Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., was among a select group of government and community leaders who gathered last night at the Emirates Palace Hotel here to honor "the Mother of the Emirates," Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak. The Emirates Business Women Council organized the event under the patronage of the Department of the Presidential Affairs and the U.A.E. Armed Forces, with support from the Federation of U.A.E. Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

In a brief speech, President Guiliano discussed the values of education and striving for excellence that NYIT shares with HH Sheikha Fatima. Sheikha Fatima is the widow of the U.A.E.'s founding president, Sheikh Zayed, and is herself a global leader in women's education.

A brief NYIT-produced video, in addition to President Guiliano's personal statement, noted the impact Sheikha Fatima's work has had on the U.A.E. and on women across the world. Because of her leadership, joined to efforts by her late husband, the U.A.E. has become an open, prosperous society where men and women can pursue both education and economic opportunity.

"For Sheikha Fatima's inspiration and leadership … we offer our sincere gratitude," President Guiliano said to the assembled officials. At the conclusion of the event, Her Excellency Fatima Obaid Al Jaber, one of Arabia's foremost businesswomen and Chairperson of the United Arab Emirates Businesswomen's Council, presented President Guiliano with a commemorative trophy thanking him for his participation.

NYIT established its Abu Dhabi campus in 2005 as the U.A.E. capital's first licensed and accredited American university. Nearly 600 NYIT-Abu Dhabi graduates now work in private and public organizations throughout the U.A.E.'s growing economy.

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. Because its curriculum is the same across its global campuses, students can start a degree program in Abu Dhabi and transfer to New York or to an NYIT campus in Canada or China.

A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 13,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, New York; online; and at campuses in Abu Dhabi; Nanjing, China; and Vancouver, Canada.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, nearly 95,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Karen Marie Belnap
Global Public Relations Strategist
212.261.1539