ASCE delegation visits Abu Dhabi University to share recommendations and highlight future prospects

Abu Dhabi: The Civil Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at Abu Dhabi University (ADU) recently welcomed a delegation from the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) led by the ASCE president Ms. Robin Kemper to its main campus in Abu Dhabi. A part of being one of the largest and oldest Civil Engineering professional societies, the ASCE is responsible for developing the ABET’s program criteria for Civil Engineering accreditations. The delegation met with students and faculty in the Civil Engineering Department and shared their recommendations and thoughts on potential future accreditation requirements and upcoming prospects in the industry.

Along with Ms. Kemper, the delegation included Dr. Elias Boutros Sayah, ASCE Region 10 Director Elect, Professor Abdul-Rahim Sabouni, President of ASCE-UAE Section, and Professor Gajnan M. Sabnis, Vice-President of ASCE-UAE Section.

The event was organized by Dr. Reem Sabouni, ASCE’s Student Chapter Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor in ADU’s Civil Engineering Department, as part of the leading efforts of ADU to provide its students with interaction opportunities with practitioners and professional societies locally and internationally. The event was attended by Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor of ADU, along with Dr. Hamdi Sheibani, Dean of the College of Engineering.

The President of the ASCE said she was thrilled with the warm welcome she received from the Civil Engineering Department, as well as the interesting exchange she had with the ASCE ADU Civil Engineering students. She was joined by Dr. Elias who said he anticipates substantial growth in the employment prospects of civil engineers worldwide. He also highlighted the high employability rates that civil engineering graduates at ADU enjoy over their peers in the UAE.

Dr. Elias praised the exceptional performance of the Department’s trainees and graduates who have entered the professional sphere and attributed it to the outstanding quality of education and dedication of ADU’s faculty.

During the event, the ASCE delegation highlighted the shift towards performance-based methods in education rather than component-based. The ASCE President also discussed the opportunity for utilizing the abundant talent pool of professionals within the industry with whom students can interact and learn from during their undergraduate and graduate studies, noting that civil engineering graduates are highly sought-after due to the increase in the number of infrastructure projects and activities worldwide.

The ASCE ADU Student Chapter board election results were announced during the event. Following this announcement, Ms. Robin Kemper, President of ASCE, greeted the newly elected members of the ASCE Student Chapter Board and provided counsel on ways to become listed amongst the leading ASCE Student Chapters worldwide.

The ASCE delegation also took a tour of the campus to learn more about the University’s facilities, research projects, and community engagement initiatives.

-Ends-

About Abu Dhabi University (ADU)

Abu Dhabi University is a private, multi-campus University committed to meeting the education, skills and knowledge needs in the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries through qualifications and standards that are respected across the world.

Although young, the University is recognized as a world-class institution committed to excellence in teaching, student experience, research and corporate education. We are regularly featured in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings as among the best higher education institutions in the region. We hold prestigious international accreditations for the institution as a whole, for particular fields of provision and for specific programs. We were the first private higher education institution in the UAE and the GCC region to earn international accreditation from the Californian Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). ADU’s College of Business holds international accreditations from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the prestigious EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). Only 1% of business schools worldwide have this double accreditation. In addition, its College of Engineering has earned accreditation from the world-renowned Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). It houses the only architecture program to hold accreditation by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

According to the QS World Universities Rankings, ADU ranks in the top 701-750 universities worldwide, the top 150 leading institutions under 50 years, the top 27 universities in the Arab World, and the top 6 in the UAE. Being rated 3rd globally for international faculty and 10th for international students, we consider diversity to be among our key strengths.

Established in 2003, Abu Dhabi University has over 7,500 students from over 80 nationalities across its four campuses and sponsored programs. Structured into Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Law and the University College, we offer undergraduate and graduate programs across arts, law, education, business and management, engineering and sciences, including to Etihad pilots, trainees and personnel of the UAE military. Alongside the well-established campuses in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, we have launched a new campus in Dubai Knowledge Park and recently opened a teaching facility in the Al Dhafra Region of the Abu Dhabi Emirate. In addition, a brand-new state-of-the-art campus is planned to open in Al Ain in September 2019.

Media Contacts

Weber Shandwick for Abu Dhabi University

Neama Sarrildin / nsarrildin@webershandwick.com  / +971 2 449 4457 or +97156915221

© Press Release 2019