American University of Ras Al Khaimah

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) is a private university in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, established in 2009 and licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.美国哈马大学（缩写 AURAK）是阿拉伯联合酋长国拉斯海马酋长国的一所私立大学，创办于 2009 年，由阿联酋高等教育与科学研究部颁照办学。

It traces its origins to 2005, when George Mason University of the United States opened its Ras Al Khaimah campus, known as GMU-RAK, on which AURAK was later built.其源头可上溯至 2005 年，当时美国乔治·梅森大学在拉斯海马设立分校（简称 GMU-RAK），AURAK 即在其基础上建立。

AURAK teaches through three schools and offers some 23 accredited programmes to more than 1,500 students of over 60 nationalities, and the QS World University Rankings 2027 place it at 608th.该校通过三个学院组织教学，向来自 60 多个国家的 1500 余名学生提供约 23 个认证专业，在 2027 年 QS 世界大学排名中列第 608 位。

History

• The American University of Ras Al Khaimah was established in 2009, building on the legacy and initial setup provided by the George Mason University campus in Ras Al Khaimah.美国哈马大学创办于 2009 年，其基础承自乔治·梅森大学此前在拉斯海马设立的分校及其既有配置。

• George Mason University, the American institution after which GMU-RAK was named, opened that Ras Al Khaimah campus in 2005 as its first overseas branch.乔治·梅森大学是 GMU-RAK 以其命名的美国院校，於 2005 年在拉斯海马开设分校，为其首个海外校区。

• The emirate itself had joined the newly formed United Arab Emirates in 1972, one year after the federation was created in 1971.该酋长国於 1972 年加入新成立的阿拉伯联合酋长国，而联邦则於 1971 年成立，前后相隔一年。

• Ras Al Khaimah's push to host an American-model university reflected the northern emirates' ambition to build a diversified knowledge economy beyond the oil-rich capital, drawing on the emirate's growing investment in education since the 2000s.拉斯海马推动设立美式大学，反映出北部各酋长国在石油富集的都城之外构建多元知识经济的雄心，也依托该酋长国自 2000 年代以来对教育不断加大的投入。

• The university is officially licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to operate from 1 August 2009 to 15 September 2026.该校获阿联酋高等教育与科学研究部正式颁照，自 2009 年 8 月 1 日起至 2026 年 9 月 15 日止可办学招生。

• Professor Sharon Siverts provided early leadership as the institution's first president in 2009 and 2010, helping to stabilise its direction.莎伦·西弗茨教授於 2009 至 2010 年出任该校首位校长，提供了早期领导，协助稳定办学方向。

• Dr Shaukat Mirza followed as president in 2010 and 2011, during the transitional years before a permanent leadership was settled.绍卡特·米尔扎博士随后於 2010 至 2011 年任校长，其时正值校务领导层尚未定型的过渡阶段。

• In August 2011 the Board of Trustees appointed Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim as Vice-Chancellor of the university.2011 年 8 月，校董会任命哈桑·哈姆丹·阿尔·阿尔基姆教授为该校副校长。

• Subsequent changes in the organisational structure saw Professor Al Alkim named as President in 2014, a title that replaced Vice-Chancellor.其后随组织架构调整，阿尔·阿尔基姆教授於 2014 年获任校长，此职衔取代了原先的副校长称谓。

• Professor Al Alkim led the university into a period of expansion and innovation until his retirement in 2023.阿尔·阿尔基姆教授带领该校进入一个扩张与创新的时期，直至其於 2023 年退休。

• The Board of Trustees then appointed Dr David A. Schmidt as president in August 2023, under whose leadership the university strengthened its international partnerships.校董会随后於 2023 年 8 月任命大卫·A·施密特博士为校长，在其领导下学校加强了国际伙伴关系。

• On 26 August 2025 Professor Bassam Alameddine assumed the presidency, bringing a renewed vision to guide the university's next chapter of growth.2025 年 8 月 26 日，巴萨姆·阿拉梅丁教授就任校长，以更新的愿景引领学校进入下一阶段的成长。

• Under this leadership AURAK broadened its academic horizons by adding three schools, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Computing and the School of Business.在这一领导团队的推动下，AURAK 增设艺术与科学学院、工程与计算学院与商学院三所学院，拓宽了学术版图。

• These schools played a pivotal role in elevating AURAK's academic standing and helped it secure multiple accreditations from bodies such as the CAA in the UAE, SACSCOC in the United States and QAA in the United Kingdom.这三所学院在提升 AURAK 学术地位上发挥了关键作用，并助其取得阿联酋 CAA、美国 SACSCOC 与英国 QAA 等多个机构的认证。

• A significant milestone was its QS 5 Stars Plus rating, which marked AURAK as the first university in the United Arab Emirates to receive that honour.一项重要里程碑是其获评 QS 五星加强评级，使 AURAK 成为阿联酋首所获此荣誉的大学。

• The Bachelor of Architecture programme was granted candidate status for accreditation by the NAAB in 2022, with an initial accreditation visit scheduled for October 2026.其建筑学学士专业於 2022 年获美国国家建筑认证委员会（NAAB）候选资格，首次认证考察定於 2026 年 10 月。

• AURAK's current strategy emphasises cultivating excellence in its existing curricular offerings while improving institutional policies and procedures.该校当前战略着重在既有专业中培育卓越，同时改进机构政策与行政流程。

• With enrolment expected to grow, the university projects an annual increase in student enrolment of 35 percent over the next five years.随招生预期增长，校方预计未来五年学生人数将逐年增加 35%。

• That expansion is intended to attract educators, economists, business entrepreneurs and other professionals, aligning with the national and regional demand for skilled graduates.这一扩张意在吸引教育工作者、经济学家、创业企业家等专业人士，并与国家与地区对技能型毕业生的需求相契合。

• Between 2005 and 2009 the institution moved from being a branch campus of a United States university into an independent Emirati university with local governance.在 2005 至 2009 年间，该机构由一所美国大学的海外分校转变为拥有本地治理的独立阿联酋大学。

• Its academic calendar follows the American semester model, a legacy of the George Mason University campus it succeeded in 2009.其学年沿用美国式学期制，这是其於 2009 年承接的乔治·梅森大学分校留下的遗产。

• Quality assurance has shaped its development, with the UAE's CAA licensing its operation from 2009 and accrediting all of its degree programmes.质量保障塑造了其发展轨迹，阿联酋 CAA 自 2009 年起为其颁照办学，并认证其全部学位专业。

Academics

• The university organises its teaching through three academic schools: the School of Engineering and Computing, the School of Business and the School of Arts and Sciences.该校通过三个学术学院组织教学，即工程与计算学院、商学院与艺术与科学学院。

• Its departments include Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Architecture and Civil Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering.其系所包括化学与石油工程系、建筑与土木工程系，以及电气与电子工程系。

• Further departments cover Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanical, Electrical and Intelligent Systems Engineering.另有计算机科学与工程系、机械工程系，以及机械、电气与智能系统工程系。

• The School of Arts and Sciences houses the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of Mathematics and Physics.艺术与科学学院下设生物技术系、人文与社会科学系，以及数学与物理系。

• The School of Business contains the Department of Accounting and Finance and the Department of Management, which carry its undergraduate and graduate business degrees.商学院下设会计与金融系与管理系，承担其本科与研究生商科课程。

• AURAK offers 18 undergraduate programmes and 5 graduate programmes, giving a total of 23 accredited degrees across its three schools.该校开设 18 个本科专业与 5 个研究生专业，三个学院合计 23 个获认证的学位项目。

• Its enrolment exceeds 1,500 students, taught by more than 95 faculty members and drawn from over 60 nationalities.其在校生逾 1500 人，由 95 名以上教师授课，学生来自 60 多个国家。

• The University has produced over 2,000 alumni since its first cohort, and its campus houses more than 50 state-of-the-art laboratories.自首批学生以来，该校已培养逾 2000 名校友，校园内设有 50 多座先进实验室。

• Engineering and computing programmes at AURAK are accredited by ABET, covering computer engineering, electrical and electronics, civil and infrastructure, mechanical and chemical engineering.该校工程与计算类专业获 ABET 认证，涵盖计算机工程、电气与电子、土木与基础设施、机械与化学工程。

• ABET also accredits the BS in Computer Science through its Computing Accreditation Commission and the BS in Biotechnology through its Applied and Natural Science Commission.ABET 亦通过计算认证委员会认证其计算机科学学士，并通过应用与自然科学认证委员会认证其生物技术学士。

• The School of Business is an accredited member of AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a widely recognised mark of business-school quality.商学院是 AACSB 国际（高等商学院协会）的认证成员，该认证为商科教育质量的广泛认可标志。

• Its accounting and finance degrees carry exemptions from ACCA, with four examination exemptions for Accounting and three for Finance.其会计与金融学位获 ACCA 免试资格，会计方向可免考四门、金融方向免考三门。

• The Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in Finance is affiliated with the CFA Institute, linking the degree to the chartered financial analyst profession.其金融方向的商学学士与 CFA 协会建立联系，使该学位与特许金融分析师职业相衔接。

• Teaching runs from undergraduate degrees up to master's level, with graduate programmes concentrated in the School of Business and the School of Engineering and Computing.教学层次自本科直至硕士，研究生专业集中于商学院与工程与计算学院。

• AURAK's engineering programmes combine laboratory work in its 50-plus labs with industrial links, reflecting its student-centred, industry-bridging mission.其工程专业把 50 多座实验室中的实操与产业联系相结合，体现其学生为本、联结产业的办学使命。

• Its three schools replaced an earlier single-college structure, part of the organisational changes that followed the appointment of its second president.其三个学院取代了早先的单一学院建制，属于其第二任校长就任后组织调整的一部分。

• Graduate study is offered at master's level, with the School of Business among the units delivering postgraduate degrees to the university's 1,500-strong student body.其研究生教育开设至硕士层次，商学院即为向全校 1500 名学生授予研究生学位的单位之一。

• The curriculum bridges academia and industry, in line with the university's stated mission to prepare future leaders through transformational, student-centred education.其课程联结学术与产业，与其公开宣示的使命——通过变革性的、以学生为本的教育培养未来领袖——相一致。

Campus

• AURAK occupies a single enclosed campus in Ras Al Khaimah with modern architecture, landscaping and sporting and recreational facilities.AURAK 在拉斯海马设有一处集中的封闭式校区，拥有现代建筑、园林景观与体育康乐设施。

• The campus sits on a property of about 122,560 square metres, or roughly 1.3 million square feet, within scenic Ras Al Khaimah.校园占地约 122560 平方米，约合 130 万平方英尺，地处风景秀丽的拉斯海马。

• Its official address is the American University of Ras Al Khaimah Road, Ras al Khaimah, PO Box 10021.其官方地址为拉斯海马「美国哈马大学路」，邮政信箱 10021 号。

• The university's recorded geographic position is latitude 25.78953 and longitude 55.9432, placing it in the northernmost emirate of the UAE.该校登记的地理坐标为北纬 25.78953、东经 55.9432，位于阿联酋最北端的酋长国。

• The campus contains more than 50 state-of-the-art laboratories serving the engineering, computing, biotechnology and science programmes.校园内设有 50 多座先进实验室，服务于工程、计算、生物技术与科学等专业。

• Ras Al Khaimah, the emirate in which the university sits, has been described by the university as the fourth-best city globally for expatriates.该校所在的拉斯海马酋长国，被校方描述为全球外籍人士宜居程度第四的城市。

• Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, the emirate whose government has supported the growth of the university over the years.谢赫·沙特·本·萨克尔·阿尔·卡西米为拉斯海马酋长国的统治者，该酋长国政府多年间支持了大学的发展。

• New facilities at AURAK were established with resources raised from the Government of Ras Al Khaimah and donors, expanding the campus's built estate.该校的新设施以拉斯海马政府与捐赠者筹集的资源建成，扩展了校园的建筑规模。

• The campus includes sporting and recreational facilities alongside its academic buildings, laboratories and landscaped grounds.校园在学术建筑、实验室与园林绿地之外，还设有体育与康乐设施。

• Its built estate was enlarged during the presidency of Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, who raised funds from the government and donors between 2011 and 2023.其建筑规模在哈桑·哈姆丹·阿尔·阿尔基姆教授主政期间扩大，他於 2011 至 2023 年间向政府与捐赠者筹集了资金。

Reputation

• In the QS World University Rankings 2027, the edition to which this entry belongs, AURAK is placed at 608th in the world.在 2027 年 QS 世界大学排名中，也就是本条目所属的榜单版本，AURAK 列全球第 608 位。

• AURAK achieved a QS 5 Stars Plus rating, marking it as the first university in the United Arab Emirates to receive that honour.该校获评 QS 五星加强评级，成为阿联酋首所获此荣誉的大学。

• By QS Star rating it was rated outstanding in 2023, and its profile places it among the top ten universities in the United Arab Emirates.依 QS 星级评定，其於 2023 年被评为卓越，其档案将其列于阿联酋大学前十之列。

• It holds institutional accreditation from three national quality bodies, the CAA of the UAE, SACSCOC of the United States and QAA of the United Kingdom.该校获三国质量机构颁发的机构认证，即阿联酋的 CAA、美国的 SACSCOC 与英国的 QAA。

• Its specialised accreditations include ABET for engineering, computing and biotechnology and AACSB for the School of Business.其专业认证包括面向工程、计算与生物技术的 ABET，以及面向商学院的 AACSB。

• The Times Higher Education 2027 edition carries AURAK as a Reporter institution rather than with a ranked band.2027 年泰晤士高等教育榜将 AURAK 列为 Reporter 类机构，而非给出排名档位。

• AURAK does not appear in the 2026-2027 US News Best Global Universities table or in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities main list.该校未出现在 2026-2027 年度 US News 全球最佳大学榜，也未进入 2026 年软科世界大学学术排名主榜。

• Its research output recorded by OpenAlex amounts to about 1,829 works with 48,375 citations, reflecting a young and teaching-focused institution.OpenAlex 记录该校约 1829 件作品与 48375 次被引，反映出这是一所年轻且以教学为主的机构。

• Among national comparators, the UAE hosts institutions such as United Arab Emirates University, Khalifa University, American University of Sharjah, Zayed University and the University of Sharjah.在国内同侪中，阿联酋设有阿联酋大学、哈利法大学、沙迦美国大学、扎耶德大学与沙迦大学等院校。

• Its accreditations from the UAE, the United States and the United Kingdom give its degrees recognition across three different jurisdictions.其来自阿联酋、美国与英国的认证，使该校学位在三个不同的法域获得承认。

• United Arab Emirates University, founded in 1976, is the country's oldest national university, against which AURAK's younger profile is measured.阿联酋大学创办於 1976 年，是该国最古老的国立大学，AURAK 较年轻的定位即以此为参照。

• Its QS 5 Stars Plus rating and top-ten national star placement make it one of the UAE's more highly rated young private universities.其 QS 五星加强评级与国内星级排名前十的地位，使其成为阿联酋较受好评的新兴私立大学之一。

Student life

• The university uses the tagline "Life-Changing Education. Global Impact." as its public expression of purpose.该校以「Life-Changing Education. Global Impact.」为宣传语，作为其公开表达的办学宗旨。

• It has no formal Latin motto in its public material, presenting instead a vision, a mission and six core values grouped under the acronym IDEALS.其公开材料无正式拉丁校训，而是以愿景、使命与归於「IDEALS」缩写之下的六项核心价值呈现。

• The IDEALS values are Integrity, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Excellence, Academic Freedom, Life-long Learning and Sustainability.IDEALS 所指的价值观为诚信、多元与包容、卓越、学术自由、终身学习与可持续发展。

• Its vision is to be a globally recognised university shaping future-ready generations through education excellence, innovation and lifelong learning for societal impact.其愿景是成为一所享誉全球的大学，通过卓越教育、创新与终身学习塑造面向未来的一代，以产生社会影响。

• Student governance runs through a Student Government Association, operated and managed by students duly elected by their peers.学生自治通过学生自治会实现，该会由同学正式选举产生的学生自行运作与管理。

• A Faculty Senate and an Academic Council give faculty and academic leadership a formal voice in the university's decision-making.教师评议会与学术委员会使教师与学术领导层在校务决策中获得正式的发言渠道。

• The university offers open days and information sessions in cities such as Abu Dhabi, bringing prospective students into contact with its programmes and faculty.该校在阿布扎比等城市举办开放日与说明会，让潜在学生与学校专业及教师直接接触。

• Its students come from over 60 nationalities, giving the single campus in Ras Al Khaimah a distinctly international student community.其学生来自 60 多个国家，使拉斯海马的这一单点校园带有鲜明的国际学生社群色彩。

• Students are represented by the Student Government Association, whose members are elected by their peers and who speak for the student body.学生由学生自治会代表，其成员由同学选举产生，并代学生群体发声。

• The university's open days and information sessions bring school students and families onto the campus to meet faculty and explore its programmes.该校的开放日与说明会让学生及家长走进校园，与教师见面并了解各专业。

Notable people

• Professor Bassam Alameddine, appointed by the Board of Trustees on 26 August 2025, is the university's current president.巴萨姆·阿拉梅丁教授由校董会於 2025 年 8 月 26 日任命，为该校现任校长。

• Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, who presided from 2011 until 2023, led the university's most sustained period of expansion.哈桑·哈姆丹·阿尔·阿尔基姆教授自 2011 年至 2023 年主政，带领学校走过其最持久的扩张期。

• Dr David A. Schmidt served as president from August 2023, strengthening the university's international partnerships during his tenure.大卫·A·施密特博士自 2023 年 8 月起任校长，任内加强了学校的国际伙伴关系。

• Professor Sharon Siverts and Dr Shaukat Mirza provided the institution's early leadership, stabilising and defining its direction in its first years.莎伦·西弗茨教授与绍卡特·米尔扎博士提供了该校的早期领导，在其初创岁月稳定并界定了发展方向。

• George Mason University, named after the American founding father George Mason, gave the university its founding precedent through its Ras Al Khaimah campus.乔治·梅森大学以美国开国元勋乔治·梅森命名，其拉斯海马分校为该校提供了创办的前身。

• Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, heads the emirate whose government has backed the university's development.拉斯海马酋长国统治者谢赫·沙特·本·萨克尔·阿尔·卡西米领导着支持该校发展的这一酋长国。

• The university does not name individual distinguished alumni in its public material, so its notable-person roster rests on its founding and presidential figures.校方公开材料未点名个别杰出校友，故其人物名录依托于创办期与历任校长人物。

• No Nobel, Turing or Fields laureate is recorded in the university's institutional material, its honours resting instead on accreditation and ratings.该校机构材料中未见诺贝尔奖、图灵奖或菲尔兹奖得主，其荣誉更多依托认证与评级。

• Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi has ruled Ras Al Khaimah since 2010, the emirate whose government has backed the university's development.谢赫·沙特·本·萨克尔·阿尔·卡西米自 2010 年起统治拉斯海马，其酋长国政府一直支持该校的发展。

• The university's leadership team includes its president, a provost, vice-presidents, associate provosts and the deans who direct its three schools.该校领导团队包括校长、教务长、数名副校长、副教务长，以及统领三所学院的各位院长。