Ajman University holds 'Complementarity of information, media and promotion' seminar

Dr. Salman opened the seminar, which was attended by a number of intellectuals and media personalities, by explaining that the University aims not to be a purely academic institution, but one which has a broader and more comprehensive outlook.

This type of identification, he said, is not generally a feature of universities, which consider themselves as scientific and research institutions rather than commercial ones

In his capacity as President of the European Arabic Network for Research, H.E. Dr. Salman announced the launch of a non-profit organization to help the children of Muslim and Arab communities who were born in or who are living as immigrants and expatriates in the West.

The objectives, he stated, are to facilitate cultural exchange between East and West, the teaching of the principles of Islam and the Arabic language, and covering deficiencies in existing teaching of Islamic culture and Arabic.

Research teams and working groups from both within the university and outside will act as volunteers to carry out the research and study required for the implementation of the project. They will also establish a research center in the University. The headquarters of the organization will be Berlin (Germany) and there will be a representative office in the Intellectual and Cultural Center at AUST.

H.E. Dr. Salman added that an action plan has been developed for research into sources of funding, in collaboration with donors and contributors.

Mr. Haroon Al Suwees, Supervisor of the Arabic Division of Radio and Television Authority in Berlin, and the social and cultural advisor to the German Ministry of Youth, said that the development of Arab and Muslim communities in the West requires, in general, more effort and research.

He supported the initiative of H.E. Dr. Salman to establish this new organization and said that he believed it will play a major role in serving Arab and Muslim communities.

Also at the seminar, Dr. Ahmed Ankit, AUST Vice President for External Relations & Cultural Affairs, spoke on the subject of how to achieve integration and complementarity between information, media and promotion in the University.

He pointed out that the revolution in technology and the great abundance of information, which has been described "unprecedented in history," and the astonishing speed of its circulation, has challenged the University to keep pace with the trend, and work to implement programs of reform and development. Every individual in the AUST community aims to fully employ the multifunctionality of information systems.

While detailing the relationship between investment and information, H.E. Dr. Salman said, "You can invest successfully only if you have accurate information about what you will invest in, be it human, science or finance."

During discussion, journalists and media professionals raised several issues, such as the allocation of additional space for students on the University website and other sites that AUST deals with. Some wondered whether there is compatibility between effort and input, and outcome and output.

H.E. Dr. Salman concluded the seminar by honoring the distinguished media professionals in recognition of their invaluable contribution to the Arab media panorama.