Sharjah Ruler meets first cohort of PhD students at Global Studies University

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, underlined the pivotal role of academic research at the postgraduate level in uncovering truths and expanding knowledge. He stressed that researchers must embody fundamental qualities — a love of learning, a spirit of inquiry, and a constant hunger for the undiscovered — to ensure that their studies contribute meaningful insights, open new intellectual horizons, and benefit scholars worldwide.

This assertion came during the Ruler of Sharjah’s meeting on Wednesday with the first cohort of doctoral students at Global Studies University (GSU), held in the presence of Sheikha Hoor Bint Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, President of GSU, at the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre in University City. The Ruler of Sharjah congratulated the students on joining GSU, recalling how it began as a project dedicated to African studies before expanding into a global institution housing numerous research institutes focused on regions and continents across the world.

Dr Sheikh Sultan and Sheikha attend the event at the Global Studies University in Sharjah. WAM

Sheikh Sultan noted that Sharjah has long worked to create an environment conducive to education by hosting universities, higher institutes, and specialised academies across diverse fields. He urged the students to make full use of these resources to advance the founding vision of the university.

During the gathering, Sheikh Sultan emphasised that serious academic research must be rooted in rigour, depth, and thoughtful debate, with ideas being carefully tested and studied before being committed to writing. Only then, he said, can research be genuinely original, innovative, and of service to society- correcting historical and geographical misconceptions and offering new perspectives.

Dr Sheikh Sultan with officials and students during his visit to the Global Studies University in Sharjah. WAM

The Ruler of Sharjah also shared his personal experience of research, recounting the years he spent in libraries, research centres, and universities across the world. He cited in particular his unprecedented study of the Portuguese role in navigation and the Gulf region, which took him many years of patient investigation. Through perseverance and determination, he succeeded in deciphering a wealth of old documents, later publishing them for the first time in a 21-volume encyclopaedia entitled The Portuguese in the Sea of Oman: Events in the Annals from 1497 to 1757.

Dr Salah Hassan, Chancellor of GSU, delivered a speech in which he expressed gratitude to the Ruler of Sharjah for his unwavering support and visionary leadership in establishing the Africa Institute, which laid the foundation for the university's postgraduate programs. He also introduced the PhD students, a diverse group of ten scholars from various countries, and outlined the university’s programmes and areas of study.

At the close of the meeting, Sheikh Sultan led the attendees on a tour of the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre in University City, where they explored its rich collection of rare documents, maps, photographs, and books gathered by the Ruler over many years, with a special focus on the history and geography of the Arabian Gulf and beyond.
WAM