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 Inaugurates its Venture Lab to Elevate the UAE’s Sustainability-Oriented Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
In line with ADU's innovation strategy (ADUi), ADU announces the launch of its Sustainable Development Venture Lab in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). The Lab, open to students, researchers, external entrepreneurs and innovators, seeks to grow sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial and innovation skills through tackling complex challenges in industry, services, primary sector and the government. The Venture Lab will offer an innovative space designed to help spin-offs, startups, companies and government agencies find more sustainable solutions to create or improve daily operations.
The new Sustainable Development Venture Lab was inaugurated in the presence of Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor of ADU, Dr. Alberto Peralta, Director of Innovation at ADU next to other senior leaders from ADU and Ms. Hala Al Ameri, Executive Director of Competitiveness Office of Abu Dhabi, part of ADDED.
The Lab will comprise of five different zones, located on each of ADU’s campuses in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al-Dhafra and Dubai, to service a specific area of entrepreneurship. The Networking Zones will help connect innovators with the local community as well as investors, companies and agencies in both the private and public sectors. The Market Study Zones will support in conducting market and competitors’ analysis and studying business terms as well as the financial aspects of the business, including a Bloomberg room and business modelling labs. The Design/Prototyping/Fabrication Zones will offer training, technical guidance and tools to develop hardware, service, software, process prototypes and solutions in top-technology engineering and visual labs.
Additionally, students will be given the opportunity to work with international leaders specialized in these fields to gain experience in building sustainable business models. The Incubation Zones will provide innovators with spaces equipped with business phones and internet access, in addition to dedicated areas where they can present their businesses and prototypes to potential investors. Lastly, the Venture Lab assigned a team of experts in business registration to provide guidance to students willing to register their businesses in the Lab.
With focus on sustainable growth, research-based business modelling and networking, the Venture Lab will help projects, spin-offs and startups fix growth blockages in previously perused initiatives and enable innovators to methodically evolve new projects. In addition to influencing a courageous and leadership business mindset where failure is an integral part of the route to success. The Venture Lab will aid businesses and startups with business model growth, prototyping, customer discovery and validation, incubation and leading to a successful launch.
In line with the UAE’s National Innovation Strategy that seeks to position the UAE as one of the world’s most innovative nations, ADU aims to expand the university’s innovation projects to pursue outstanding ideas that address governmental, social, private and domestic needs. The Venture Lab will incubate selected initiatives from ADU students, researchers and internal and external community members that balance validated novelty, replicability, impact, fast response, proactivity and agility in tackling immediate or highly demanded solutions that intersect with economic, social and environmental concerns.
Furthermore, the Venture Lab will focus on empowering women, individuals and communities, including youth, people of determination and elderly, by mentoring and coaching them throughout their journey. The Lab is focused on hosting sustainable and innovative initiatives that will empower minority groups to launch their own businesses.
Dr. Alberto Peralta Bellmont, Director of Innovation at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), said: “We are thrilled to follow our leadership’s footsteps in creating an innovative and sustainable nation by launching Abu Dhabi University’s (ADU) venture arm of ADU innovate strategy (ADUi) in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED). At ADU, we contribute to the socio-economic agenda through creative solutions that address our communities needs and promote research and innovation. Through this incubator that we call Sustainable Development Venture Lab, we aim to nurture our innovators with the needed methods and tools that strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and prepare them to address complex and significant market and societal challenges. Startups, spin-offs and interested public and private organizations will also benefit from the Venture Lab through its customer, stakeholder discovery and validation environment that will support them in growing and expanding their projects. We are excited to welcome individuals and teams that are seeking support with their innovative ideas promoting, showcasing and exposing them to potential investors.”
Ms. Hala Al Ameri Executive Director, Competitiveness Office of Abu Dhabi at the Department of Economic Development (DED), said: “Innovation is an integral part of Abu Dhabi story and our commitment to becoming a leading innovation hub is unmatched. Building on our achievements, we recently launched “Abu Dhabi Innovates”, a framework for innovation ecosystem to ensure supporting and developing ideas and innovations into thriving projects and strengthen Abu Dhabi’s status as a destination for businesses and investments. This is in line with the Emirate’s plans to build a diversified, knowledge-based economy that will be driven by innovation.”
Hala Al Ameri, added: “I am confident that the cooperation between Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and Abu Dhabi University (ADU) will contribute significantly to achieving our shared goals. In fact, this journey is not without precedent. It follows many successful examples of public and private partnerships that have helped make Abu Dhabi the great city it is today. We are pleased that Abu Dhabi University is granted and licensed as an innovative business incubator. This is an important step in the right direction and I commend Abu Dhabi University for its efforts.”
The ADU innovation strategy (ADUi) combines a personalized approach with lessons learned from successful innovators and entrepreneurs through researching and promoting evidence-based practices. The initiatives within ADUi include programs, stand-alone events and relevant opportunities which will be accessible and available to all students, faculty and staff, and will include ADU communities of reference.
Those who are interested in registering in ADU’s Venture Lab, kindly visit: https://www.adu.ac.ae/adu-innovate