the student must obtain a semester average of no less than 3.6, The result of registering a number of hours not less than 15 credit hours.

E - The student who obtained an average of 90% to 93.99% in high school is granted a scholarship equivalent to a 20% discount on the fees for the credit hours in which the student registers for the first semester of his enrollment at the University, and the discount continues at 30% provided that the student obtains a semester average of no less than 3.6 as a result of registering a number of hours not less than 15 credit hours.

1. The University offers academic excellence grant of 40% discount for University’s honor list and 30% of the College’s honor list from the fees of the credit hours upon successfully completing a minimum of 15 credit hours in the first or second semester with a SGPA of at least 3.6, noting that this semester average is for the actually registered credit hours (15 hours), the number of credit hours for the courses whose mark is transferred to passing / failing when calculating the deduction of the academic excellence grant will not be taken into account according to the terms of this grant.
2. The University offers grants to the siblings and relatives of currently enrolled students as per the following:

• With the exception of the first student, each of the student’s siblings who register in each semester are offered a grant equivalent to a 20% discount of the credit hour fees.
• Parents, sons and daughters, and spouses, registered in each semester are treated as siblings.

1. The University offers grants to students when the father (or their primary provider) passes away during their University studies. This grant is 50% discount on credit hour fees and continues until the student graduation.

This grant is governed by the following rules:

• An attested death certificate shall be submitted.
• The student has not been awarded another scholarship from any other official party.
• The student will benefit from this grants in the semester following the semester of submission of the relevant death certificate.
• The student does not have other resources which enable him/her to continue his/her University studies.

1. The University offers the sons and daughters of the university’s academic and administrative staff, grants up to the value of 50% of the credit hour fees, with the exception of graduate students.
2. The University offers the siblings of the university’s academic and administrative staff, grants up to the value of 20 % of the credit hour fees, with the exception of graduate students.
3. Scholarships for Master’s programs (postgraduate studies) according to the following categories:

University graduates:

A-      A 40% discount is granted to University graduates in the first semester to enroll in a Master’s degree. At least 6 credit hours are required to be registered. For the continuity of the discount, no less than 6 credit hours per semester must be registered and a semester average of no less than 3.3.

B-      If the previous GPA condition is not met, the discount rate will be reduced to 15%, with the need to commit to registering no less than 6 credit hours, and the semester GPA must not be less than 3.

C-      A 30% discount is given if remedial courses are registered.

Discount for outstanding Bachelor’s degrees (other than Al Ain University graduates):

A 10% discount is granted to students who obtain a minimum average of 3.6 in a Bachelor’s degree to enroll in a Master’s degree. To maintain this discount, it is required that the student obtain a semester average of not less than 3 as a result of registering 6 credit hours or more.

1. Fazaa card holders: New students registered for a bachelor’s degree starting from the academic year 2022/2023 are granted a Fazaa card discount with 20% discount from the credit hour fees for some specializations offered at the university according to the conditions announced in this regard.
2. The University offers 50% discount on tuition fees within the regular semesters (except summer semesters) for students of determination, while maintaining a cumulative GPA of no less than (2.50).
3. The University offers scholarships for one semester for outstanding students in extracurricular activities, according to the following:
4. The extracurricular activity must take place at the country level or beyond, with individual participation or in a group of no more than three.
5. The student should participate in extracurricular activity during the period of study at the university.
6. The student should participate in extracurricular activity on behalf of the university.
7.  The student’s GPA should not be less than (2.00).
8. The student should submit all papers and documents proving the achievement of extracurricular excellence.
9. Students (depending on the position achieved) receive a discount rate ranging from 10% - 30% for one semester which is the semester following the student’s achievement of extracurricular excellence.
10. Students can apply for extracurricular activities discount every time they obtain extracurricular excellence throughout their studies.
11. The student should not have any penalty for a behavioral misconduct or a violation of academic integrity in the semester in which he/ she applied for the discount.
12. In the event that the student obtains two or more achievements for extracurricular activities in one semester, the discount applies for higher excellence only.
13. Students must fill out the form for the discount application and submit it to the Deanship of Student Affairs, to forward it to the Grants & Financial Aid Committee.
14. Application for extracurricular activities discount must be submitted within two weeks from the date of achieving extracurricular excellence.
15. The University terms and conditions applicable to all other discounts shall apply as published in the Student Guide.

Terms and conditions for grants:

1. All types of discounts and grants provided by the University are applied to the basic semesters (first and second) and do not apply to summer semesters.
2. These discounts do not include returned materials, whether due to failure or for the purpose of raising the grade.
3. Grants and discounts do not apply to students funded by external parties. It is not permissible for a student to combine two scholarships in the same semester. If the student qualifies for two scholarships, he will be given the higher discount rate.
4. The student must apply for the scholarship as soon as the qualifying conditions are met, and it will not be granted retroactively if the semester he is eligible for has passed.

Humanitarian Aid Grants

• The University offers grants for one semester for students who cannot afford to pursue their studies.

• Based on the recommendation of the Deans’ Council at the beginning of each academic year, AAU president forms a committee entitled “The Grants and Financial Aid Committee”. This committee is responsible for making decisions regarding humanitarian financial aids granted to students.

‘Musahama’ Fund

‘Musahama’ Fund for student financial aid was established as a result of AAU’s concern for the welfare of the students and as continued support to them. The funds come from the donations and grants from bodies that wish to help students facing financial difficulties. The ‘Musahama’ Fund Committee was formed by a decision from the Board of Trustees to set the regulations and procedures of the Fund.

Grants Regulations

1. These grants are given on the undergraduate level only.
2. Grants cover only the first and second semester credit hours fees.
3. Applications for humanitarian aids should be submitted to the Deanship of Student Affairs at the beginning of each semester (first and second only).
4. The minimum CGPA for the continuation of financial aid grants, except the General Secondary and Academic Excellence grants, is 2.5.
5. Grants and discounts do not apply to English Language Levels, registration fees, or extracurricular activities fees.
6. Grants and discounts do not apply to students funded or sponsored by other parties.
7. A student is entitled to one grant at a time. In case a student qualifies for two grants, he/she shall receive that which is higher.
8. Grants do not apply to repeated courses.
9. Any financial obligations should be paid on time.
10. The student shall not receive a grant for a semester in which he/she has received an academic warning.
11. If the student receives a disciplinary punishment, he/ she is not entitled to apply for a humanitarian aid grant in the following semester.
12. Grants and discounts are not given backdated.
13. Grants and discounts do not apply for the summer semesters.
14. A student receiving a grant cannot postpone studying for the duration of the grant.
15. A student receiving a grant is expected to be exemplary in terms of abiding by the AAU Student Code of Conduct.

Procedures for applying for a grant of humanitarian aid

• Fill in the student form “Request for Humanitarian Aid” available at the Deanship of Student Affairs
• Submit the request by explaining the social situation in detail.
• Submit documents which verify a student’s case
• Submit a copy of the passport
• Provide recent grade transcripts.

Scholarships

The University offers grants to the General Secondary School students according to the following criteria:

1. The top five students in the country are offered a full grant.
2. Students who achieve a grade average of 95% or above in the General Secondary School, in either the literary or scientific streams, are offered a grant that is equivalent to a 40% discount of the fees for the credit hours they register for at AAU.
3. Students who achieve a grade average of between 90% and 94.9% in the General Secondary School, in either the literary or scientific streams, are offered a grant equivalent to a 30% discount of the credit hour fees.
4. For the continuation of a grant, the student’s Accumulative Grade Average in each academic semester should not be less than 3.6, and the student must register for at least 15 credit hours.

The university offers ‘excellence grants’ that are equivalent to 30% of the credit hour fees to any student whose general grade point average in a semester is not less than 3.6, with the condition that he/she has completed 15 credit hours in that semester.

The University offers grants for one academic semester to students with excellence in sports as follows:

• 30% to those who receive Gold Medals.
• 20% to those who receive Silver Medals.
• 10% to those who receive Bronze Medals.

The university offers grants for one semester for students who distinguish themselves in cultural and social activities. The Fund Committee shall assess the amount of such a reward on a case-by-case basis.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Academic Scholarships

The purpose of the Scholarships and Financial Aid fund is to offer financial grants to students who excel academically or in extracurricular activities.

Humanitarian Assistance and “Contribution” Fund

The University also provides humanitarian assistance to students who have harsh financial conditions preventing them from completing their undergraduate studies.

AAU offers new academic programs at "NAJAH"

Al Ain University participated in the 12th edition of NAJAH Abu Dhabi Exhibition 2018, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center under the patronage of HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and, organized by Informa Exhibitions company in partnership with Abu Dhabi Education Council, it lasted for three days with the wide participation of 165 universities representing 20 countries.

Visitors of the AAU’s pavilion were briefed on the latest academic programs offered: a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, a Master of Business Administration in Health Management, a Master of Business Administration in Project Management, in addition to diverse programs in Pharmacy, Engineering, Law, Education, and Media. The staff of the student’s Recruitment Unit also reviewed the most important scholarships offered by the university to students, including grants to high school students, grants to outstanding students, grants to the brothers and relatives, and grants to needy dependents, in addition to the humanitarian assistance provided by the university to needy students.

Mr. Rami Kayed, Manager of Student’s Recruitment Unit, said that Al Ain University is keen to participate annually in NAJAH exhibition to enhance direct communication with students and reflects a bright image of the university on all levels.

Al Ain University launches a humanitarian initiative under the slogan "We are with you"

The Deanship of Student Affairs at Al Ain University - Abu Dhabi Campus - launched a humanitarian initiative under the slogan "We are with you", Where they visited the children who have cancer and they get treated at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City.

This visit came within the framework of the university's keenness to promote the concepts of tolerance and humanity in the university environment and share these values with local community institutions, in addition to providing psychological and moral support to sick children, bringing joy to their hearts, and spreading hope for healing in them.

A virtual lecture entitled "Positive Thumb"

The Deanship of Student Affairs at Al Ain University (Abu Dhabi Campus) collaborated with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments to host a virtual lecture called "Positive Thumb," presented by Professor Sulaiman Al Habash, a Senior Preacher. During the lecture, Professor Al Habash touched on various topics, such as the last ten days of Ramadan, the connection between positive imprint and Ramadan, expenses, donations, and justifications. He also used the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as an example of someone who had a positive imprint by helping those in need through charitable work.

In addition, Professor Al Habash emphasized that we should not restrict our good deeds to benefit only ourselves, but rather extend them to the society around us. He also discussed various models of positive imprints found in Islamic law, including why we spend, how we spend, and for whom we spend. According to him, we spend money and give alms to increase our blessings and follow Allah's command. Moreover, he mentioned that whenever we donate, we should have the desire to donate even more and feel unsatisfied with our contributions.

A Virtual Lecture Entitled “ADREK”

The Deanship of Student Affairs (Abu Dhabi Campus), in cooperation with the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, organized a virtual lecture on the occasion of Ramadan entitled "ADREK", presented by Dr. Majdoleen Al-Nabihi - Ph.D. in Arabic Linguistics and a member of the Guests Program of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

According to Dr. Majdoleen Al-Nabihi, Ramadan is a month characterized by kindness, and during this holy month, we should follow ways that bring us closer to Allah through acts of kindness, donations, and feeding the less fortunate. She provided examples of admirable individuals such as Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who embodied generosity and giving. Dr. Al-Nabihi emphasized the crucial pillars of Ramadan, including sincerity and repentance, dedicating time to good deeds, demonstrating empathy, and engaging in continuous acts of giving, which are all essential for earning the satisfaction of Allah.

It's worth mentioning that the United Arab Emirates is actively involved in offering various programs that promote giving, such as distributing food and meals to those in need in mosques, shopping centers, and public spaces. The country also offers programs for Quran memorization, which fosters social cohesion and spreads love and harmony in society.

Al Ain University is a Packing House for “Ramadan Aman 9”

As a packaging house in the city of Al Ain for the campaign “Ramadan Aman 9”, Al Ain University received a huge number of volunteers who are participating in the campaign, which was launched by the Al Ihsan Charity Association, In Partnership with the Ministry of Interior and in cooperation with the Traffic departments and police.

This campaign contributes to reducing traffic accidents and over speed through distributing meals to drivers at Maghreb prayer timings, With the participation of thousands of volunteers.

Dr. Enas Abulibdeh, from the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the main supervisor of the packing house at Al Ain, praised the efforts of all volunteers, and stressed on the importance of this campaign in spreading the culture of volunteering, and enhancing social and humanitarian communication with different groups of society.

It is worth to mention that, Al Ain University is keen on supporting “Ramadan Aman” campaign because of its deep belief in the need to interact with the community, and contribute in promoting a culture of volunteerism and the preservation of the security and safety of all.

The Deanship of Student Affairs Organizes a Workshop on Planning Skills

The Deanship of Student Affairs/ Abu Dhabi Campus has partnered with Pioneer Way to host a workshop entitled “How to plan for your future and implement what you plan” which is aimed at helping students plan for their future. Led by a certified trainer, Coach Asmaa Al-Hosani, the workshop provided attendees with valuable insights into goal-setting and effective planning strategies.

The workshop covered a range of topics, including the skills necessary for success in both the job market and personal life, and how to develop these skills to become a more influential member of society. Coach Al-Hosani also discussed the importance of setting SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. With these guidelines in mind, students can better identify the steps they need to take in order to reach their goals.

Al Ain University Organizes a Career Development and Training Fair

The Career Development and Training Fair, which was organized by the Alumni Office in cooperation with the Deanship of Student Affairs at Al Ain University in its two campuses (Al Ain and Abu Dhabi) received a remarkable turnout from university students looking for training and employment opportunities and building a successful career.

Prof. Ghaleb El Refae, President of Al Ain University, opened the exhibition at Al Ain Campus, accompanied him Prof. Ibtehal Abu Rezeq, Vice President of Development and Follow Up and Dean of Student Affairs, while Prof. Amer Qasem, AAU Vice President (Abu Dhabi Campus), opened the exhibition at the Abu Dhabi Campus, and they emphasized the importance of this exhibition as an ideal platform for enhancing communication between various institutions and human cadres.

Various external entities participated in the exhibition, such as the social, educational, training, sports, health, real estate, exhibitions, conferences, law, contracting and engineering sectors.

The exhibition was also accompanied by a corner for selling various products by university students and graduates to support, develop and encourage them in their own businesses.

The exhibition aimed to provide an opportunity for students, graduates and job seekers to strengthen relations with various entities, to learn about the nature of work in the participating institutions from the government and private sectors, and the job opportunities available in them.

"Ramadan Kareem" initiative on Zayed Humanitarian Day

The Deanship of Student Affairs (Abu Dhabi Campus), in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Pride Volunteer Team, and under the supervision of Mr. Ahmed Al Balushi, a member of the Advisory Council of the Deanship of Student Affairs, organized an initiative to distribute charitable parcels to needy families, in which a group of volunteer students participated.

This initiative comes from Al Ain University's keenness to promote the march of goodness and giving during the blessed month of Ramadan, coinciding with Zayed Day for Humanitarian Action, which falls on the nineteenth of Ramadan each year.

AAU Virtual Career development and Training Fair attracts graduates and job seekers

After the hugely successful initial fair, Al Ain University organized the second virtual Career Development and Training Fair with the participation of 15 governmental and private institutions in the UAE, providing an opportunity for students, graduates and job seekers to communicate with experts in job companies to enhance their skills and get benefit from their experiences in the labor market.

Each institution made a separate virtual presentation through which the participants could communicate with the most important experts in various fields such as; engineering, pharmacy, law, education, business, communication and media.

The exhibition aims at providing training opportunities for prospective graduates and job opportunities for job seeking graduates, in addition to, providing professional development workshops to enhance the skills of individuals in line with the current labor market requirements.

A research project at Al Ain University receives a fund of one million AED

Al Ain University received a fund of one million dirhams from ASPIRE FUND for a research project on the “Indoor Hybrid Flying Networks for Safety Applications and Services (FlyServ)”.

The project is supervised by Prof. Haythem Bany Salameh, Dean of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies at Al Ain University, and in partnership with a group of researchers from Al Ain University (UAE), University of Albania (New York), Khalifa University (UAE), Chicago State University (Illinois) to leverage the team’s diverse theoretical and practical experience in the fields of communications and networks, optimization, applied machine learning (ML) for communications and networks, drone technology, cloud-based access networks, and testbeds.

In this proposal, drones are proposed to have an impact on societal safety and well-being in largely crowded indoor spaces. During global pandemics such as COVID-19, drones can be used in shopping malls for automatic temperature scanning, facemask and hand gel dispensers, disinfection, to ensure people are following social distancing rules, and also to evacuate if requires. We envision an autonomous multi-drone system that consists of a wirelessly interconnected swarm offering lower times, higher scalability, and more reliability to complete the above-mentioned tasks. The goal is to remove the barrier to advance in pervasive and ubiquitous networking and computing through the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and hybrid wireless networks.

The project adopts an AI framework on which the joint design of wireless communications and localization for indoor flying networks deployment can be optimized. Besides radio frequency (RF) technologies, the potential for performance increases is enormous with directional optical communications, namely, visible light communications (VLC) or LiFi, where ubiquitous lighting infrastructure supports high accuracy indoor localization and high-speed communications by mitigation congestion and interference that occurs when Omni-directional RF media are co-located. Our approach entails exploiting collocated WiFi and LiFi with differing characteristics that are applicable in different operating scenarios and developing the means of data-driven (ML) adaptation to the best available configuration.

Prof. Ghaleb El Refae, AAU President, said that receiving this financial grant reflects the amount of attention paid by the university to scientific research and researchers, and this grant is a great responsibility to translate the idea of the research into reality. Stressing that the university is fully prepared to provide all forms of support to researchers, considering that scientific research is one of our priorities.

For his part, Prof. Haythem Bany Salameh indicated that the idea of this project came from the precautionary measures and decisions taken in the UAE to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus and that the project aims mainly to protect lives and help the concerned authorities in implementing security and safety measures.

AAU President stresses the importance of honoring outstanding students

The Deanship of Student Affairs celebrated the honoring of distinguished students for the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021, in encouragement and appreciation for their efforts throughout the year, and motivating other students for excellence.

The celebration included 70 students from different colleges and was organized at Al Ain campus in the presence of Prof. Ghaleb El Refae- AAU President, Prof. Ibtehal Abu Rezeq- Vice President of Development and Follow Up, and Deans. While at Abu Dhabi campus was attended by Prof. Amer Qasem- AAU Vice President, Dr. Hani Al Jarrah- Deputy Dean of Student Affairs, and Deputy Deans.

On this occasion, the AAU President congratulated the outstanding students and their families, pointing out that the honoring ceremony for the outstanding students is one of the most important events that are organized and to which the University pays great attention, in order to support and nurture the outstanding students as the real wealth of the nation. He urged the students to make more efforts to continue to excel, stressing that excellence requires intense efforts and serious work in order to reach it, praising the role of parents in supporting the student and providing him with the appropriate environment for creativity and diligence.

The AAU Vice President affirmed the keenness of Al Ain University to take care of all students, especially the outstanding ones, within the framework of its keenness to maintain communication between students and the university, support them and urge them to excel, by creating a distinct and multidisciplinary learning environment.

The Dean of Student Affairs stressed Al Ain University’s keenness to organize such an event, each semester, which aims to encourage the students to continue their excellence and make more effort in the academic achievement.

MOU between Al Ain University and Scholarships Office

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between Al Ain University and the Scholarships Office – Ministry of Presidential Affairs, in order to develop the quality of educational performance, and the optimal investment in the field of scholarships; in support of government policies and procedures in this field.

The MOU has been signed by Mr. Jumaa Al Rumaithi Director of the Scholarships Office and Dr. Noor El Deen Atatreh, AAU Chancellor.

This MOU comes within the framework of the wise leadership's directives to raise the level of students and graduates and develop their skills and knowledge, in order to achieve the country's aspirations to reach the best competitive standards in this regard.

Atatreh pointed out that the signing of this MOU constitutes a qualitative step in Al Ain University's path to promote and build more effective strategic partnerships with various institutions in order to support efforts and provide the necessary needs to advance the academic sector in the country and meet the needs of the labor market from various disciplines. He stressed that Al Ain University is keen on supporting the education process and willing to cooperate with institutions to exchange experiences for the benefit of all.