Scholarship and Solidarity: Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Champions Ajman University’s Endowed Fund

In a heartfelt gathering uniting philanthropists, business leaders and educators, the Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence delivered an impassioned keynote affirming the transformative power of educational access and community generosity.

The evening held a particular resonance. Here, beneath the lights of a Dubai venue on a November night, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, stood to address an assembly gathered with purpose: to strengthen the Endowed Scholarship Fund of Ajman University, an institution that has shaped the minds and futures of nearly fifty thousand graduates since its establishment nearly four decades ago.

The charity gala, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ajman University, brought together prominent business leaders, institutional representatives, members of the Board of Trustees, partners and alumni. The Emirates Red Crescent joined in orchestrating the evening, lending its humanitarian mission to this endeavour of educational empowerment.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak’s address wove together threads of gratitude, vision and urgent necessity. He acknowledged the unwavering commitment of H.H. Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, to the university sector across the Emirates, and praised the Crown Prince’s dedication to ensuring Ajman University’s continued excellence. Yet the heart of his message lay in a singular, sobering statistic: more than sixty-five per cent of the university’s students, nearly two-thirds of its entire student body, depend upon scholarships to enrol and pursue their studies.

This reality, he emphasised, made the evening’s collective effort not merely commendable but essential. The university, which opened as the first private institution of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, has earned widespread trust and respect both regionally and internationally, maintaining its position in distinguished university rankings. Its mission to serve society and humanity, he noted, could only be fully realised when financial barriers were not permitted to obstruct talent.

As we have reported in our coverage of the Minister’s reflections on the UAE’s educational legacy, his commitment to institutional vision and national development through learning runs deep. Similarly, his recent keynote address on education’s transformative role in family and society underscored his consistent advocacy for educational pathways that empower individuals and strengthen communities.

The Minister spoke with reverence of the charitable imperative embedded within the nation’s faith and heritage, framing the evening’s contributions as an expression of confidence in future generations. Scholarships, he suggested, were far more than financial instruments: they were acts of hope, pathways through which deserving students would become leaders and pioneers, equipped to shape their nation’s future and contribute to its prosperity.

Dr. Karim Seghir, Chancellor of Ajman University, reflected on the institution’s evolution since 1988, when it first opened its doors. Today it serves more than ten thousand students, a testament to both its academic standing and its accessibility to those who might otherwise lack opportunity.

By the evening’s close, supporters had announced contributions totalling AED15 million, including the establishment of named endowed scholarships that would carry their benefactors’ names while supporting deserving students year after year, in perpetuity. The initiative arrives as Ajman University approaches its fortieth anniversary in 2028, and represents a deliberate commitment to building a sustainable endowment that ensures high-quality university education remains accessible to successive generations of talented young Emiratis.

The gathering embodied something the UAE has long understood: that investment in education is investment in the nation’s most vital resource, its people, and that solidarity in pursuit of that goal is both a moral imperative and an expression of the values that define the society itself.

Source: WAM (1 November 2026)