American University Of Sharjah Research Articles

Nurturing Feedback and its Impact on Self-Efficacy, Empowerment, and Professional Growth in Educational and Corporate Environments

This study examines the impact of feedback quality in design education on students' self-efficacy. It argues that nurturing feedback can positively influence students' self-efficacy, leading to increased effort, perseverance, and eagerness to embrace challenges. A case study conducted in a senior design studio course at the American University of Sharjah (UAE) explores the effects of feedback. It proposes strategies to transform it into a nurturing tool for students' self-efficacy. The insights gained provide valuable guidance for all instructors involved in educational environments where feedback plays a pivotal role in students' growth and development. Furthermore, the findings have broader implications for the corporate design sector, emphasizing the importance of nurturing feedback to empower employees and foster their professional growth. Empowered employees are more likely to embrace challenges, take initiative, and contribute to organizational success, making nurturing feedback a vital factor in promoting a positive and productive work environment.

ENG Students’ Attitude towards Peer Review

This paper discusses the action research carried out in the ENG 207 course at the American University of Sharjah. The action research was conducted to find out the students’ attitudes toward using external, non-corrected samples in review training sessions and computer-mediated peer review to enhance their experience as reviewers. The findings revealed positive attitudes from the students regarding the training session and computer-mediated peer review; however, some suggestions were provided for improvements.

Evaluating Livability Perceptions: Indicators to Evaluate Livability of a University Campus

Livability indicators and assessments are critical to promoting campus sustainability and livability. Despite the various indicator frameworks and local initiatives aimed at attaining sustainability, campus livability assessments in the Middle East are scarce. An extensive literature search was used in this paper to obtain the best livability indicators, and the Delphi method was used to reach consensus using a panel of experts in the fields of sustainability and livability. The determining indicators were identified and categorized according to Environmental Quality, Social and Cultural Elements, Accessibility, Amenities and Services, Safety, Housing, and Other Services. A questionnaire using both qualitative and quantitative questions was used, taking into consideration the perceptions of students, faculty, and staff residing at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) campus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A score of 87/100 was obtained in this study, indicating that the AUS can be considered a highly livable campus. Responses showed that social and cultural elements, such as social gatherings, availability of restaurants, and children’s activities, were of utmost importance to the respondents. Additionally, services on campus, accessibility, and quality of housing played a major role in respondents’ choices. The index obtained in this study serves as a reference/benchmark for similar and comparative studies of campus livability, and can be adapted to similar scenarios. Moreover, this study opens the doors for future studies to gain deeper insights into the required steps to evaluate the livability of a campus, in order to facilitate future transformation of a traditional campus into a livable campus.

Prevalence of Insomnia among university students in the United Arab Emirates

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of insomnia among three United Arab Emirates (UAE) university students, of different majors; namely, Ajman University, University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah from March 2021 to June 2021, through comparing components of everyday behavioral activities with their sleep patterns and overall sleep quality. The questionnaire was distributed in two forms; online via the Planet Survey Website and paper-based. Three hundred and eighty out of four hundred, with 95% response rate, UAE university students, 48.7% males and 51.3% females, average aged 24 years completed a questionnaire on insomnia that includes sociodemographic, the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and lifestyle details. Most of the participants were Muslims (95.5%), 74.5% of them were Arabs, 94.3% were singles and 91.6% were full-time students. The resultant prevalence of insomnia among the students was assessed by three criteria. These are, time to fall asleep, quality of sleep and respondents with and without problem sleeping. With respect to time to fall asleep, 51.8% of respondents needs ≥ 30 minutes to fall asleep, 29.2% of them were females and 22.6% males. Regarding quality of sleep, both genders scored almost identical figures of 19.5% and 2% for fairly and bad quality of sleep respectively. With respect to problem sleeping, 37.9% of respondents were having problem sleeping, 22.4% of them females and 15.5% males. Our results identified some significant relations between some sleep disorders and behavior or diseases. Nightmares had a significant relation with listening to rap music (p<0.031), play with cell phone or tablet before sleeping (p <0.023), drinking tea and coffee (p<0.004), energy drinks (p<0.034) take a medicine to promote sleeping (p <0.017), as well as allergic rhinitis (p<0.009). Whereas falling experience had a significant relation with listening to pop music (p<0.018), play with cell phone or tablet before sleeping (p<0.009) and diseases like hypothyroidism (p<0.009) and diabetes (p<0.009). On the other hand, spinning room experience had a significant relation with cardiac diseases (p<0.019), take a medicine to promote sleeping (p<0.003), hyperthyroidism (p <0.009) and listening to rap music (p<0.015). The results also identified that sleep-walk had a significant relation with listening to rock music (p<0.050), and rap music (p< 0.035) before bed. Whereas sleep-talk had a significant relation with asthma (p<0.048) and hypertension (p< 0.034). This study provides preliminary data on sleep quality and risk factors for insomnia, which may be used to guide sleep hygiene promotion and intervention among university students.

How Much Do We Care about Teacher Burnout during the Pandemic: A Bibliometric Review.

In this study, a descriptive bibliometric analysis of the scientific production was performed in the Web of Science on burnout and/or stress in teachers in pandemic situations. The aim of the study was to analyse the scientific production on stress and burnout in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 75 documents from 33 journals with 3947 cited references were considered, with 307 researchers from 35 countries publishing at least one article. The country with the most publications was the USA, followed by China and Spain. The USA was the country with the most collaborations. A total of 184 institutions published documents, and the universities with the most records were Christopher Newport and Columbia, although the American University of Sharjah and Cape Breton University had a higher overall citation coefficient. Of the 33 journals that have published on the subject, Frontiers in Psychology and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health stood out in terms of the number of articles, and they were also listed in this order with regard to their impact factor.

Impacts of Emergency Remote Teaching on College Students Amid COVID-19 in the UAE

With the aim of appraising the impact of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on college students, an online survey was conducted in December 2020 on a total of 588 undergraduate students at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the study was to probe into the perceptions of college students regarding their learning process and its influence on their mental health with the abrupt transition from face-to-face classes to ERT in the Spring 2020 semester. A comprehensive analysis was performed using structural equation modeling and other statistical techniques to reveal crucial results associated with the factors that have an effect on the students’ psychological distress, such as quality of courses, academic performance, and readiness for future work or studies. Findings suggest that the students’ perceived quality of courses under ERT has a significant impact on their academic performance and readiness for future work or studies. Moreover, they indicate that these factors serve as a vital mediating role in provoking psychological distress among the students. The study also shows that gender, previous history of anxiety/distress, education being at risk due to financial issues caused by COVID-19, and year of study significantly affect the students’ distress levels. In order to ensure and prioritize the well-being of college students during these turbulent times, new strategies are urgently needed to develop and enhance resilient ERT environments in higher education. The study concludes with limitations and suggestions for further research.

Painterly, Misfit and Redundant: Challenging Precision and Optimisation with Scavenging

AbstractFaysal Tabbarah is Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Architecture at the American University of Sharjah and co‐founder of design studio Architecture + Other Things (A+OT). Here he explores alternative forms through the painterly, the natural environment and the architectonic with the aim of developing new and original ways of constructing material that can be used for building.

Carbon Footprint at a United Arab Emirates University: GHG Protocol

Background: University campuses can be leaders of change by tracking carbon footprints and establishing strategies for reductions. The American University of Sharjah (AUS) has led this effort in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), establishing an Office of Sustainability to address energy consumption on its campus, resulting in a reduction of 30% by 2015. AUS campus uses the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to annually track carbon footprint. The purpose of this paper is to stablish a framework that institutions can use to calculate the carbon footprint (CF) on their university campuses. Methods: The GHG Protocol, which categorizes emissions into three scopes; 1: direct, 2: indirect, and 3: other indirect emissions, was used as a guideline. This paper covers the following: Scope 1: emissions from university fleet, Scope 2: emissions from electricity and water consumption, Scope 3: emissions from the university commute, limited business air travel and waste. The data for each category are analyzed and recommendations to reduce the carbon footprint are presented. Results: The total CO2 emissions for the AUS campus in 2018–2019 were 94,553.30 tCO2e. Additionally, the percentage contribution of total emissions for Scope 1, 2 and 3 were 0.37%, 61.12% and 38.51%. Conclusions: The two highest contributors of CO2 emissions at the AUS campus are electricity consumption (60.91%) and university commute (36.54%). AUS has hosted numerous educational campaigns and awareness programs to try to reduce carbon emissions, which helped in reducing electricity consumption throughout campus; however, these are still insufficient; hence, the importance of quantifying the CF of the AUS campus. Based on the results obtained, recommendations can be made to reduce overall CO2 emissions for AUS and other higher education institutions in the region and internationally.

A characterization study for the properties of dust particles collected on photovoltaic (PV) panels in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Dust accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) modules is responsible for the reduction in solar radiation received and/or transmitted, hence, decreases the efficiency of the PV cells. To enhance the performance of PV modules, the nature and the structure of dust should be evaluated. This paper investigates the seasonal variability of dust and PV soiling losses over 4 months (15 weeks, over the summer of 2018) in a soiling station deployed at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. A custom-made setup was employed to collect the dust samples on glass sheets. This will provide a better understanding of the soil deposition rates and composition. The accumulated dust was characterized for its morphological and elemental properties. The dust samples were directly collected from the panels mounted outdoor in the desert environment. Various characterization techniques were performed to determine the dust samples’ composition. The results showed that the dust particles are mostly rich in carbon, oxygen, calcium, silicon, thus indicating the presence of silica and calcite. UV–Vis results showed a decrease in transmittance of 30% after 15 weeks of soiling. This results of this work are essential for the development of proper self-cleaning techniques for PV modules deployed in Sharjah.

Eurasian Regionalism as a Research Agenda. Interview with Dr. Mikhail A. Molchanov, University of Salamanca, Spain

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Molchanov is a prominent Canadian political scholar, professor and publicist. He has worked as a senior policy analyst for the Government of Canada and a professor of political science at several Canadian universities. He held a visiting professor appointment at the American University of Sharjah, UAE, and several visiting research appointments at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, Waseda University and Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan, and at the United Nations University Institute of Comparative Regional Studies (UNU-CRIS) in Brugge, Belgium. Dr. Molchanovs research focuses on international relations in Eurasia and international political economy of regional integration. His research projects have been supported by the United States Institute of Peace, The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), Japan Foundation, Soros Foundations, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation. In 2011, he was awarded the Japan Foundations prestigious Japanese Studies Fellowship, and in 2012, elected Foreign Member of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine. He is the winner of the inaugural Robert H. Donaldson prize of the International Studies Association for the best paper study of the post-communist region. He sits on the Board of the Global and International Studies Program, University of Salamanca, Spain. Dr. Molchanov has published extensively on comparative politics and international relations of the post-communist states. He has authored and co-authored 7 books and nearly 120 articles and book chapters, including, most recently, Eurasian Regionalisms and Russian Foreign Policy [Molchanov 2016a], and Management Theory for Economic Systems [Molchanov, Molchanova 2018], as well as Eurasian Regionalism: Ideas and Practices [Molchanov 2015], Russias Leadership of Regional Integration in Eurasia [Molchanov 2016b], The Eurasian Economic Union [Molchanov 2018a], New Regionalism and Eurasia [Molchanov 2018b], Russian Security Strategy and the Geopolitics of Energy in Eurasia [Molchanov 2019], and Eurasian Regionalisms and Russias Pivot to the East: The Role of ASEAN [Molchanov 2014]. In his interview Dr. Molchanov talks about the formation of Eurasian studies in the U.S., Europe and the post-Soviet states, leading scientists in this area and periodicals. Special attention is paid to the perception of the Eurasian space in Western countries, to the prospects for further institutionalization of the Eurasian Economic Union, to the partnership between Russia and China and to Russia - EU relations.

Are Disinfectants for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 Safe?

Are Disinfectants for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 Safe?

Large-scale channel characterization at 28 GHz on a university campus in the United Arab Emirates

Millimeter wave (mm-wave) communication is one of the key enabling technologies for meeting the requirements of the fifth generation (5G) wireless communication systems. It is, therefore, essential to have accurate information about the mm-wave radio channel characteristics for successful deployment of these systems. There are many recent mm-wave channel characterization measurements reported worldwide. However, no such measurements were reported in the Arabian Peninsula, where the environment along with the building design and architecture are different from other regions in the world. This paper tries to fill that gap and presents the results of an mm-wave measurement campaign conducted at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) campus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the period of November 2018 to January 2019. The results of the large-scale characterization (path loss and shadow fading) are presented for both indoor and outdoor environments at 28 GHz. Furthermore, the penetration loss and reflection coefficients for materials commonly used in the facades of building structures in the UAE are measured at the same frequency.

How to develop a research agenda in two days

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the aims, objectives and structure of a two-day Think Tank, “Gender in Organisations in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region”, held at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on 18–19 March 2019.Design/methodology/approachThe paper will explain the design decisions made to achieve the objectives of the event, which will be of interest to equality, diversity and inclusion readers who may wish to hold such events themselves. It will then explain each of the Think Tank sessions and provide an overview of the keynote speakers’ presentations and the ensuing plenary discussions.FindingsThe Think Tank was an extremely useful vehicle for facilitating discussion on the development of a research agenda to advance knowledge in respect of gender in organisations in the MENA region. The design of the Think Tank enabled collaborative discussion amongst academics drawn from across the globe, who shared their knowledge and experience to develop a coordinated research agenda, to guide action and attention on key issues identified by the group.Originality/valueThe Think Tank is believed to be the first of its type in the MENA region. The authors believe this collaborative and time-efficient approach advances research agendas in respect of key issues of interest to equality, diversity and inclusion scholars. The Think Tank format is a valuable addition to the processes currently utilised to achieve such outcomes, e.g. conferences and symposia.

Historical trauma and symptoms impacting United Arab Emirates migrant youth

This study examines perceptions of historical trauma and cultural loss among migrant students at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The analysis focuses on 95 students who identified ‘homeland’ as one of the following nations experiencing conflict: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Iraq and Tunisia. Our findings indicate that these students, having lived the majority of their lives outside their homelands and with no first-hand experience of violence, struggle with significant and frequent losses, and suffer with associated symptoms such as depression, fear and anger.

Digital entrepreneurship

Digital entrepreneurship

Lighting Up the Bulb’s Station

This case study follows the entrepreneurial journey initiated by a group of undergraduate students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and examines the decisions made and lessons learned along the way. Uncovering the intricacies of the process of business ideation, the case analyses the predisposing conditions that led to the establishment of the Bulb’s Station—a vending booth offering exclusively homemade food. A particular emphasis is placed on analysing the two major experiences that the partners had running the booth, namely, at the 2016 AUS Global Day and the 2016 UAE National Day Celebration at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). By providing detailed information regarding the type, variety, quantity and pricing of dishes on the menu, the reader is brought to estimate the extent to which the booth’s operation was successful at each of the two events. Based on prior challenges and shortcomings in adopted strategies, the partners are now confronted with the critical question of whether to turn the Bulb’s Station into a start-up company in the food industry in the UAE.

Frontiers in Theoretical and Applied Physics/UAE 2017 (FTAPS 2017)

Preface:The International Conference Frontiers in Theoretical and Applied Physics |UAE 2017 was organized by the Department of Physics at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in partnership with the Emirates Mars Mission and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in Dubai-United Arab Emirates. The conference was endorsed by the American Physical Society (APS), Materials Research Society (MRS), the Institute of Physics (IOP) in the UK, and the International Astronomical Union (IAU)-Office of Astronomy for Development. It was held on the beautiful campus of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the United Arab Emirates between 22-25February,2017. The conference was the first international and interdisciplinary physics conference in the region that attracted such large number of world-leading scientists and experts in the fields of atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter and materials science, astrophysics and space science, nuclear and high energy physics, and mathematical physics. It had a broad international participation from more than 45 countries, with registered delegates numbering over 330. The scientific program included the presentation and discussion of 300 papers, classified as 5 keynote lectures (each lasted 1 hour), 60 invited talks (each lasted thirty minutes), 145 contributed talks (12 minutes each), and 90 posters. The keynote lectures were attended by all conference attendees in addition to undergraduate and graduate students from AUS, and other guests from neighboring institutions. The invited talks were scheduled into parallel sessions, followed by contributed talks, corresponding to the different research areas that constitute the themes of the conference. Those themes included: Atomic, Molecular, and Laser Physics; Materials Science; Astrophysics and Planetary Science; Mathematical Physics; the Solar System and Mars; and High Energy and Particle Physics.Submission of papers for the conference proceedings was voluntary. 125 manuscripts were received for consideration in the proceedings and 96 were accepted for publication after a peer-review conducted by the conference’s scientific committee in consultation with experts in the corresponding fields. The keynote and invited speakers, in addition to some of the international advisory board members, were invited to submit their papers for publication in a dedicated special issue: Focus issue on Theoretical and Applied Physics in Physica Scripta, the broad scope journal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Those invited papers are to be reviewed and handled by Physica Scripta itself. The editors of this focus issue are Ali S. Alnaser, Roland Allen, and Suzy Lidström, Editor-in-chief of Physica Scripta.Details of Conference Chair, lists of Keynote Speakers, Invited Speakers, Editors of the Proceedings, Scientific Committee, International Advisory Board, Local Organizing Committee, Local Logistics, IT-Support and some photos from the conference are available in the PDF.

Monitoring of Matrix Acidizing by Use of Resistivity Measurements

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 181414, “Monitoring of Matrix Acidizing by Use of Resistivity Measurements,” by Mehdi Ghommem, American University of Sharjah, and Xiangdong Qiu, Dominic Brady, Firas Al-Tajar, Steve Crary, and Alaa Mahjoub, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2016 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dubai, 26–28 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed. This paper describes the testing of a novel concept based on resistivity measurements to monitor acid-stimulation operations. It is believed that the proposed concept for monitoring the wormholing process can be adopted in the field with the deployment of induction tools. The outcome of this novel monitoring concept is expected to provide an unprecedented level of understanding of the depth, number, and type of wormholes being created downhole. Introduction Induction-logging tools can be viewed as an attractive option for characterizing wormhole morphology resulting from the acidizing process and can be used to assess acid-stimulation operations. The authors propose to extend the use of resistivity-logging tools for evaluating acid-stimulation jobs after well cleanup. This concept relies on the significant variations in the electrical resistivity of the different fluids and chemicals involved in the acidizing process and the increase in the effective porosity in the near-wellbore region resulting from the acid reactive dissolution. In this work, the authors conducted resistivity measurements while acidizing carbonate core samples. To do so, an electrically sensitive coreflooding setup was designed to conduct acidizing tests of carbonate core samples while measuring the change in the electrical resistivity at multiple points along the core and in real time. The paper shows the potential use of such measurements to monitor wormhole penetration and branching in real time. A yard test was conducted to verify the response of a real induction tool to simulated wormholing features. Resistivity Measurements While Coreflooding Experimental Setup and Procedure. A three-phase methodology was followed: rock-sample characterization, coreflooding and resistivity measurements, and characterization of the core samples after acidizing to inspect the wormhole structure and invert through the model to close the experimental loop. Saturation of Cores and Porosity Measurement. The core samples were put under a vacuum for a few hours and weighed. Then, they were saturated with 50,000 ppm of sodium chloride (NaCl) at a pressure of 2,000 psi for a few hours. After saturation, the samples were weighed again; the difference in the weight of dry and saturated samples was simply converted to the pore volume of the rock. Permeability Measurement. The permeability of the rock samples was measured by the constant-flow-rate method. This was performed by flowing deionized water across the cores in the coreflooding system while recording the pressure drop. The permeability was computed from the pressure drop and corresponding flow rate using Darcy’s law.

Hybrid Modes of Architectural Production in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract This article presents a recent design exercise in which architecture students from the American University of Sharjah were asked to design a sustainable scientific research facility with associated housing in the desert oasis city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The studio investigated vernacular habitation patterns and crafts of ancient desert dwellers in order to develop techniques for inhabiting this harsh environment. The vernacular techniques examined have allowed people to exist in the region for tens of thousands of years and include courtyard house typologies, ‘arish (palm-leaf) construction, nomadic Bedouin weaving, mashrabiya (latticework) screens, dhow boat-making, sand baffles, sewn lateen (triangular) sails, wind towers and qanat (irrigation) channels, to name a few. The students examined and reinterpreted these techniques to align them with modern construction requirements and contemporary ways of living. Using ‘hybrid’ models, the students made small-scale fabrications partly determined by the site, and in so doing created proposals that were extremely site-specific and therefore inherently sustainable. In contrast to the highly incongruous development patterns of such contemporary urban environments as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the architectural approach that emerged from this exercise aspires to be environmentally sensitive while maintaining cultural authenticity.

Arab Migrant Communities in the GCC: Summary Report

Introduction: Arab Migrant Communities in the GCC Zahra Babar, Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar 1. Working for the Neighbors: Arab Migrants in Qatar Zahra Babar, Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar 2. Arab Migrant Teachers in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities Natasha Ridge, Soha Shami, and Susan Kippels, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research 3. The Model Immigrant: Second Generation Hadramis in Kuwait and the Legacy of “Good Reputation” Abdullah Alajmi, Arab Open University in Kuwait 4. “The Egyptian Invasion of Kuwait”: Navigating Possibilities among the Impossible Abbie Taylor, Georgetown University; Nada Soudy, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar; and Susan Martin, Georgetown University 5. The “Other Arab” and Gulf Citizens: Mutual Accommodation of Palestinians in the UAE in Historical Context Manal A. Jamal, James Madison University 6. Returning Yemeni Migrants from KSA – Analysis of the Character of Yemeni Irregular Migrants in KSA and Potential Impacts/Implications of Large Scale Return Michael Newson, Dax Roque, and Harry Cook, International Organization for Migration 7. An Emerging Trend in Arab Migration: Arab Highly-Skilled Females in the GCC Countries Francoise De Bel-Air, Migration Policy Centre, Florence and Gulf Research Centre, Geneva 8. High-Skilled Lebanese Transnational Migrants: A Kuwait Perspective Garret Maher, Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait 9. Sport Labor Migrant Communities from the Maghreb in the GCC Mahfoud Amara, Loughborough University 10. Attitudes of Students in the GCC towards the Arab Spring: A Case Study of Students in the UAE Georges Naufal, American University of Sharjah; Ismail Genc, American University of Sharjah; and Carlos Vargas-Silva, University of Oxford