The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) today held its first Open House of 2020, on its state-of-the-art Campus in Riffa, since opening in September 2019. The event, in partnership with Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), was under the theme “Skills That Employers Look for Today”. The event offered a preview into AUBH’s approach as an institution, aiming to elevate the quality of education in Bahrain. In addition, interactive talks were led by AUBH Faculty on trending industry topics, along with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.

In partnership with Mumtalakat, the Open House saw a panel discussion with Dr. Marwa Al Sabbagh, Principal, Investments at Mumtalakat, Mrs. Nouf Alsowaidi, Director of Human Resources, Gulf Air, Nezar Ahmadi, Manager Project Management Edamah, and Sameera Alatawi, Director of Information Technology, AUBH. Together, they reflected on the establishment of AUBH and how educators and youth can best prepare as employment-ready graduates. Micro-Sessions were also led by AUBH Faculty on “Using Artificial Intelligence in Business”, and “Mobile as a Locative Media”, in conjunction with sessions on “Preparing Parents of Soon-to-be College Students”. The sessions were followed by a Meet and Greet with AUBH Faculty and campus tours, while families enjoyed entertaining activities throughout the day, including workshops for children hosted by Grow Learning Space. Grow is a pioneering Bahraini-owned innovation hub where children develop STEM and technology skills. These include coding and sessions aimed at fostering passions and inspiring life-long learning, which aligns with AUBH’s academic approach.

Dr. Susan E. Saxton, AUBH’s Founding President commented: “I was so thrilled to experience our Open House event today, which showcased the dynamic journey our students are on to a lifetime of success. We are also proud to welcome Mumtalakat as our partners today, and commend them on their proactivity in instilling Bahrain’s future workforce with the skills they need for today’s evolving employment market. As educators, we must go beyond academia, and equip students with the right knowledge and skills to unlock their potential. These include creative and critical thinking, problem-solving, entrepreneurship and digital literacy.”

“Young people are the forces of change of the future, and that’s at the heart of Mumtalakat’s decision to invest in the education sector,” explained Dr Al Sabbagh. “We’re really proud of what AUBH has achieved so far and were happy to participate in the Open Day and share our experience about the skills of the future and the importance of transferable, lifelong skills for a successful career.”

AUBH opened its doors in September 2019 and offers programs across its three Colleges of Business and Management, Engineering, and Architecture and Design. Conceived as an institution to raise the quality of education in Bahrain, AUBH’s purpose-built campus in Riffa is a second home to a new caliber of potential graduate, nurtured and mentored by hand-picked faculty from the best of international and local expertise. As the first American-style University in Bahrain, AUBH takes a unique approach to learning, going beyond imparting knowledge to giving students access to real world scenarios and practical case-based learning. Complete with the latest in learning technology, Library, labs, and a Sports Center, the Campus is alive with the buzz of academic and extra-curricular life, amongst a multi-cultural student body.