University of Sharjah Chancellor Agamy praises UAE for regulating digital content

The University of Sharjah (UoS) has inaugurated a major international conference dedicated to one of the most pressing challenges of the digital era, the safeguarding of intellectual security in the age of social media.

Organised by the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies through its Forum for Intellectual Security in Islam, the conference brought together a distinguished gathering of academics, researchers, and specialists from across the UAE and beyond, reflecting the University's broader commitment to advancing intellectual awareness and confronting the mounting challenges of the digital environment.

The conference, titled "Safeguarding Intellectual Security in Social Media from the Perspective of Islamic Sciences and the Humanities," set out to examine the complex questions surrounding intellectual security in a world increasingly shaped by the reach and influence of social media platforms. At its core, the event sought to develop comprehensive, evidence-based approaches to addressing intellectual challenges by drawing on an integrated set of disciplinary perspectives, spanning Islamic jurisprudence, law, education, and media studies.

UoS Chancellor Prof. Esameldin Agamy praised the UAE's pioneering role in regulating the digital space and promoting responsible discourse online, underscoring the timeliness and importance of the conference's themes in a rapidly evolving information landscape.

In his address at the opening session, Prof. Agamy stressed that, guided by the vision of Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University, the choice of the conference's theme reflects the University's commitment to engaging with vital issues that bear directly on the realities of contemporary societies.

He emphasised the institution’s dedication to entrenching the values of moderation and balance enshrined in Islamic law, and to promoting responsible discourse across digital platforms.

Prof. Agamy also noted that safeguarding intellectual security on social media has become an urgent necessity in an era of sweeping digital openness, given its direct influence on shaping the ideals and values of young people and on the stability of societies, particularly in light of the destructive ideas that some platforms may propagate, and which must be confronted with awareness, scientific rigor, and methodological discipline.

Prof. Agamy further stressed that the conference was addressing the most significant challenges posed by the content circulating on social media and exploring the means to safeguard digital discourse while strengthening its professional and ethical standards. He also praised the UAE's pioneering experience in enacting legislation that promotes moderation, regulates digital space, and preserves societal stability and its foundational values.

Prof. Kotb Rissouni, Dean of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, spoke on the conference's broader preventive and corrective purpose, emphasising the critical importance of verifying circulating content, countering extremist ideas and rumours, and promoting the values of moderation and balance. He noted that through the college's academic programmes and the initiatives of the Forum for Intellectual Security in Islam, UoS is actively building a knowledge framework designed to fortify society intellectually, advance a culture of moderation, and support sustainable development, thus strengthening the community's resilience in the face of ideas that seek to undermine rather than build.

In his turn, Dr. Abdulrahman Abdul Latif, Director of the Forum for Intellectual Security in Islam, underlined that intellectual security has today become a civilisational necessity no less vital than physical security. While social media offers unparalleled opportunities for the dissemination of knowledge, he warned that in the absence of awareness and proper safeguards, these same platforms can become fertile ground for the spread of doubt and intellectual deviation. Addressing this reality, he argued, demands the coordinated efforts of educational, media, and community institutions working together to protect minds and cultivate informed, discerning judgment among the younger generation.