Sharjah Honours Best PhD Theses in Arab World Ceremony

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau 

His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, who is the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and the President of the University of Sharjah, attended a special event to honour the winners of the 22nd Sharjah Award. This award is given for the best PhD thesis in administrative and financial sciences in the Arab world. The ceremony took place on Tuesday afternoon at Al Biruni Hall at the University of Sharjah.

During the event, His Highness gave awards to the winners in the administrative sciences category. Dr. Islam Ali Al Hadidi from Egypt won first place for his research on how humble leadership affects the performance and behaviour of frontline employees in the tourism and hospitality industry. Dr. Fatima Saeed Saif Al Dhahuri from the UAE received second place for her study about the reasons behind workplace exclusion and how ethical leadership can reduce employee silence.

In the financial sciences category, the first-place winner was Dr. Ahmad Husein Obayya from Egypt. His research focused on how having more women in company roles affects the quality of internal control, based on data from Egypt and China.

As the President of the University of Sharjah, His Highness also honoured the sponsors of the award. Sharjah Islamic Bank was named the gold sponsor, while the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry was the silver sponsor. The ceremony ended with group photos that included the winners, sponsors, Board of Trustees members, and the scientific committee.

The event started with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an. After that, Professor Dr. Esameldin Agamy, who is the Chancellor of the University and the Chair of the Award’s Board of Trustees, gave a speech. He talked about the history of the award, which was started in 2001 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. He is the Ruler of Sharjah and the founder of the university. The award was created to help grow administrative and financial knowledge in Arab institutions.

Dr. Agamy explained how the award has become an important Arab platform for research. It encourages studies that help solve real problems and promote good governance. He thanked His Highness for always supporting education and research. He said this support shows the strong vision behind the University of Sharjah, which is known both for learning and for helping the community.

He also congratulated the winners, saying their research brings great value to Arab society and helps improve financial and administrative systems. He shared that 131 PhD theses were submitted this year from 16 Arab countries. Out of these, 55 were in administrative sciences, 69 in financial sciences, and 7 in other subjects. A careful and fair judging process chose two winners in administrative sciences and one in financial sciences.

Since the award began in 2001, a total of 55 researchers have been honoured. These winners have helped shape new ideas in their fields and improve practices in the Arab world.

Dr. Agamy encouraged the winners to keep their research close to real-life needs and to help their communities with their knowledge. He said that true science is the kind that solves problems and makes institutions work better. He ended his speech by thanking the sponsors, supporters, Board of Trustees, and the judging panel for their efforts.

During the ceremony, the winners gave presentations to explain their research. They talked about the problems they studied, their goals, methods, findings, and suggestions. The researchers thanked His Highness and the university for their support and encouragement.

The event was a celebration of learning, effort, and the power of research to make a difference in the Arab world.