Students from the American University in Dubai (AUD) have been recognized for developing creative campaigns supporting humanitarian preparedness and response, earning top honors and cash prizes at Dubai Humanitarian’s annual Members’ Global Meeting.
The recognition followed the AUD x Dubai Humanitarian Showcase 2026, an interdisciplinary capstone collaboration that brought together students from AUD’s School of Business and Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication to tackle a live brief focused on raising awareness of and engagement in Dubai Humanitarian’s Global Humanitarian Impact Fund (GHIF).
Designed to bridge strategic marketing, storytelling, and social impact, the initiative challenged students to develop compelling campaigns that result in meaningful community engagement and social impact.
Led by Dr. Farah Arkadan, Chair of the Department of Management and Marketing, Associate Professor of Marketing, and Accreditation Lead, and Prof. Roozbeh Kafi, Assistant Professor of Digital Production and Storytelling, the project marked the second successful collaboration between AUD and Dubai Humanitarian, reinforcing the role of industry-connected learning in preparing students for the realities of today’s professional world.
A total of 45 students across nine interdisciplinary teams presented their concepts before a jury of senior leaders representing Emirates, Under Armour MENA, Home Bakery, Cinema Akil, RK Group, and Dubai Humanitarian. Opening remarks during Jury Day were delivered by Dr. Assaad Farah, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at AUD, alongside Giuseppe Saba, CEO of Dubai Humanitarian, underscoring the strategic importance of partnerships that connect academic learning with real-world societal challenges.
The winning concepts reflected the creativity, strategic thinking, and collaborative strength of AUD’s students. First place and AED 8,000 were awarded to the Run for More campaign, created by Nay Aridi, Karam Marouf, Tala Hneidi, Tala Safa, Tina Bechaalani, and Basma Abdelazim.
The Something Big for Someone Else campaign secured second place and AED 5,000, developed by Anfal Zamin Peyma, Maryam Almheiri, Budoor Alshawab, Samar Galadari, and Shamsa Alserkal. Third place and AED 4,000 went to Your Delight, Their Relief, created by Malak Al Baddad, Yara Bouz, Hesham Al Omary, Kais Karamally, and Hassan Al Alwaan, while Fly with Purpose, by Purva Ghazanfar, Rafa Ahmed, Alma Moukayed, and Maryam Atmeh, earned fourth place and AED 3,000.
Dr. Farah Arkadan said:
“The strongest ideas emerge when students are asked to address meaningful real-life challenges. This collaboration highlighted to students how marketing and communication tools can be used beyond commercial contexts, to drive social impact through behavioral research, creative thinking, thoughtful insight-driven strategy, and persuasive communication. We are proud of the campaigns they presented to the jury and the learnings they will carry with them after graduation.”
Prof. Roozbeh Kafi added:
“This was a powerful example of what happens when creative storytelling and strategic thinking come together with purpose. Our students’ campaigns translate humanitarian urgency into narratives that could move people to care, engage, and act. That is the kind of communication the world increasingly needs.”
The initiative reflects AUD’s continued emphasis on experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and industry engagement that equips students with both professional skills and social awareness.
