Warsaw: Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah (AUS), has announced the launch of AUS Press at the Warsaw International Book Fair, coinciding with Sharjah's participation as Guest of Honour.
According to Emirates News Agency, AUS Press serves as the university's new publishing division, designed to promote scholarship, support translation efforts, and enhance knowledge exchange globally. The press will adhere to stringent editorial standards, focusing on publishing works of both regional and international importance that engage with cultural, societal, and human themes.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi emphasized the importance of universities not only in generating knowledge but also in ensuring its dissemination and integration into public discourse across different cultures. This launch aligns with Sharjah's Guest of Honour program, which gathers publishers, writers, academics, artists, and cultural institutions from the UAE and Poland to showcase Sharjah's cultural vision through literature, publishing, arts, and intellectual dialogue.
As part of the launch, Sheikha Bodour introduced AUS Press' inaugural publication, "AUS 25: American University of Sharjah, A Legacy of Learning | 1997-Today," a commemorative book that chronicles the university's journey from its inception in 1997 to the present. The book features contributions from various members of the AUS community, including leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, and past university leaders.
Additionally, AUS Press revealed its first title acquisition, the Arabic edition of "Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet," authored by Edward Luce. The publication is slated for release in conjunction with the Sharjah International Book Fair 2026. The book is a biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski, a Polish-American statesman, scholar, and former National Security Advisor to the U.S. President.
Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, remarked that the university's participation in the Warsaw International Book Fair highlights its commitment to being a globally engaged institution rooted in Sharjah's cultural vision. Through AUS Press and participation in the Guest of Honour program, AUS aims to enhance its scholarly presence by researching, translating, publishing, and sharing ideas on a global scale.
During the fair, AUS faculty and staff engaged in two discussions. The first addressed the vision behind establishing AUS Press, its development, future publications, and the challenges and opportunities it faces. The second discussion focused on research related to oral history, dialects, and maritime memory, featuring work from the Center for Arab Studies and Islamic Civilizations and the Department of International Studies at the College of Arts and Sciences.