Ajman University wins Campaign of the Year - Education at GovMedia Awards 2025
The educational institution sets a new standard for student recruitment with its “Be Career Ready” campaign.
Ajman University was recognised as the United Arab Emirates Campaign of the Year - Education recipient at the GovMedia Awards 2025.
This was in commendation of its “Be Career Ready” campaign, launched in 2024, which is a bold student recruitment effort that placed future employability at the centre of its message. This reshapes how universities in the Arab world speak to prospective students.
With a mission to align academic experiences with real-world career outcomes, “Be Career Ready” stood out for its student-first and data-driven approach. Backed by AU’s #1 ranking in the UAE for Employer Reputation (QS World University Rankings 2025), the campaign struck a powerful chord with both students and parents.
Unlike traditional university campaigns that focus only on academic programmes, “Be Career Ready” emphasises what students care most about: career success. It showcased real success stories from AU graduates, and demonstrated how AU prepares its students for the workforce from day one.
Being the most-followed university Instagram account in the UAE, the university is well-positioned to connect with Gen Z through authentic, relatable content.
The campaign combined creativity with smart execution. Some of its key features include virtual reality and 360° campus tours that give students an immersive look at life at AU; a targeted PPC and SEO that boosts search visibility and engagement; influencer and alumni marketing in which real voices are used to build trust; and social-first storytelling that feature employer partnerships and alumni achievements.
It also has out-of-home advertising (OOH), which places bold visuals in high-traffic student areas; regional exhibitions and school visits to meet students where they are; and PR activations that reinforce AU’s career-focused mission.
What made the campaign especially unique was the collaboration with UAE employers, who contributed feedback, testimonials, and insight into what today’s job market demands. AU used this input to highlight how its industry-aligned programmes and career services meet those expectations.
The campaign delivered record-breaking results, including AU’s highest enrollment in 36 years, a 59% surge in international student intake, and 269% growth in brand mentions across earned media. It also achieved strong brand recall for the “Be Career Ready” campaign among new students, over 3 million organic views on a single Instagram reel, and more than 6,000 sessions on the VR campus tour.
“Be Career Ready” was a mindset shift that introduced a scalable and career-centred communications model that universities in the region can learn from.
With “Be Career Ready,” AU has set a new benchmark for what student recruitment can achieve when it’s driven by purpose and focused on the future.
GovMedia Awards gives recognition to the trends and best practices that transform the public sector in the Asia Pacific. The awards programme promotes excellence and provides a platform for exemplary government initiatives.
The Gov Media Awards is presented by Gov Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's government projects and initiatives, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].
