Sharjah, 25 July 2020: With hearts full of sorrow and sadness, the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Sharjah (AASTS) has mourned Dr. Hisham Afifi, Advisor to the President of the Academy and in charge of Khorfakkan's branch, who passed away in Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Afifi leaves behind a legacy of great achievements in serving the community as well as ideal values and principles he instilled in his students. The educational institutions that he founded with utmost sincerity and honesty will always be a testament to his knowledge and love for spreading science and education. The late Dr. Afifi was a great leader and a generous person who promoted team spirit and encouraged constructive criticism among students and staff.                                                         

H.E Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar Ismail Farag, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, said, 'With sorrow and disbelief, we received the news of the passing away of our exceptional colleague and one of the key people in establishing the Academy in Sharjah. Dr. Afifi worked very hard until his passing away in his hometown of Cairo. Dr. Afifi is a national pride for his country. He was a special person, known for his loyalty, sincerity and commitment. He spared no effort in serving his country and promoting science and education. All his colleagues and students who have learned from him the ideal principles and values join us in praying to Allah to bless his soul in His Heavens and reward him for his great deeds and great efforts.”

Unlimited Giving

Yousif Yacoub Al Mansouri, Director, Office of the Chairman for the Board of Trustees, AASTS, said: “I worked with the late Dr. Afifi for a short period of time. However, I clearly saw his unlimited passion and dedication to his work, contributing to the success of the Academy in Sharjah despite its recent establishment. He was a kind-hearted person who treated his team like his children, always with a positive spirit. We ask Almighty Allah to have mercy on his soul, dwell him in His spacious gardens and grant his family and loved ones patience and solace. Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return.”

Dr. Ahmed Youssef, Associate Dean of the College of Maritime Transport and Technology in Sharjah, said, 'I was extremely shocked when I received the news of the passing away of Dr. Hisham Afifi. He was like a father for all of us and I learned a lot from him, both personally and professionally. I was honoured to have worked with him since the beginning of establishing the Academy’s branch in Khorfakkan. He was determined to make this educational institution a house of expertise for the next generation of maritime calibre and reinforce the Academy’s branch in Sharjah to be one of the key pillars for an integrated strategy to create new economic capabilities for the UAE and the Arab World. The late Dr. Afifi occupied a special place in the hearts of the Academy’s students. He treated all of them like his children and used to personally follow up on their needs and answer all their enquiries.'

Youssef added, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Afifi, may his soul rest in peace, was keen to directly communicate with all the Academy’s faculty members and staff of to ensure the successful and effective implementation of the distance learning system. Therefore, we were able to intensify all our efforts and complete our preparations to start distance learning in a record time to enhance the safety of our students and faculty members and meet all the precautionary measures. Despite being outside the UAE at the crisis time, he interacted with all students and parents to ensure their readiness to deal with the crisis and that the educational process continued seamlessly and efficiently.'

We ask the Almighty Allah to bless the late Dr. Hisham Afifi with His mercy, and grant all his family members, relatives, colleagues and loved ones patience and solace.