The University of Sharjah (UoS) has launched a comprehensive, institution-wide initiative to review and enhance its academic programs and courses, harnessing artificial intelligence and an outcomes-based education (OBE) model in a move that underscores its ambition to lead the future of higher education.

The university-wide program targets all faculty members, equipping them with advanced skills to restructure and modernize curricula using AI tools while aligning every course with clearly defined learning outcomes. The effort reflects the institution’s broader vision to build a world-class educational ecosystem that keeps pace with rapid technological change, evolving labor-market demands, and the imperative of responsible AI use, anchored in investment in people and innovation in teaching.

Commenting on the initiative, H.E. Prof. Esameldin Agamy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, said that “This program is a natural extension of the University of Sharjah’s overall strategy, which stems from the vision of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University.” Prof. Agamy described AI not as a passing technical tool but as a strategic enabler for advancing teaching, research, and community service.

Prof. Agamy also emphasized that investing in faculty and developing their capacity to design modern academic programs is among the core pillars of the University’s strategic plan. Under His Highness’s directives, UoS aims to build a global academic model that blends excellence with innovation, producing graduates equipped with advanced knowledge and skills to lead in a fast-changing world; a step he said would further strengthen the University’s standing regionally and internationally.

Prof. Nouar Tabet, Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, stressed that the initiative is not a conventional training activity but part of an ambitious, collaborative project involving all faculty. It includes a detailed evaluation of existing programs and the redesign of most to align with business-sector needs, ensuring students and graduates gain the advanced competencies required for a future that is no longer a simple extension of the past.

For his part, Prof. Maher Omar, Director of the Institute for Leadership in Higher Education and the initiative’s coordinator, said the program was designed according to global best practices and leverages cutting-edge AI applications to support course design and development. Its philosophy, he explained, rests on a partnership between humans and AI: full academic responsibility remains with faculty members, while technology is used to accelerate analysis and generate teaching resources.

The program focuses on building faculty capacity to meet AI-related challenges and to deploy AI tools responsibly and ethically. Participants will learn to analyze and redesign courses to match targeted learning outcomes, producing innovative digital learning resources tailored to each course’s nature and desired results. They will also receive tools to create diverse instructional materials that fit different student profiles and course requirements.

Faculty from all colleges are taking part through intensive, hands-on workshops led by a roster of experts and specialists. The initiative is expected to establish an integrated institutional model for redesigning academic programs and courses; one that can be scaled across disciplines to enhance educational quality, improve graduate readiness, and advance the university’s push toward a more flexible, innovative, and sustainable teaching ecosystem.