By Shaikha Almaazmi
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – The American University of Sharjah’s Environmental Day brought hundreds of students from Sharakah schools to campus on Tuesday.
AUS introduced the Sharakah Program several years ago to establish partnerships with selected high schools in UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, the goal being to introduce the university’s programs to their students.
The AUS Environmental Day started at 8:30 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m. in the Main Building. The event included a keynote speech from Henkel’s Regional Packaging Development Manager Havva Kayir that lasted from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
After the speech, students from grades 8-12 roamed around AUS club booths and were shown many scientific experiments. Students also participated in competitions, took pictures with lab equipment, and won prizes from the Office of Enrolment Management and the Sharakah Program.
Dr. Amin F. Majdalawieh, the head of the Department of Biology, Chemistry & Environmental Sciences, described Environmental Day as “an annual event that provides a unique opportunity for high school students to increase their environmental and sustainability awareness.”
“Students gain insights into high-impact careers in various public and private sectors related to environmental sciences and sustainability,” he said, adding that the day is “always enriching and full of fun activities.”
The theme of this year’s event was “Climate Action and Future Careers in Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences,” in collaboration with AUS’s Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, Office of Enrolment Management, and Sharakah Program.
Assistant Prof. Dr. Ivonne Bejarano, who headed the BCE department’s planning efforts for ENV Day 2024, called the event “not only enjoyable but profoundly educational.”
She described the students who attended as “well-informed and aware of the significance of scientific careers in biology, chemistry and biochemistry, and environmental sciences and sustainability for humanity’s well-being.”
