American University of Sharjah
EN-10: Community Partnerships

AUS sits on the board of the UN Global Compact UAE Local Network, which is a network of 135 UAE organizations/companies signed up to the UN Global Compact. The UAE network aims to root the 10 principles and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within a national context and to be a leading platform for the development of sustainable corporate practices through collaboration, consensus and partnership. The ten principles of the UAE Local network, which incorporate initiatives on human rights, fair labour, anti-corruption, and environmental issues are highlighted below: UAE Local Network - The Ten Principles 1. Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights. 2. Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. 3. Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining. 4. The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour. 5. The effective abolition of child labour. 6. The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. 7. Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges. 8. Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility. 9. Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. 10. Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. In order to help further the cause of traditionally underrepresented groups, the UNGCUAE focuses on women's rights with the Women's Empowerment Principles initiative. The initiative is supported by a WEPs task force that is coordinated by a group of women board representatives. Further to being supportive of the organization as a board member, the UNGC Network UAE runs a Youth Program that is supported and represented by multiple members of the AUS student community. https://www.unglobalcompact.org/engage-locally/mena/united%20arab%20emirates https://globalcompact.ae/

https://www.aus.edu/media/news/aus-signs-mou-with-sharjah-sustainable-city In February 2020, AUS entered a strategic partnership with Sharjah Sustainable City (SSC) to collaborate on research, development and educational activities, and building bridges between academia and industry through projects that utilize the expertise of AUS faculty members and apply the skills of AUS students. SSC is the first fully integrated, net zero energy community in the emirate of Sharjah and its partnership with AUS presents an excellent opportunity to translate the knowledge resulting from ongoing sustainability research into practice.

In 2014 The Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi (EAD), in partnership with Borouge, launched the Sustainable Campus Initiative, an initiative to have university students in the UAE take responsibility and contribute to Abu Dhabi's green growth strategy and sustainable development plans. The initiative is supported by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Department of Energy, Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center, Tadweer, and the Department of Transport. Students first measure the ecological footprint of their campus, then work on strategies to minimize it. Teams work on priority areas, such as water use, waste, energy, climate change and the sustainable use of land. Students also get the opportunity to gather at regular Green Youth Majlis meetings to discuss the most significant environmental issues. So far, 21 campuses have joined the initiative, SCI is open to all colleges and universities in the UAE.

Emirates Environmental Group Membership: EEG is a professional working group devoted to protecting the environment through the means of education, action programs and community involvement. Since 2016 AUS has been an active participant in EEG's participate Waste Management and Recycling Campaigns, regularly winning the glass recycling category.