Chinese students excel at American University of Sharjah

A talented Chinese student is among a select group of students recently honored by American University of Sharjah (AUS) at the university’s Honors Convocation, a ceremony recognizing the university’s most outstanding students

Min Xuan Guo, a second year student majoring in finance at the AUS School of Business Administration, was among those on the prestigious Chancellor’s list. To qualify for this list, he successfully met a number of tough requirements over consecutive semesters, including being named on the Dean's List, and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.77 out of 4.0.

The university is a popular choice for students from China and other parts of the world, given its reputation for diversity and multiculturalism. In Fall 2017, the AUS student body was made up of 95 different nationalities, including around two dozen students from China. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, AUS has the highest percentage of international students of any university in the world.

Her Excellency Li Ling Bing, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China to the United Arab Emirates, attended the AUS Honors Convocation and congratulated Min for his achievement. The ceremony also saw a number of Chinese media representatives in attendance to highlight Min’s achievement.

AUS Chancellor Dr. Björn Kjerfve congratulated Guo on his achievement. He said:

“We are proud of Min and his fellow students named on the Chancellor’s list - they are a role model for other students.” At AUS, we always encourage and welcome students from China to come and study at AUS and become a part of our diverse campus community. We are very pleased to have Chinese students on campus who are known for their hard work and contribution to student life.

“Each semester we look forward to welcoming new students from China. As the achievments of Min demonstrate, our Chinese students are an asset to our academic and cultural life,” he added.

Commenting on making it to the Chancellor’s List, Min said:

“I am very proud to have received this award. My studies at AUS provided me with the knowledge, skills and networking necessary to realize my dream.I strongly encourage students from China to come and study at AUS. I believe its academic excellence and its multicultural campus is second to none. Even though it isa young university, it is very well known around the world and the Middle East and is ranked in the top universities in the region,” he said.

Dr. Xiaobo (Bob) Xu, Professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) at AUS School of Business Administration, also encouraged Chinese students to explore the possibility of studying at AUS. He said: “The number of Chinese students at AUS has increased over the past five years This not only reflects China’s rapid economic growth but also demonstrates the close links between UAE and China. . The majority of Chinese students at AUS are studying at ourSchool of Business Administration. It is popular with Chinese students and their parents as it is ranked as the number oneBusiness School in the Arab world, according to US News in 2016. ”

American University of Sharjah welcomed the announcement in September 2017, of the opening of a regional technology center and headquarters in Sharjah for China Arab International Technology Transfer Co. Ltd. (CAITTC), a platform for technology transfer. This center for technology transfer will be established at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park) to help forge partnerships between Chinese and Arab research institutions, companies and entrepreneurs. The move falls under the Chinese government’s US$1.3 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to foster trade connections, cooperation and knowledge transfer across Asia and Europe. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended its support to the initiative. 

Sharjah is the third largest of the seven emirates -- after the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai -- comprising the United Arab Emirates federation (UAE). China has been one of the most important trade partners of Sharjah and the UAE. It now ranks as the UAE’s largest trading partner, with a value of Dhs170.2 billion (US$ 46.4 billion) in 2016. Over the past three years, cumulative bilateral trade reached Dhs 520.6 billion (US$ 142 billion). About 60 per cent of China’s total trade is said to pass through the UAE, from where it is re-exported to Africa and Europe. Tourism has also sharply grown between the UAE and China.