His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University attended the first day of Khalifa University’s Innovation Week where he witnessed signing ceremonies committing up to 71.1 million dirhams by ICT Fund a TRA initiative and Khalifa University which will fund 50 undergraduate student and 30 Master’s students under the “Be’tha” program and 10 faculty research projects grants.
This partnership aims to advance education in the UAE in disciplines related to telecommunications and information technology by supporting and nurturing top Emirati students in the fields of science.
HH Sheikh Hamed said during his visit that innovation has become imperative to the continued development required to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy which will boost the UAE’s regional and global position as a producer and hub of research and development. This lofty goal was set by the UAE’s wise leadership led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan when he declared 2015 to be the UAE’s Year of Innovation and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai launch of the National Strategy for Innovation which aims to achieve the UAE’s 2021 vision.
His Highness added that the UAE’s Innovation Week is an initiative that reflects the importance of innovation and cooperation between different institutions in the UAE in order to achieve development goals and drive growth particularly in the areas of information and communication technology and in various fields important to the present and the future of the UAE. Through these collaborations various academic institutions and government organizations will be able to provide ways to enable the youth of the UAE to lead the various vital sectors that will ensure an advanced level of prosperity for generations to come.
During his visit HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed also had the opportunity to tour Khalifa University’s newly opened Aerospace Research and Innovation Center (ARIC) which was founded in collaboration with Mubadala Aerospace and boasts advanced manufacturing equipment for the production of cost effective composites and materials and facilities to characterize and evaluate the properties of materials and fibers as well as automation equipment for the effective assembly of aircraft components.
His Highness was also briefed on a number of projects that Khalifa University students are involved with which included a system for the design modeling and control of hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) a smart fabric for electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure measurements and a next generation mobile health biological chip to mention a few.
His Highness also visited an Entrepreneurship Competition this exciting event saw students pitch their ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hopes of being offered funding. Although entirely hypothetical the competition did consist of a panel boating two actual venture capitalists and various members of Khalifa University’s faculty and the winning student team will receive a reward for their efforts. This competition comes as part of the student’s course requirements and is designed to teach students how to market their ideas and establish start-up companies.
Dr. Abdul Qader Ibrahim Khayat Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ICT Fund said that the “Be’tha” initiative falls within the framework of the TRA’s strategy for the development of Emiratis specially trained in the fields of telecommunications information technology and it is concerned with the support and sponsorship of outstanding students so that they can take part in the construction and development of ongoing major projects in the UAE including recent saw initiatives in smart government and smart cities. The initiative also responds to the growing demand for national human capital in field of telecommunications and other related areas. The TRA has worked to assess the status of Emiratization and specialized human resources in these fields and has developed a plan for the advancement of this matter through supporting outstanding students involved in these fields.
He added that the ICT sector is dynamically contributed to supporting the construction of a knowledge-based economy which is why the “Be’tha” Program was launched in 2013. This special program aims to achieve the objectives of the 2021 Vision by contributing to the provision of a high-level education system for future generations.
His Excellency Saeed Al Suwaidi TRA Deputy Director-General for the Support Services Sector said that these grants fall within the TRA’s efforts to contribute to the implementation of the vision of the wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates in order to build a competitive economy led by UAE nationals who are equipped with knowledge and innovation. This alludes to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to educate a generation of Emiratis who are able to meet future challenges and support the UAE with nationals qualified in various disciplines.
He added that the ICT sector is one of the most vital sectors to achieve the objectives of 2021 Vision and is an economic pillar and a vital engine for development. Based on this belief the ICT Fund is looking to educate Emirati’s through the “Be’tha” program who will be capable of bearing the responsibility of achieving rapid development in the field of information and communication technology in order to serve the present and the future of the UAE.
He also said that as we are on the verge of a new era of changes and technological developments we must equip our youth to compete in a world that is evolving at a rapid pace we must arm them with science and technology that will open them to avenues of creativity excellence and constructive participation in a civilized society that can keep up with scientific progress.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi Khalifa University’s Executive Vice President thanked the ICT Fund for their continued support of the Universities various initiatives and research activities. He stated that Khalifa University believes that the human capital and knowledge of UAE nationals empowers and enhances the competitiveness of the UAE and increases its global position. This strategic partnership with ICT Fund will advance scientific research and provide for the provision of graduate coursework programs and enrich the experience of professional researchers in the fields of information and communication technology.
He added that this cooperation is a vivid example of the importance of collaborative work between various government private and academic sectors and how it will raise the level of innovation by supporting the development of advanced academic research and provide for industry specific research in various sectors in the UAE and boost confidence that Emirati minds are capable of leading various industries in the present and the future.
Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mualla Senior Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies at Khalifa University said “We are delighted to see this growth in cooperation with our government relations which demonstrates an awareness of the importance of research to the knowledge economy of the UAE. The ICT field is one of the key areas that are used continuously to measure the level of innovation and competitiveness on a global scale so Khalifa University considers this a key strategic area in its research agenda. Through this support we promote the continued upgrade of innovation and research at the University so we can continue compete with global innovation levels which in turn will pour directly into promoting the UAE’s position on the world’s map of the most productive research countries with a high level of graduate students especially in critical areas of great importance to the UAE.
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