University of Sharjah and the Arab Parliament for the Child celebrated the graduation of 78 trainees from a pioneering diploma program designed to train the next generation of parliamentary leaders, representing 15 Arab nations.

Organized by the University's Centre for Continuing Education and Professional Development (CCEPD), the event welcomed Arab Parliament for the Child secretary general, Mr. Ayman Osman Al-Barout, and the organization’s deputy secretary general H.E. Sheikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, UoS Vice Chancellor for Public Relations, Majid Mohammed Al-Jarwan, and CCEPD director Dr., Asmaa Nusairi, alongside proud parents and dignitaries.

Forty-seven parliament members and 31 additional youths from national parliaments and child welfare bodies across the Arab world received diplomas after 145 hours of intensive training. The carefully crafted curriculum of the program sharpened the participants’ personal, cognitive and leadership skills, equipping them to debate child rights, present recommendations and embrace parliamentary protocol with confidence and foresight.

Key modules of the program spanned parliamentary basics, session management, public speaking, brainstorming, protocol etiquette, 21st-century competencies, sustainability, artificial intelligence, elections, legislative bodies and national children's parliaments, alongside introductions to the Arab League.

Al-Baroud expressed his pride in this new cohort of the program. He attributed this ambitious initiative to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, and his visionary support for youth, and all initiatives and projects that instill the values of good and sustainable citizenship in them. Addressing the participants and their families, Al-Baroud said: "You and your families have every right to rejoice in earning this distinguished certificate, one granted only to the persevering, present and diligent. It is an accredited qualification, awarded to students upon completing an academic training course encompassing a diverse array of knowledge, experiences and skills that empower parliamentary members to fulfil their pioneering and awareness-raising roles among children in their communities and countries."

Dr. Asmaa Nusairi, director of the University of Sharjah's Centre for Continuing Education and Professional Development, congratulated the graduates in her speech, declaring that today's celebration was not merely the end of an educational journey but a tribute to their efforts and achievements, and a source of pride in their abilities. She described the ambitious program as a distinctive pathway to hone the talents of young Arabs, transforming them into conscientious and influential leaders. “Here, the rigors of learning and training converge with their aspirations to forge a robust foundation for nurturing aware and impactful generations from an early age,” she told the audience.

Dr. Nusairi added that the program embodied an ambitious national vision, underscoring the UoS's profound commitment to the belief that leadership begins in childhood, and that investing in people represents the most vital stake in shaping the future. It equips generations to anticipate tomorrow, devise solutions and elevate society and nation to new horizons of excellence and pioneering spirit.

Dina Banimani, a graduate and member of the Arab Parliament for the Child from Morocco, spoke on behalf of her classmates, expressing heartfelt thanks to the Arab Parliament for the Child and University of Sharjah for their unwavering support and guidance. She affirmed that the program had been a groundbreaking experience, greatly enhancing their knowledge and skills, particularly in parliamentary culture and child rights. “This experience opened new horizons of parliamentary thought for us, instilled a sense of responsibility, and rooted values of positive collaboration grounded in dialogue and active participation, all through a skills- and culture-focused curriculum that covered everything we needed for readiness, from child rights to 21st-century competencies,” she said.