His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Tamayuz Institutional Excellence Award, attended the graduation ceremony of the Knowledge Empowerment Program on Monday afternoon at Aljada suburb. The program is organized by the award in partnership with the Center for Continuing Education and Professional Development at the University of Sharjah (UoS).

The graduation ceremony commenced with a performance of the United Arab Emirates national anthem, followed by a short film in which participants described the objectives and benefits of the program. Mona Al Ghawi, general coordinator of the Tamayuz Award, and Dr. Asmaa Nusairi, director of the university’s Center for Continuing Education and Professional Development (CCEPD), delivered a joint address highlighting the value of the partnership and the importance of investing in human capital through knowledge and practical tools, which they described as the path to more distinguished and sustainable institutional performance.

Ms. Al Ghawi said Tamayuz Award is focused on building capacity and enabling professionals to understand and apply excellence standards in their daily work. She emphasized the award’s aim to equip entities with the knowledge and tools needed to improve practices, identify priorities for enhancement and achieve clear, measurable results. She added that partnership with the University of Sharjah helps connect academic knowledge with institutional needs, giving participants opportunities to learn and apply what they have studied to develop solutions and projects rooted in the challenges their organizations face.

Dr. Nusairi said continuing education at the University of Sharjah represents a steadfast responsibility toward society and its institutions, one that involves keeping pace with change, responding to evolving needs, and enabling professionals to continue learning and developing at all stages of their careers while strengthening capacities within organizations.

In addition, H.E. Prof. Esameldin Agamy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, delivered an address in which he spoke about the concept of excellence in the Emirate of Sharjah; a deeply rooted approach that has placed people at the heart of development and made science and knowledge the pathway to building institutions that serve society with efficiency and quality. This approach, he noted, has given rise to an institutional environment that vies for mastery and holds firmly to the belief that the quality of service begins with the quality of the people who deliver it. He added that the graduation of a cohort from the Knowledge Empowerment Program underscores the alignment between the UoS and other institutions, describing the collaboration with Tamayuz as a model of that integration, combining the award’s expertise in excellence standards with the University’s strengths in education and training to develop and deliver programs that meet the needs of partner organizations and improve their performance.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Prof. Agamy congratulated the graduates and wished them success, urging them to serve as ambassadors for excellence within their organizations. He added that the University looks forward to expanding joint programs with the award in the coming period. At the end of the ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi presented certificates to the first cohorts of two programs: 29 graduates of the 2026 Professional Diploma in Institutional Excellence and 53 graduates of the 2026 Employee Excellence Program. He also honored the program’s instructors and administrators.

The Professional Diploma in Institutional Excellence is designed to empower government entities and institutions to manage and apply institutional excellence standards in a systematic and sustainable manner. It builds the capacity of excellence officers, enabling them to lead implementation within their organizations efficiently and professionally, while linking the award’s requirements to strategic goals and performance indicators and translating them into measurable, sustainable institutional practices.

The Employee Excellence training program aims to enable employees and supervisory leaders to achieve job excellence in a systematic and measurable manner. It covers the six job excellence categories, helping participants understand and apply their requirements, convert individual performance and professional achievements into tangible, sustainable institutional impact, and prepare strong, evidence-based nomination files.

In addition to the H.H. the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the graduation ceremony was attended by H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, deputy chairman of the Department of Oil; H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Ali Al Mualla, secretary general of the Judicial Council; and a number of officials from government and private entities.