Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi has been appointed President and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of American University of Sharjah, effective January 2023. The appointment, made via Emiri Decree by Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, aligns the institution with the emirate's socio-economic, workforce and innovation priorities.
The Sharjah Ruler said of the selection: "I have chosen to appoint Sheikha Bodour because of her knowledge and competence to be the President of AUS." Her Highness succeeds Sheikh Dr. Sultan, who led the university for more than 25 years. The appointment signals a generational transition at the institution, with the Ruler stepping back to allow "a new generation" to lead the university while retaining close involvement in its direction.
Sheikha Bodour brings substantial experience in publishing, economic development and institutional leadership. She holds a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Medical Anthropology from University College London. She founded Kalimat Publishing Group in 2007, which has grown into a global, multi-imprint publishing and educational technology company with distribution in more than 15 countries. From 2021 to 2022, she served as President of the International Publishers Association, making her the first Arab woman to hold the position since the association's founding in 1896. She also established the Emirates Publishers Association and chairs the Sharjah Book Authority. In economic development, she serves as Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, having mobilized more than 26 billion dollars in foreign direct investment and created over 45,000 jobs. She oversees the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park's 150 million dollar initiative to position Sharjah as a global technology leader.
American University of Sharjah, founded in 1997, is an independent, not-for-profit institution formed on the American liberal arts model and grounded in Arab culture. Located in University City in Sharjah, AUS enrolls more than 5,000 students from over 100 nationalities and employs more than 360 full-time faculty from 48 countries. The university offers 33 undergraduate majors, 48 minors, 20 master's degrees and eight PhD programs across four academic units. It ranks among the top 300 universities globally according to QS World University Rankings 2026 and holds accreditation from the UAE Ministry of Education as well as the US Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The appointment fits Sheikha Bodour's documented focus on education and economic diversification. Her background in building institutions across publishing, research, entrepreneurship and tourism development aligns directly with the university's stated mission to foster excellence in teaching, research and public service while developing global citizen graduates. The hire signals the institution's intent to deepen university-industry partnerships, advance research commercialization and position AUS as a catalyst for Sharjah's broader knowledge economy strategy. Her simultaneous leadership of SRTIP and the investment authority suggests the appointment aims to strengthen linkages between the university and Sharjah's emerging technology and innovation sectors.
