13 YEARS OF LEADING INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN A MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM
For over 13 years, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) has maintained a strategic and fruitful partnership with the University of Iowa in South Korea and the Korean Music Therapy Association within the music therapy program. This innovative experience has solidified SCHS's position as a leading institution in the implementation of specialized treatment programs based on international best practices, all while advancing the organization's commitment to continuously developing and improving the quality of services provided to people with disabilities.
In order to fulfill its goal of becoming a preeminent institution in inclusion, advocacy, and empowerment, SCHS has been focused on the sustainable development of services offered to people with disabilities since its founding in 1979, according to Ms. Khadija Ahmed Bamakhramah, Planning and Follow-up Officer and General Supervisor of the Music Therapy Program at SCHS.
Sustainability in Service Delivery and Competency Building
She pointed out that SCHS is the first institution concerned with the matters of persons with disabilities at the state level to include the music therapy program within its specialized services system. Since 2013, in cooperation with the University of Iowa and the Korean Music Therapy Association, it has implemented the music therapy program as a specialized professional intervention based on therapeutic approaches based on scientific evidence.
Music is used as a therapeutic means to enhance the non-musical abilities of beneficiaries in the physical, linguistic, social, emotional and cognitive fields, and the program is applied at different levels and categories, and in proportion to the needs of beneficiaries and their individual abilities.
Bamakhramah stressed that SCHS attaches great importance to building human competencies in order to ensure the sustainability of the program and the quality of its outputs.
She said, "We are pleased to have graduated the 11th batch of (10) teachers from SCHS's music therapy program. Thus, the number of SCHS's employees who have graduated from the program so far is (151) employees of teachers, specialists and supervisors, who have been rehabilitated and trained in music therapy methodologies and strategies according to approved scientific and applied foundations."
She added, “Under the direction of a group of experts and specialists from the University of Iowa, SCHS started implementing the training program for the twelfth batch on February 4, 2026, with the participation of eleven teachers and specialists from its cadres. The goal is to establish a strong foundation of qualified competencies capable of carrying out the program with high efficiency and quality, as well as to promote a sustainable treatment system that helps to improve the quality of services provided, empower people with disabilities, and improve their quality of life.”
Annual Workshop 12
In the same context, she clarified that in January 2026, SCHS organized the twelfth annual workshop of the music therapy program in collaboration with the University of Iowa and the Korean Music Therapy Association. The goal of the workshop was to raise the level of professional practices and develop the competence of program graduates by reviewing the most recent global approaches and strategies in the field of music therapy, in line with contemporary scientific advancements, and improving the quality of application within SCHS.
The Trust and Support of Sheikha Jameela Is the Foundation of Success And Continuity
Ms. Khadija stressed that the continuous trust and support that the team enjoys from Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, President of SCHS, is the main pillar in the success and sustainability of the program. She also stressed that Her Excellency's vision in supporting of rehabilitating and building the capacities of SCHS's cadres contributed to consolidating this qualitative program and expanding its impact, in order to serve SCHS's supreme goal of empowering students with disabilities, developing their communication, social and cognitive skills, and improving their quality of life.
Professional Development in Music Therapy
For her part, Professor Qa Awal Yu, Head of the Department of Music Therapy, Graduate School, at Iowa Women's University, stressed that this year's workshop is especially meaningful, as it shows the common history and progress made between SCHS and Iowa Women's University.
She added, “The power of music is no longer a new concept here, but has been successfully integrated into SCHS's mission to support children. I was deeply impressed by the teachers' passion and commitment to professional development in the field of music therapy. With my music therapist students, I have truly appreciated our time in this collaboration, and I am confident that we are now ready to take the next step to expand our efforts to reach more individuals who can tap into the power of music.”