American University of Sharjah’s (AUS) Executive Education and Professional Development has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with the Global Centre for AI Excellence (GCAIE) to build national AI capability and support the growth of the AI economy across government and enterprise sectors.
The agreement was signed by Dr Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, and Dr Yousef Saadeh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GCAIE, in the presence of senior executives from both institutions.
Under the agreement, AUS Executive Education and GCAIE will jointly develop a portfolio of executive education programmes, professional certifications and organisational capability-building initiatives aligned with the Global AI Excellence Model (GAIEM), GCAIE’s framework for helping governments, enterprises and institutions adopt AI in a structured and measurable way. These include AI Excellence Fundamentals, AI Excellence Practitioner, AI Excellence Assessor and Lead AI Excellence Assessor pathways, as well as executive programmes focused on AI governance, responsible AI adoption, organisational readiness and AI-enabled transformation.
“AI has become a strategic imperative for organisations seeking to remain competitive and resilient,” said Dr Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS. “Our collaboration with GCAIE supports the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 by preparing leaders and professionals with the skills, governance mindset and practical capabilities needed for the next phase of the digital economy. Through this partnership, AUS is contributing to Sharjah’s and the UAE’s ambition to become a regional and global centre for innovation, excellence and future-ready talent.”
“The next wave of AI advantage will not come from access to technology alone, but from the ability to build trusted, sovereign and AI-native organisations,” said Dr Yousef Saadeh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GCAIE. “As governments and enterprises accelerate AI adoption, leadership capability, governance and workforce readiness will become key differentiators. Through our collaboration with AUS, we are helping develop the talent, capabilities and institutional foundations needed to translate AI ambition into sustainable economic and societal value.”
As part of the collaboration, AUS and GCAIE will also explore opportunities for thought leadership, knowledge exchange and industry engagement that support standards-based AI practices and organisational transformation across Sharjah and the wider GCC.
AUS Executive Education equips leaders, professionals, and organisations with the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving world. Combining AUS’s academic excellence with industry expertise, it delivers practical, future-focused programmes in leadership, strategy, AI, sustainability, entrepreneurship, public policy and professional development to drive career growth and organisational impact.
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