His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, President of the University of Sharjah, has lauded the University’s latest achievement on the global stage: earning the coveted Platinum rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). With this distinction, the University of Sharjah becomes the first institution in the Middle East to receive the Platinum classification, joining an elite group of only 15 universities worldwide: eight from the United States, six from Canada, and now, Sharjah.

The University was awarded a perfect score in the category of sustainable education and research, a testament to its unwavering commitment to sustainability in operations, planning, and curriculum. This accomplishment aligns seamlessly with the UAE’s and Sharjah’s broader agendas for environmental stewardship and carbon neutrality, achieved through a holistic approach to education, research, innovation, and sustainable management.

In his congratulatory remarks, His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi extended his warmest congratulations to the University’s Board of Trustees, leadership, faculty, staff, and students. He emphasized that this milestone is the result of a clear vision and a meticulously crafted strategy, underpinned by the dedicated efforts of the entire university community. Their collective work has established the student as the central pillar of the University’s educational mission, ensuring that every resource and initiative is geared toward empowering the next generation.

His Highness also underscored the University’s commitment to providing an exceptional learning environment, one that elevates academic and scientific standards through innovative curricula, pioneering research, diverse extracurricular activities, and robust support for student projects and creativity. He noted that this focus on sustainability in higher education is now a global imperative, and that the University of Sharjah is well-positioned to continue its ascent in international rankings across a range of disciplines.

The Platinum rating follows a rigorous and transparent evaluation process by the STARS program, which measures long-term sustainability goals and motivates institutions to pursue continuous improvement and greater diversity within their academic communities. Since joining the STARS program in 2021, the University of Sharjah has steadily climbed the ranks, earning Silver and then Gold status in 2022 -the first university in the Arab world to do so- culminating this year in the highest Platinum accolade. This achievement not only reaffirms the University’s leadership in sustainability, but also sets a new benchmark for excellence across the region.