Student and alumni entrepreneurs presented their ventures at American University of Sharjah during the Higher Education Entrepreneurship Week, giving visitors a direct look at their businesses and the experience behind them. The two day event was organised by the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The showcase ran under the theme AUS Founders, AUS Future, and featured businesses at different stages of development.
Some founders started their ventures while studying at AUS. Others established them after graduation.
The event itself was dated 29 October in the published report, which appeared on 4 November 2026, and it was held recently on campus. The exhibition featured ventures across seven themed zones, alongside sessions where founders shared their experiences. The Higher Education Entrepreneurship Week is a joint initiative of the two ministries, implemented with universities across the UAE.
It aims to encourage an entrepreneurial culture among students and alumni, strengthen universities’ role as sources of business ideas, and support the UAE’s ambition to become a global capital for entrepreneurship.
Why universities must link study with enterprise
Universities have a strategic role in connecting knowledge with economic opportunity, said Dr Jay Squalli, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at AUS. Entrepreneurship Week brings the university’s student and alumni entrepreneurs back to campus, he said, and showcases and supports the businesses they have built. Their experiences are valuable resources for anyone considering entrepreneurship.
The event is also a chance for the centre and its alumni founders to explore how they can work together and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs. At the centre, Squalli said, the aim is to build on these connections by helping promising ideas become viable ventures that contribute to the UAE’s long term development.
What the ministries told founders about turning ideas into ventures
Dr Mariam Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Director of the Employment Support and Labor Market Partnerships Department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, described Entrepreneurship Week as an opportunity to empower students and graduates to turn innovative ideas into ventures with sustainable economic and social impact.
This initiative reflects a belief that universities are not merely institutions that award degrees, she said. They have become hubs for generating ideas, developing solutions and preparing talent for a competitive, knowledge and innovation driven economy.
Khaled Kalbat, Director of the Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Enterprise Development Department at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, said the ministry is committed to empowering students, graduates and entrepreneurs to turn ideas into ventures that diversify the national economy and support startup growth.
Three success story sessions, and the lessons founders shared
The second day of the program featured three success story sessions, where founders shared their experiences in creative, media and marketing; tech platforms and digital builders; and luxury and experience brands. Three knowledge exchange forum sessions explored faith, culture and heritage; design, spaces and the built environment; and the journey from an idea to its first customers.
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, known as Sheraa, supported the event, helping connect this university initiative with Sharjah’s wider entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, the AUS School of Business Administration and the Entrepreneurship Club also supported the program, linking academic expertise and student engagement with the experience of participating founders.
Hadeel Nassar showed how AddValueHub turns learning into practical skills
Among the alumni founders taking part was AUS alumna and former employee Hadeel Nassar, founder and partner at AddValueHub. The platform offers flexible, expert led online courses and professional coaching for individuals and organisations, covering topics such as budgeting, automation, risk assessment, auditing, compliance and communication. Nassar holds two master’s degrees from AUS: a Master of Arts in Translation (English/Arabic/English) and a Master of Science in Accounting.
During the event, she shared how AddValueHub helps learners and organisations build practical skills and discussed the future of digital education. The event was an exceptional platform to showcase a mission of transforming knowledge into measurable results through flexible remote learning and professional coaching, she said. Engaging with brilliant student minds, fellow startup founders and ecosystem leaders in Sharjah allowed her to share insights on modern skills development, workforce upskilling and the future of digital education.
She said she was proud to be part of a community driving innovation and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
For students weighing whether to start something of their own, the message of the week was practical rather than grand. A venture can start while you are still studying, it can grow after graduation, and the people who have already done it are willing to talk about how. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation helps students, alumni and faculty develop promising ideas into marketable solutions, combining practical programs with mentorship and partnerships.
