Why Writing Competitions Matter for Higher Education in the UAE
The American University in Dubai continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering academic excellence through initiatives that go beyond traditional classroom instruction. The annual writing contest, organized by the Composition and Literature Program, serves as a platform for undergraduate students to showcase their abilities in critical thinking, original expression, and command of language. For prospective students evaluating universities in the UAE, the presence of such programs indicates an institution that values holistic student development.
Writing competitions provide tangible evidence of student creativity and intellectual engagement. They encourage participants to refine their communication skills—abilities that remain essential regardless of career path. Whether a student pursues architecture, finance, international relations, or digital media, the capacity to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively distinguishes successful professionals from their peers.
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Understanding the 2025-2026 AUD Writing Contest Structure
The competition divides submissions into distinct categories to accommodate different writing styles and academic purposes. This structure allows students from varied disciplines to participate meaningfully, regardless of whether their strengths lie in personal reflection, scholarly research, literary interpretation, or compressed storytelling.
Personal Essay Category
Personal essays require writers to draw from their own experiences while connecting individual narratives to broader themes. The 2025-2026 contest recognized three outstanding submissions in this category, each demonstrating how personal stories can illuminate universal human experiences.
Rajvir Singh Hunjan earned first place with an essay exploring his journey as an international student. Born in Chandigarh, India, raised in Canada, and now studying architecture in Dubai, Hunjan brings a multicultural perspective to questions of identity, belonging, and cultural pride. His work illustrates how architecture and writing share common ground—both require understanding how structure and form create meaning.
Sanaaya Besania, a first-year International Relations major, secured second place with her essay titled The Eldest Daughter Syndrome (Taylor’s Version). Her approach combines personal reflection with cultural commentary, demonstrating how popular culture and personal experience intersect. Besania’s ambition to pursue diplomacy suggests she understands that effective international relations begin with understanding human stories.
Hana Gad, a Finance major, claimed third place by showing that analytical thinking and engaging storytelling need not exist in opposition. Her work reflects the reality that finance professionals who can communicate complex ideas access broader career opportunities and leadership positions.
Advanced Personal Essay Category
The advanced category acknowledges writers who have developed sophisticated voices through sustained practice and study. Hessa Alhammadi, a recent graduate of AUD’s Digital Production and Storytelling program, earned first place with her essay Mamanjoon, which examines maternal relationships and the persistence of memory. Her background in digital storytelling informs her written work, creating prose with cinematic qualities that engage readers visually and emotionally.
Hala Yahia, also studying Digital Production and Storytelling, received second place recognition. Her writing emerges from careful observation of the world, transformed through reflective practice into work that resonates with readers seeking genuine emotional connection.
Research Paper and Literary Analysis Awards
Jasmine Kaur Chadha, a freshman Finance major, earned the Research Paper Award by venturing beyond her mathematical comfort zone to engage with historical and sociological perspectives. Her exploration of feminist thought’s evolution demonstrates how research writing allows students to expand their intellectual boundaries and discover new academic interests.
Yara Ramlawi, a senior in Digital Production and Storytelling with aspirations in screenwriting, received the Literary Analysis Award. Her approach treats literary texts as narratives to be understood through a storyteller’s lens, applying her film interests to written analysis in ways that reveal how stories function across media.
Flash Fiction Award
Abdulla Almarri, a Game Design and Development student, earned the Flash Fiction Award for creating impactful narrative within strict word count limitations. As the founder of Along the Coast, an initiative dedicated to sharing Emirati heritage and culture, Almarri uses his writing to preserve and promote local traditions for global audiences. His award includes an invitation to perform at the AUD Spoken Word Competition in April 2027, connecting written work to oral performance traditions.
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What These Winners Reveal About Student Creativity at AUD
Analyzing the winners’ backgrounds reveals patterns worth noting for prospective students and their families. The 2025-2026 contest winners represent majors spanning architecture, finance, international relations, and digital production—not exclusively literature or communication programs. This distribution suggests that the American University in Dubai cultivates writing excellence across its academic offerings rather than confining it to specific departments.
The geographic and cultural diversity among winners also merits attention. Students from India, Canada, and the UAE contributed winning submissions, reflecting the multicultural environment that characterizes higher education in Dubai. For students considering studying in the UAE, this diversity represents both a learning opportunity and a preparation for global professional environments.
Dr. Kristin Rozzell Murray, English Division Head and Chair of the AUD Writing Contest, articulated the selection philosophy: faculty members read hundreds of submissions annually, and winning pieces distinguish themselves through voice—those rare instances where a writer’s perspective captivates readers immediately. This criterion prioritizes authenticity over technique, encouraging students to develop genuine perspectives rather than imitate established styles.
How Prospective Students Can Benefit from Writing-Focused Universities
Students researching universities should consider how institutions support writing development beyond required composition courses. Several indicators suggest a university takes writing seriously:
- Dedicated writing centers: Facilities where students receive one-on-one feedback on drafts from trained tutors.
- Writing-across-the-curriculum initiatives: Programs that integrate writing instruction into courses outside English departments.
- Student publications: Literary magazines, newspapers, and journals that provide publication opportunities.
- Competitions and awards: Events like the AUD Writing Contest that recognize and incentivize excellent writing.
- Faculty engagement: Professors who participate in judging and mentoring student writers.
Students who develop strong writing abilities during their undergraduate years gain advantages in graduate school applications, job searches, and professional advancement. Employers consistently rank written communication among the most valued skills, yet many graduates enter the workforce without adequate preparation. Universities that prioritize writing help close this gap.
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Connecting Writing Skills to Career Success in the UAE
The UAE’s rapidly diversifying economy creates demand for professionals who can communicate effectively across cultural and organizational boundaries. Dubai’s position as a global business hub means that graduates frequently work in multinational environments where clear writing prevents misunderstandings and builds professional relationships.
Consider how the winners’ writing abilities align with their career aspirations:
- Architecture: Rajvir Singh Hunjan’s ability to write about identity and belonging translates to crafting design proposals that connect buildings to human experiences.
- International Relations: Sanaaya Besania’s skill in personal narrative prepares her for diplomatic communication requiring cultural sensitivity.
- Finance: Hana Gad and Jasmine Kaur Chadha’s demonstrated writing abilities position them to explain complex financial concepts to non-specialist audiences—a rare and valuable skill.
- Digital Production and Storytelling: Hessa Alhammadi, Hala Yahia, and Yara Ramlawi work in fields where written and visual storytelling merge, making their writing abilities directly relevant to their professional development.
- Game Design: Abdulla Almarri’s flash fiction success indicates talent for the concise, impactful writing that game narratives require.
Preparing Your Own Writing Contest Submissions
Students considering entering writing competitions should approach the process strategically. Start by reading previous winning submissions when available—many universities publish exemplar works that reveal what judges value. Pay attention not only to content but to voice, structure, and the relationship between personal experience and broader themes.
Revision represents the most undervalued stage of the writing process. First drafts capture initial ideas; subsequent revisions develop those ideas into coherent, compelling pieces. Seek feedback from peers, instructors, and writing center tutors. Each perspective offers different insights, and integrating multiple viewpoints strengthens final submissions.
When selecting topics, prioritize subjects that genuinely matter to you rather than topics you believe will impress judges. Authentic engagement with material produces more compelling writing than calculated attempts to address perceived preferences. The AUD contest’s emphasis on voice suggests that judges respond to genuine passion over artificial sophistication.
The Broader Impact of Recognizing Student Achievement
Ceremonies recognizing writing contest winners serve purposes beyond acknowledging individual accomplishment. They signal institutional values to the broader community, demonstrating that the American University in Dubai considers written expression worthy of formal recognition alongside academic and athletic achievements.
The scheduled September 2026 awards ceremony, where winners will receive certificates and commemorative gifts, creates a moment of public celebration that validates the effort students invest in developing their writing abilities. Such events also build community among writers who might otherwise work in isolation, fostering connections that can lead to collaborative projects and ongoing peer support.
For the Flash Fiction winner, the additional opportunity to perform at the April 2027 AUD Spoken Word Competition extends recognition from page to stage, acknowledging that writing connects to oral traditions and live performance. This progression from written to spoken word reflects the multimedia reality of contemporary communication.
Explore our related articles for further reading on student achievements at AUD.
Making Your Decision: Evaluating Universities in the UAE
As you compare universities in the UAE, look beyond rankings and facilities to examine how institutions support student development in areas that matter for long-term success. Writing ability, often overlooked in favor of technical skills, provides a foundation for career advancement that remains relevant regardless of how industries evolve.
The American University in Dubai’s writing contest represents one component of a broader educational approach that values communication alongside specialized knowledge. Prospective students should investigate similar initiatives at other institutions, asking questions about writing support services, publication opportunities, and faculty engagement with student writing development.
Visit campuses when possible, attend events that showcase student work, and speak with current students about their experiences developing writing skills within their chosen programs. The quality of student work on display—including contest winners—offers concrete evidence of what an institution actually produces rather than what it promises.
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Looking Ahead: The Future of Writing at AUD
The 2025-2026 contest winners represent the current state of student creativity at the American University in Dubai, but they also point toward future developments. As digital media continue transforming how people consume and produce written content, universities must adapt their writing instruction while preserving fundamental skills in clear thinking and effective expression.
AUD’s inclusion of winners from digital production and game design programs suggests the institution already recognizes this evolution. Students who can write effectively across traditional and emerging formats—essays, screenplays, game narratives, social media content—will possess adaptable skills that serve them throughout their careers.
For students who value writing and seek a university environment that nurtures this ability alongside professional preparation, the evidence from AUD’s annual contest merits serious consideration. The diversity of winners, the range of categories, and the institutional support demonstrated through ceremonies and performance opportunities all indicate a program worth monitoring for prospective applicants.
