Abu Dhabi University Celebrates Happiness With an Inspiring Student-Led Initiative

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) celebrated happiness through a student-led initiative, which took place at its Abu Dhabi campus. Students came together to exchange positive messages and share values that promote the common good. The initiative came about in recognition of the UAE ranking first in the Arab region on the World Happiness Report.

Students from the Islamic Culture program were tasked with choosing positives messages to advocate for. They showcased their inspirational messages through posters, fun-filled activities, and brain teasers including riddles, luck games, Rubik’s cube challenges, and Jenga. The messages were themed around the environment, positivity and happiness.

Nagam Hussein, Instructor of Islamic Culture at ADU’s University College commented, “We are proud of the example set by our students, demonstrating how community members can work together to drive positive change. This initiative was inspired by the UAE’s enduring values of peace, tolerance, and positivity that have earned it the accolade of happiest country in the Arab region. We wanted to provide students with a platform to celebrate this, lead personal achievements of their own, and become more socially involved.”

In 2018, ADU launched the first-of-its-kind introductory happiness course entitled ’Introduction to Happiness and Positive Psychology’, which focuses on methods to generate happiness.