SHARJAH, 21st October, 2026 (WAM) -- H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah, attended the ceremony on Wednesday to honour the winners of the 23rd Sharjah Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation in Administrative and Financial Sciences in the Arab World. The event took place at Ibn Al Nafees Hall at the University of Sharjah.
H.H. honoured the winners in the Administrative Sciences category: Dr Reem Mohammed Al Sayed Abdulrahman Al Hashemi from the UAE, who won first place for her dissertation, “University Student Dropout in the Middle East and North Africa: Theories, Factors and Prediction Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence”; and Dr Safiya Obaid Mohammed Rashid Al Mazrouei, also from the UAE, who won second place for her dissertation, “Innovative Behaviour in the Government Sector: The Impact of Socio-Occupational Characteristics and the Role of Leadership in Supporting Innovation”. Both dissertations were approved by the University of Sharjah.
In the Financial Sciences category, H.H. honoured Dr Rehab Ragai Ahmed Al-Tabai Assili from Egypt, who won first place for her dissertation, “A Study of the Mechanisms of Influence and Low-Carbon Transition Pathways in the Electricity Sector within the Framework of Egypt’s National Climate Change Strategy 2050”, approved by Beijing University of Technology in China. Second place went to Dr Al Hassan Qutb Abdulrahman Radwan, also from Egypt, for his dissertation, “Determinants and Implications of the Quality and Quantity of Corporate Social Responsibility E-Disclosure Practices: Evidence from the World’s Largest Islamic and Non-Islamic (Commercial) Banks”, approved by Parthenope University of Naples in Italy.
H.H. honoured Sharjah Islamic Bank, the award’s silver sponsor, and posed for commemorative photographs with the winners, members of the award’s Board of Trustees, and its Scientific Committee.
The ceremony opened with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a speech from Professor Esameldin Agamy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah and Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees. He expressed his gratitude to His Highness, the President of the University of Sharjah, for graciously sponsoring the ceremony and for his continued support for scientific research.
He noted that this patronage reflects H.H.’s belief in the role of universities in generating the knowledge that underpins development decisions.
Agamy highlighted the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and Founder of the University of Sharjah, who has made education and human development the foundation of Sharjah’s cultural and development project. He affirmed that, under the leadership of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the university continues to fulfil this mission and to foster an academic environment that enables researchers to ask questions, innovate and make valuable contributions to scientific knowledge.
The Chancellor of the University of Sharjah noted that honouring outstanding academic dissertations sends a message to the Arab academic community that rigorous research deserves recognition, and that the quality of ideas, the originality of contribution and the rigour of methodology are fundamental to the advancement of knowledge. He highlighted the growing importance of research in administrative and financial sciences in a world where working and production methods are changing and where artificial intelligence applications and digital transformation are advancing rapidly.
Agamy concluded by noting that the award’s Scientific Committee had received 161 dissertations from 16 Arab countries in this edition. He congratulated the winning researchers and wished them continued success, expressing hope that their achievements would motivate them to pursue further research and publication and to build partnerships to test the findings of their dissertations.
The ceremony also included a video presentation highlighting the award’s journey. The winning researchers presented summaries of their dissertations, outlining the key findings and recommendations of each study. They also expressed their gratitude to His Highness, the President of the University of Sharjah, and the award’s administration.