AUK Research on the Rise: 2025 Awards Celebrate Record-Breaking Year

The Office of Research and Grants (ORG) at AUK hosted its annual Research Awards Ceremony, an event dedicated to celebrating academic excellence and research accomplishments across the university.  
 
A key part of the event was the presentation of AUK's research performance for the academic year 2023/24. The university demonstrated substantial progress, with a notable increase in publications indexed in Scopus compared to the previous year. Furthermore, citations rose dramatically, marking a significant growth. The university also experienced a considerable boost in research funding, with grant budgets rising substantially. These developments underscore the institution’s growing research output and its impact within the academic community. 
 
Dr. Aaron Rababaah, Chair of the Committee on Research and Grants (CRG) presented the evaluation process used for this year’s research award applications. Evaluation criteria included intellectual production, patents, grant activity, and research supervision. Each college had one recipient selected through this rigorous process. This year, the following faculty were selected for the Research Award: Dr. Ali Bostani, associate professor of electrical engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Dr. Faisal Al-Reshaid, assistant professor of management in the College of Business and Economics; and Dr. Rita Al-Haddad, assistant professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Their selection reflects not only academic excellence but also meaningful contributions to the university’s research mission. The ceremony also recognized the top 10 faculty members from each college for their exceptional publication contributions. These individuals were honored with trophies in acknowledgment of their dedication and scholarly achievements.  
 
Acting director of the ORG, Dr. Ahmed Al-Saber remarked on the faculty’s thriving research, “I am incredibly proud of the dedication and scholarly excellence demonstrated by our faculty this year. Their outstanding contributions have not only advanced knowledge across diverse fields but have also significantly elevated AUK’s research profile. Our records indicate a remarkable improvement of over 25% in research performance compared to previous years—an achievement that reflects the growing strength of our academic community and its vital role in shaping an inspiring and intellectually vibrant learning environment.”  
 
The 2025 Research Awards Ceremony served not only as a recognition of outstanding academic work but also as a reflection of the vibrant research culture growing at AUK. 
  
  
  

Dr. Ahmed Al-Saber speaking at the awards ceremony
  

Dr. Aaron Rabaabah speaking at the awards ceremony
  

Dr. Ali Bostani receiving his award
  

Dr. Rita Al-Haddad receiving her award
  

Dr. Faisal Al-Reshaid receiving his award
  

Group photo of the awardees