Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, ,Minister of International Cooperation and Development, and President of Zayed University (ZU), extended with great sadness and pride her sincere condolences to the Government and the people of the UAE for the martyrdom of champions in the Armed Forces in Yemen.

'May their souls rest in peace, and we pray for a speedy recovery to the injured ones. May Allah protect our leaders and people from all harm,' Sheikha Lubna said in a recorded address to the 18th Annual Convocation of the Zayed University.

In her address to the Zayed University community members.Sheikha Lubna said:' As we meet to reap the results of 17 years of success and excellence of our young University, we seek to refresh it with youth and innovation and draw our map to the future, taking confident steps towards new beginnings.

I am also pleased to greet their Excellencies, members of the University Council, and to commend their support for the academic path of the University, while it steadily and insistently continues its journey to place itself among the world's finest universities.

We are all honored and proud that our University bears the name of its founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. We therefore emphasize our absolute commitment to achieving his vision to make Zayed University a leading University in the country and the region to become a beacon of education and development, and to ensure excellent wellbeing to all the people of the United Arab Emirates.

We are also grateful for the solid and continuous support of our wise leadership headed by our President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to whom we express our deep gratitude. We are likewise grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, for the instrumental support His Highness provides Zayed University with to gain its academic distinction in the region and the .world We are extremely thankful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for his wise directives and continued support to the University.

Let me express my highest gratitude as well to HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for the full support HH provides Zayed University with to carry out its mission in the best manner.

Our sincere thanks go to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for his dedication and commitment to the higher education institutions in the UAE.

Ladies and Gentlemen, As we embark on the eighteenth year in the history of Zayed University, we feel the joy of our students taking one step forward towards their graduation. We increase our responsibility towards them as a family that will always encourage, guide, support them and pave their path towards knowledge, which I assume is a parental responsibility that can never be fully fulfilled as it grows deeper and continues over generations.

We truly believe that our students are the heart of Zayed University the inspiration for our vision and the title of our mission. They carry "the identity that we are proud of as "Sons and Daughters of Zayed.

They are the core of the academic process, which the University has developed, aiming to achieve its ultimate goals and objectives. Our students are the core of our strategies, plans, projects and initiatives In this context, I would like to ensure our commitment to the following pillars and principles: 1) First, ensuring the continuous development of a comprehensive educational plan, which promotes the spirit of distinction excellence and competition among students; cultivates their personalities through practice, experience, and leadership skills; provides a unique academic environment that aims at the holistic development of students, which combines academic distinction and research intelligence; and finally strengthens their sense of social responsibility through their loyal interaction with the concerns of the nation and the community.

2) Second, intensifying the efforts to sustain our achievements and gains, which were culminated in the obtainment of institutional accreditation (CAA), the renewal and affirmation of international accreditation by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education (MSCHE), and the specialized academic accreditations for five of our six colleges in their respective specializations. We consolidate these achievements by strengthening our competitive capabilities and securing our place among the world's finest universities in order to provide an outstanding educational experience to our students by stimulating their distinctiveness and propelling them forward locally, globally and internationally.

3) Third, strengthening the position of our University in the fields of knowledge, scientific research, and in the areas of innovation, creativity and development both in our country and the world and enhancing our campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to become sources of enlightenment, and platforms for research activities where students' efforts are integrated both within our country and globally. This blend of hard work shall increase to conduct more valuable studies, which will improve their minds develop their sense of criticism and benefit their societies, and ultimately, make Zayed University an intellectual forum with a strong influence on the Emirati Society.

4) Fourth, emphasizing Zayed University as an active center for breeding talents, with its willingness to work closely with private and public sectors, locally and globally, on the basis of mutual interest. Therefore, we are highly proud that Zayed University graduates have become the focus of the labor market, which is evident in the way they are sought after and hired.

We aspire to develop effective partnerships with these organizations to assess our academic and training programs prepare our graduates to successfully enter the workforce, and provide them with the best practice, research, and student counseling opportunities.

This process and the opportunities we need have no finish line. We strongly believe that these components will effectively contribute to the National Agenda 2020/2021.

5) Fifth, remember, we are all partners in achieving this mission and in bearing its responsibility.

To achieve this, we need to ensure a continuous improvement of the governance system of our University, and illustrate the key principles and norms on which we build our decisions in all aspects of business and operations. We also need to define the roles, responsibilities and authorities of the different departments at the University, including the University Council administration, colleges, departments, and all senior officers at the University.

Furthermore, the University is committed to providing its employees with vocational development and learning grounds within the scope of their jobs and outside of it. The University remains committed as well to sustaining its performance levels through the regular review of its learning outputs, carried out by its faculty and staff.

6) Finally, we all need to agree on what the "Zayed University Brand" conveys what makes a faculty or staff member exceptional; and most importantly what aspect of excellence do we aim to ignite in our students? Ladies and Gentlemen, We must all agree on these principles, which embody the outlines of what we should accomplish in the near future, and the assets that cascade down to all relevant and essential branches. We need to adhere to the mechanisms and the tools, and set the required regulations and policies that will enable us to do so.

In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to you all at the beginning of this new academic year and wish you and Zayed University more progress and success.'
Source: AFP