AUS and AWS partner to drive innovation in cloud-based research

American University of Sharjah (AUS) has teamed up with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop its research environment and promote early implementation of modern cloud technology. Through this strategic partnership between AUS and AWS the university will gain access to technical expertise along with infrastructure and strategic guidance to improve its digital capabilities and establish cloud expertise throughout its whole student and faculty staff community.

Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, highlighted the transformative potential of the collaboration: “This agreement positions AUS at the forefront of cloud-powered research and academic innovation. By working closely with AWS, we are creating an ecosystem that enables our faculty and students to engage with the world’s most advanced technologies and apply them to the challenges of today and tomorrow. This is a strategic investment in our academic mission, institutional capacity and regional impact.”

The partnership includes creating an AUS Cloud Center of Excellence as its essential element. The established center at AUS becomes the catalyst for cloud adoption initiatives alongside framework governance creation and digital transformation advancement.  Through training programs, best-practice sharing, and knowledge platforms, the center will build AWS expertise within the university and align cloud strategies with AUS’s long-term goals.

Through their partnership AWS extends professional support to AUS by providing technical experts together with solutions architects who deliver cloud optimization together with design service for university research and academic requirements. The collaborative initiatives between AUS and AWS feature AWS Immersion Days that deliver solutions for research workflows alongside data analytics and cost efficiency and cloud security tools for the AUS community.

Additionally, AWS-certified speakers will participate in AUS research events, sharing case studies and best practices to demonstrate the real-world impact of cloud technologies. Relation with AWS-certified speakers will encourage researchers to find methods that link innovation to practical achievements and fortify AUS's research visibility.

Dr. Steve Griffiths, Professor and Vice Chancellor for Research at AUS emphasized the partnership’s role in advancing research: “This collaboration is foundational to the new research strategy being implemented at AUS. By integrating AWS cloud infrastructure into our research ecosystem, we are enabling our researchers to operate with greater agility, efficiency and security. It opens up new possibilities for how we evolve the research agenda at AUS.”

Both AUS and AWS share an important commitment to utilize cloud systems that serve higher education through research innovation while promoting overall institutional quality. The implementation of advanced cloud solutions within AUS academic and research structures positions the institution to take leadership roles in digital transformation which will deliver enduring positive results in the Middle East and the world beyond.