AUS brings physical AI to campus through new robotics partnership with Terminus Group

Sharjah, UAE, 23rd February 2026 — Two advanced robots have arrived at American University of Sharjah's (AUS) Department of Computer Science and Engineering, thanks to a partnership with Terminus Group. The collaboration will allow the department to expand learning and experimentation in physical artificial intelligence (AI), a fast-emerging area that combines generative AI with robotics to allow machines to interact intelligently with real-world environments.

The robots will be integrated into teaching and department-led projects, giving students a hands-on platform to explore how intelligent systems perceive, interact and deliver services in physical spaces. Furthermore, the robots will also participate in student registration, reception, and guidance, leveraging generative AI to provide students with an interactive robot-enabled experience.

Dr. Fadi Aloul, Dean of the AUS College of Engineering (CEN), emphasized how partnerships with industry expand what students can build, test and learn through access to advanced technologies.

"At CEN, we focus on engineering education that is rigorous, applied and relevant to the technologies shaping industry and society. Access to advanced technologies is not incremental; it changes what students can build, test and learn. We are grateful to Terminus Group for enabling this step. It strengthens project-based learning today and supports our broader efforts to advance innovation in areas such as AI, automation and physical AI across the student experience," he said.

"Physical AI is where our field is heading because intelligence is no longer confined to screens. These robots give our students a serious platform to connect generative AI with real-world environments," said Dr. Imran Zualkernan, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at AUS. "We will use them in teaching and department projects from the start, beginning with applying generative AI to real campus services, then expanding into more ambitious student-driven prototypes."

Dr. Ling Shao, Chief AI Officer and Global President of Terminus Group, commented on the partnership: "This collaboration represents a strategic convergence of embodied AI perception, adaptive robotic control and generative cognitive architectures within a real-world campus environment. By deploying these platforms, we are creating a living laboratory for multi-modal learning, human-robot collaboration and autonomous service orchestration, key pillars of next-generation cyber-physical systems. We envision this initiative as a blueprint for scalable AI integration, where large language models transcend textual boundaries to govern physical actuators, optimize spatial interactions and ultimately enable self-evolving campus ecosystems."

This collaboration reflects CEN's ongoing efforts to deliver professional and technical preparation, global preparedness and leadership development supported by state-of-the-art technology, experimentation with design and problem-solving processes, and strong opportunities for real-world and research project involvement. It also aligns with CEN 2.0 Innovation efforts, which embed data analytics, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and advanced technology throughout the undergraduate and graduate experience, expand practical learning through new laboratories equipped with advanced tools and strengthen workplace readiness through an enhanced internship requirement.