The Board of Trustees of the Sharjah Award for the Best Ph.D. Dissertation in Administrative and Financial Sciences in the Arab World has held its first meeting for the 2025/2026 academic year at the University of Sharjah. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Prof. Esameldin Agamy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the award and marked the attendance of several new members whose membership is expected to advance the award’s role in promoting research excellence in administrative and financial sciences across the region and beyond.

Opening the meeting, Prof. Agamy welcomed the new members, Major General Saif Mohammed bin Aeed Al Muhairi, Acting Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Excellence and Pioneering at Dubai Police, and Khalid Abdullah Imran Taryam, Chair of the Board of Directors of Dar Al Khaleej for Press, Printing and Publishing. Prof. Agamy also stressed the University’s commitment to enriching the board with diverse national and institutional expertise capable of driving the award forward, enhancing its performance and advancing its strategic objectives. He also underlined that this approach reinforces the academic standing of the University of Sharjah as a leading institution in academic and research excellence.

During the meeting, members of the Board discussed several strategic issues with the aim of enhancing the award’s profile and refining its operational mechanisms. They highlighted the Board’s pivotal role in steering the award, consolidating its governance, and ensuring its long-term sustainability, while keeping a clear focus on added value and lasting impact.

Among the key recommendations made by the Board was the implementation of a phased expansion of the award to include new categories in engineering and technology specializations, in line with the University of Sharjah’s vision and Sharjah’s future development priorities. The Board also explored prospects for long-term collaboration through strategic partnerships with leading institutions such as Dar Al Khaleej.

In addition, members of the Board recommended the development of an integrated digital platform for the award in cooperation with the University’s College of Computing and Informatics to modernize processes and broaden the award’s reach. They further called for an enhanced package of non-financial benefits for award winners, to increase the award’s added value and further motivate outstanding research in the Arab world.