AUS Chancellor highlights student-focused partnership with SCTDA

“We’re very excited to be here today as AUS to sign this agreement with the Commerce and Tourism Authority in Sharjah,” Laursen said.

He noted that the agreement is multi-faceted and flexible, allowing both parties to remain creative and adaptive in shaping future initiatives. “What I really like about this agreement is that there are many facets to it, and it’s also kind of open-ended, so we can be creative as we go,” he added.

Laursen stressed that the core focus of the partnership is on students, particularly in providing them with opportunities to tackle real-world challenges presented by the tourism sector. “The focus is on our students and allowing them to gain experience solving real-world problems brought by the Tourism Authority,” he explained.

He highlighted that students from various disciplines—including marketing, media studies, and design management—will benefit from engaging in practical projects tied directly to industry needs. “These are challenges motivated by the real world. Students get excited about that and feel they are working on projects relevant to what they may pursue after graduation,” he said.

According to Laursen, such experiences give students a competitive edge in the job market by bridging academic learning with practical application.

Looking ahead, he affirmed AUS’s commitment to maintaining a flexible and innovative partnership with SCTDA. “We’re going to work very hard with the authority to keep our relationship agile, be creative, and develop new ways to engage students,” he said.

He concluded by reiterating that enhancing the student experience remains the central goal, ensuring strong connections between students and one of Sharjah’s key economic sectors.