Goodbye, ivory tower. Hello, inclusive communities
Elite groups of thinkers, isolated in academic silos on hilltops, are no longer seen as either virtuous or valuable. The true measure of an institution now relies on its ability to bridge the gap between the campus and the community to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
The path to knowledge now features a roadmap of educators, researchers, trailblazers, and changemakers – many of whom belong to more than one group. So why stick to isolated ideas, spaces, and places?
To foster genuine openness to the world outside, Ajman University (AU) has removed the physical barriers around our perimeter – the walls and fences – that separate us from the very communities we exist to serve. Our free-range campus sends a powerful message: Nothing will impede access to new generations of thinkers and new iterations of thinking.
Community members will soon gain access to even more spaces at AU, including the library, the industry incubator, the innovation hub, and athletic facilities. Likewise, our students are spending more time outside the classroom, engaging in on-site, hands-on learning experiences. Every shared moment between stakeholders boosts opportunities for meaningful social impact – Ajman University’s raison d’être.
Every day – and in every way – AU strives to bring the outside in and vice versa. A prime example is our mobile dental clinic, which offers free preventive and restorative dental treatments to at-risk populations.
Equipped with state-of-the-art dental technology, including dental chairs and X-ray units, the clinic aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can maintain good oral health. Meanwhile, our campus-based dental clinic serves 2,500 local patients each week at low or no cost.
Every day – and in every way – AU strives to bring the outside in and vice versa
At the Ajman shoreline, students frequently collaborate with community volunteers as part of AU’s mangrove replanting project. These remarkable trees are carbon sequestration powerhouses, capable of absorbing up to four times more CO2 than terrestrial forests.
The project’s initial planting of 3,700 mangroves represents a potential to sequester between 66,000 and 990,000 tons of carbon dioxide over their lifetime. AU’s Office of Sustainability plans to expand mangrove coverage by 50% within five years and engage over 10,000 community members in sustainability educational programs.
Another excellent example of our borderless university in action is our collaboration with local community member Mohamed Al Marzouqi, a visually impaired UAE national who imagined accessible e-gaming environments for people like him.
Recognising the great potential and promise in his idea, AU’s Innovation Center (AUIC) offered Mr. Marzouqi a full range of incubation and start-up resources. Students from AU’s College of Engineering and Information Technology assisted with technical framework. Students from the College of Mass Communication created a brand identity – including a braille logo.
The Ajman Department of Economic Development provided licensing support, while the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority offered strategic guidance and funding. Now, “Echo Sphere Game Development” is ready to usher in a new era of e-gaming innovation and inclusion!
Ultimately, the most significant measure of Ajman University’s success will be our ability to foster social change and nurture the changemakers who will drive it forward. And we’re moving full steam ahead to build this future by tearing down all the walls standing in the way.
About the author: Dr Karim Seghir is the Chancellor of Ajman University in the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Seghir has an extensive and geographically diverse professional experience. Born in France and raised in Tunisia, Dr Seghir earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1997 from the University of Tunis. He then earned a Master of Science in Mathematical Methods in Economics and Finance and a PhD in Mathematical Economics and Finance from University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne in 1998 and 2002, respectively. He served as a post-doc researcher at Universidade NOVA in Lisbon from September 2002 to September 2004. He has also served as a visiting professor at Pontificia Universidade Catolica in Rio de Janeiro in 2003 and at Universidad de Chile in 2010.
Dr Seghir served as assistant professor of Economics at the American University of Beirut from September 2004 to September 2006. He was then appointed as assistant professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Dr Seghir was appointed as associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration of the AUC School of Business in June 2011 and then dean in July 2014. As associate dean for undergraduate studies, Dr Seghir has managed AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accreditations, among others.
Dr Seghir serves as the Chair of the Middle East and Africa Advisory Council (MEAAC) and is a member of the Advisory Board for Harvard Business Review (HBR) Arabia. He has also been a speaker at numerous regional and global events, including AACSB, EFMD, PRME, the Economic Research Forum, and the World Bank.
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