Preface
The 2nd American University in the Emirates International Research Conference (AUEIRC)
was held on November 13th–15th, 2018 in Dubai. It has become one of the major events of the
year in the field of sustainable development and social responsibility. AUEIRC’18 was
organized under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahayan—
Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance, United Arab Emirates. The conference had served
as a platform for academicians, practitioners, scientists, and decision makers from around the
globe to engage in a dialogue on some of the most pressing issues in the drive towards
sustainable development and social responsibility. The proceedings will be published in the
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation book series of Springer.
AUEIRC’18 highlighted the various aspects of sustainable innovations, smart technology,
education and sustainability, human security and legislation, and creative business that can
scale for the benefit of communities. The scope of the conference included a broad range of
topics in different areas of sustainability that impact contemporary society. The AUEIRC
International Scientific Committee comprises over 60 international experts in various fields as
per the themes of the conference. The conference keynote speakers were highly profiled
experts and researchers, more specifically: H.E. Dr. Rashid Alleem—Chairman of Sharjah
Electricity and Water Authority (United Arab Emirates), Prof. Yousef Al-Assaf, President of
Rochester Institute of Technology—Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Dr. Toufic Mezher—
Professor of Engineering Systems and Management, Khalifa University (United Arab
Emirates).
It has received 164 abstracts and 103 full papers from 33 countries in six different tracks,
namely Sustainability and Smart Business, Sustainability and Smart Technology, Sustainability and Creative Industries, Sustainability and Social responsibility, Sustainability and
Education, Sustainability, Human Security and Legislation.
The panels were divided based on tracks and all papers were presented in 24 thematic
sessions. Each session had a chairperson, while each paper had a discussant. A double-blind
peer review process enabled 87 full papers to be accepted for publication (in two edited
volumes) by Springer.
On behalf of the AUEIRC 2018 Steering Committee, we would like to thank all the
referees, track chairs, discussants, and paper authors. Special thanks to Prof. Muthanna G.
Abdul Razzaq (Conference Chairperson), who contributed all resources at his disposal to
ensure the high standard of the conference. We also thank the American University in the
Emirates (AUE) Provost, Prof. Abhilasha Singh, for her contributions and for attending all the
meetings to guarantee that the conference is on track. We likewise extend our gratitude to
the Chairman of the AUE Board of Trustees, who was present on campus during the conference, for his valuable support. We also thank the members of the conference steering
committee for their hard work, dedication, and continuous support throughout the preparation
and implementation of the conference’s activities. Moreover, we are grateful to the event
management, information technology, auxiliary services, media, security, public relationship,
and protocol teams. We likewise extend our thanks to all faculty and staff members from
different committees for their support in organizing the conference and ensuring its success.
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The 2nd American University in the Emirates International Research Conference (AUEIRC)
was held on November 13th–15th, 2018 in Dubai. It has become one of the major events of the
year in the field of sustainable development and social responsibility. AUEIRC’18 was
organized under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahayan—
Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance, United Arab Emirates. The conference had served
as a platform for academicians, practitioners, scientists, and decision makers from around the
globe to engage in a dialogue on some of the most pressing issues in the drive towards
sustainable development and social responsibility. The proceedings will be published in the
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation book series of Springer.
AUEIRC’18 highlighted the various aspects of sustainable innovations, smart technology,
education and sustainability, human security and legislation, and creative business that can
scale for the benefit of communities. The scope of the conference included a broad range of
topics in different areas of sustainability that impact contemporary society. The AUEIRC
International Scientific Committee comprises over 60 international experts in various fields as
per the themes of the conference. The conference keynote speakers were highly profiled
experts and researchers, more specifically: H.E. Dr. Rashid Alleem—Chairman of Sharjah
Electricity and Water Authority (United Arab Emirates), Prof. Yousef Al-Assaf, President of
Rochester Institute of Technology—Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Dr. Toufic Mezher—
Professor of Engineering Systems and Management, Khalifa University (United Arab
Emirates).
It has received 164 abstracts and 103 full papers from 33 countries in six different tracks,
namely Sustainability and Smart Business, Sustainability and Smart Technology, Sustainability and Creative Industries, Sustainability and Social responsibility, Sustainability and
Education, Sustainability, Human Security and Legislation.
The panels were divided based on tracks and all papers were presented in 24 thematic
sessions. Each session had a chairperson, while each paper had a discussant. A double-blind
peer review process enabled 87 full papers to be accepted for publication (in two edited
volumes) by Springer.
On behalf of the AUEIRC 2018 Steering Committee, we would like to thank all the
referees, track chairs, discussants, and paper authors. Special thanks to Prof. Muthanna G.
Abdul Razzaq (Conference Chairperson), who contributed all resources at his disposal to
ensure the high standard of the conference. We also thank the American University in the
Emirates (AUE) Provost, Prof. Abhilasha Singh, for her contributions and for attending all the
meetings to guarantee that the conference is on track. We likewise extend our gratitude to
the Chairman of the AUE Board of Trustees, who was present on campus during the conference, for his valuable support. We also thank the members of the conference steering
committee for their hard work, dedication, and continuous support throughout the preparation
and implementation of the conference’s activities. Moreover, we are grateful to the event
management, information technology, auxiliary services, media, security, public relationship,
and protocol teams. We likewise extend our thanks to all faculty and staff members from
different committees for their support in organizing the conference and ensuring its success.
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