Bodour Al Qasimi inaugurates AUS Global Day, a carnival of culture and colour

The American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated its annual Global Day, a festival of culture and colour, on March 10.

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of AUS, inaugurated the event, which is one of the university’s most anticipated celebrations of the cultural heritage of the AUS community.

AUS is a close-knit community that embraces diversity, providing a rich and supportive environment to its students to thrive as they become outward-looking and responsible individuals ready to join the world. This has earned AUS a place among the top five universities with the highest percentage of international students, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (2022).

This year’s celebrations turned the AUS Main Plaza into a carnival, with visitors strolling in and out of the colorful pavilions of more than 30 cultural and student-interest clubs, as they enjoyed the beat of folkloric music and dance, took in the tantalising aroma and taste of delicious traditional cuisine, and observed elaborate traditional fashion from countries around the world.

The UAE Cultural Club designed its booth to reflect on the past, present and future of the nation.

“We started working on this theme prior to the AUS Global Day through our Instagram account, and we brought it to our pavilion, which we split into three sections. The section on the past showcases how our ancestors lived and depended heavily on fishing, pearl diving and trade for their livelihoods. We also included traditional food and a henna stand. The present, on the other hand, reflects on how diverse the UAE market has become, while the future is all about technology and advancement showcasing robots from Dubai Expo 2020, drones and virtual reality technology. We also have many interactive activities that will get people to imagine what the future of the UAE will look like,” said student Hoor Al Ansari, President of the UAE Cultural Club.

The club also organised performances that reflected the theme of the pavilion, starting off with a celebration of the late Sheikh Zayed in a piano and guitar recital in reference to the past, a poem on the love of the UAE for the present, and a video celebrating the achievements of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah and Founder of AUS. The UAE Cultural Club also collaborated with the Saudi Arabia Cultural Club in performances to showcase the ties between the two nations.

This year, the Indian Cultural Club focused on two themes in their performances and pavilion.

Dance performances celebrated the AUS Silver Jubilee and injected cultural aspects inspired by India’s national flag.

“We explained in our performances the significance of the three colours in our flag and the special Ashoka Chakra in its middle. Since the Indian Cultural Club is known for its extravagant performances every year, we wanted to communicate the information in the most engaging and captivating way possible,” said student Utkarsh Chauhan, President of the Indian Cultural Club.

With approximately 90 nationalities represented among its students, AUS is a reflection of how diversity in today’s world can lead to tolerance, goodwill and understanding. It also reinforces the importance of appreciating cultural and religious differences and how they impact societies around the globe.

WAM