At the beginning of the new academic year, His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to His Highness the President of the State and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, has welcomed new students to the University, and offered his greetings to returning students, faculty, and administrative staff. He also used his speech to introduce new procedures and precautions that the University will implement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His Excellency said, “We are still facing the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic that have limited the possibilities of our community interaction on the university campus. However, I am delighted that, through hard work of the faculty and staff and the perseverance of the students, we have succeeded in protecting ourselves and others by implementing measures that guarantee the continuous safety of our campus in the long run. This means that we can now begin to return to campus, and enjoy each other’s presence and all the benefits this entails.”
He added, “The most important part when starting a new academic year lies in meeting people face to face. However, the same procedures require that our communications must be virtual for specific groups, specific time periods, and in certain activities. We are therefore fortunate to have the technological tools and services that help us overcome the challenges of forced absence and safe, social distancing.”
On returning to university life, His Excellency said, “I encourage you to dedicate yourselves to fostering community and preserving the spirit and purpose of the university despite the challenges of social distancing. I thank you for finding innovative ways and the perseverance to think and act collectively and collegially in teaching, learning, researching, and administrative services to our educators and our students.
His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh made use of the occasion to express his happiness in welcoming the new students. He said, “We want you to understand the importance of your joining the UAE University. This was the first university established in the UAE, immediately after the founding of the country. It was established to develop the finest minds, to advance knowledge and practice,to preserve and enquire into history, and to build on this foundation to secure prosperous futures.”
He added, “The University is the laboratory of thought and invention, and the place where future leaders develop the knowledge and wisdom to put new ideas into practice. Therefore, your participation in a university education in the UAE represents the history and the destiny of our country, and the successful acts of leadership that brought about your marvelous opportunity.
He offered words of encouragement to the new students by saying, “I hope that you will be proud of yourself for joining the UAE University, as you embody the supreme symbol of our country’s development and the success of our leadership.You now bear the responsibility to work hard, in respect of the efforts of those who created this opportunity for you.”
His Excellency added that the beginning of the academic year 2022-2021 is of special importance because it coincides with some momentous events for the UAE.In the next 12 months the country will celebrate its 50th anniversary, it will welcome the world to our shores in the Dubai Expo 2020, and it will start its term as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council with the message that we are ‘stronger united’.
The university administration has prepared an integrated program to receive new students through the “Welcome Al-Sa’” program which will continue until Thursday. This includes allocating residential accommodation to students, issuing university ID cards, and starting awareness and guidance activities for university life. There will be virtual tours of the campus facilities, introductory videos about the university’s facilities, sessions about university life, and guidance on choice of majors. Students will learn how to register for courses, use learning technologies, and negotiate the hybrid system of attending classes in person or online for alternating fortnight periods. New students will also take scheduled exams to complete registration in English, Arabic, mathematics and science courses offered by the University College.
