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MBZIRC Announces Call for Proposals

Robotics Competition boasts 5 million USD prizes for teams who complete complicated tasks.

Khalifa University organizers for the upcoming Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) have announced that they began receiving proposals for the challenge starting on September 7 with a deadline of November 7.  This follows the recent invitation to indicate intent to Participate that was issued in May. 

The Call for Proposals will require teams to submit their proposals to participate in the three Challenges and the triathlon style “Grand Challenge”.  The challenges will take place in an outdoor open arena. Challenge 1 requires an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to locate track and land on top of a moving ground vehicle. Challenge 2 requires an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to locate and reach a second ground vehicle and locate and physically operate a valve on a side of the vehicle. Challenge 3 requires a team of UAVs to collaborate to search locate track pick and place a set of static and moving objects. The Grand Challenge requires a team of robots (UAVs and UGVs) to compete in an event that combines Challenges 1 2 and 3. 

To date 316 teams from 163 institutions in 45 countries have expressed their intent to participate in the Challenge which is scheduled to take place in 2017 and boasts prizes and team sponsorship totaling $5 million USD. 

“We were pleased with the response we’ve received for this challenge and are looking forward to the proposals ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Khalifa University’s Senior Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. “This is an exciting challenge and will certainly give competitors an opportunity to display their capabilities to the world so it’s wonderful to receive so many responses from so many different countries. The representation across academia and industry is also encouraging as the innovations created by our contestants will no doubt have widespread effects on the field of robotics and determine how new technologies are applied in the future. We are looking forward to seeing the proposals these teams will put forward and are eagerly awaiting the challenge in 2017.”

Robotics Competition boasts 5 million USD prizes for teams who complete complicated tasks.

Khalifa University organizers for the upcoming Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) have announced that they began receiving proposals for the challenge starting on September 7 with a deadline of November 7.  This follows the recent invitation to indicate intent to Participate that was issued in May. 

The Call for Proposals will require teams to submit their proposals to participate in the three Challenges and the triathlon style “Grand Challenge”.  The challenges will take place in an outdoor open arena. Challenge 1 requires an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to locate track and land on top of a moving ground vehicle. Challenge 2 requires an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to locate and reach a second ground vehicle and locate and physically operate a valve on a side of the vehicle. Challenge 3 requires a team of UAVs to collaborate to search locate track pick and place a set of static and moving objects. The Grand Challenge requires a team of robots (UAVs and UGVs) to compete in an event that combines Challenges 1 2 and 3. 

To date 316 teams from 163 institutions in 45 countries have expressed their intent to participate in the Challenge which is scheduled to take place in 2017 and boasts prizes and team sponsorship totaling $5 million USD. 

“We were pleased with the response we’ve received for this challenge and are looking forward to the proposals ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Khalifa University’s Senior Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. “This is an exciting challenge and will certainly give competitors an opportunity to display their capabilities to the world so it’s wonderful to receive so many responses from so many different countries. The representation across academia and industry is also encouraging as the innovations created by our contestants will no doubt have widespread effects on the field of robotics and determine how new technologies are applied in the future. We are looking forward to seeing the proposals these teams will put forward and are eagerly awaiting the challenge in 2017.”

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Khalifa University Congratulates the First Emirati PhD Holder in Engineering in the UAE

Mother of four is an expert in early lung cancer detectionDr. Fatma

Dr. Fatma Taher the first Emirati to obtain their PhD from a university in the UAE and who recently graduated from Khalifa University is well on her way to becoming a world leader in the early detection of lung cancer.

Dr. Fatma Taher who was born and raised in Dubai and is currently a mother of four has been conducting groundbreaking work into early detection of lung cancer based on sputum color image analysis. Her work is based on a recent discovery by medical researchers that proved that analysis of sputum cells can assist in the successful early diagnosis of lung cancer where the sputum analysis modality is considered the cheapest and most non invasive tool.

Dr. Taher’s area of interest is Image Processing and after completing a Masters in cancer detection she thought it was only natural to look into electronic methods of early cancer detection. Her current work deals with the attempt to design a computer-aided detection or diagnosis (CAD) system for early detection of lung cancer based on sputum color image analysis. Her hope is that this system will reduce the false negative rate and increase the true positive rate as much as possible and will reduce mortality rates from lung cancer. This would be a huge support to pathologists allowing them to handle larger amounts of data and detect a greater number of cases.

Dr. Taher has travelled to Bristol University to participate in similar research being conducted there in addition she has spoken at several conferences including the IET conference which was held in London UK the ICIP conference which was held in Florida USA and the ICECS conference which was held in Spain in addition to many other international conferences which were held in the UAE. Dr. Taher has also received many awards for her research including the prize for the best PhD excellence Award at Khalifa University’s “Leadership Day ” the Best Paper award at the BCS International IT Conference Towards 21st Century Innovations in Abu Dhabi and the Best Paper award and first place at the PhD Forum of the 20th IEEE International Conference on Electronics Circuits and Systems (ICECS).

Dr. Taher has had around 14 publications in international journals and conferences out of her PhD studies. Dr. Taher benefitted from the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Scholarship Program (Buhooth) Scholarship program which offers Emirati’s interested in pursuing their graduate degrees competitive monthly salaries for full time students health insurance for students and their dependents all tuition fees study expenses international conference attendance expenses and job placement after graduation.

The University offers a variety of Masters Degrees in International and Civil Security Information Security Electronic and Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering. The University also offers several PhD specializations in engineering including Mechanical Aerospace Nuclear Biomedical and Robotics. These specializations add to the existing specializations in Communication Computer and Electronic Engineering.

“The completion of Dr. Taher’s studies are not only a major milestone for Khalifa University but a major milestone for the United Arab Emirates ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Senior Vice President of Research and Development. “Khalifa University has been tasked with the job of educating the next generation of industry and science and technology leaders. In order to do this we have created and are still in the process of creating challenging undergraduate and graduate programs. The programs we offer were identified by the wise leadership of this country as essential to the development of the knowledge economy and to the creation of a skilled national workforce dedicated to the advancement of the UAE. We are proud to play our part in the achievement of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision.”

In addition to benefitting from Khalifa University’s high quality of education and scholarship opportunities Dr. Taher was also aided by Khalifa University’s culture of research and innovation. Khalifa University boasts several research centers and initiatives including the UAE Advanced Network for Research and Education (ANKABUT) which connects educational institutions using a state of the art high-speed network. This network connects the UAE to other networks located in the United States Europe and Singapore and helps to facilitate the exchange of scientific information and research.

The University also manages the Etisalat BT Innovation Center (EBTIC) which is a specialized research center the first of its kind in the region and is based on a partnership between the United Arab Emirates Telecommunications Corporation Khalifa University and British Telecom (BT). Since the Center was founded it has widely contributed to the patents filed by Abu Dhabi.

Other research centers include the Robotics Research Center The Aerospace Research and Innovation Center (ARIC) and the Khalifa Semiconductor Research Center (KSRC).

Khalifa University offers several extensive undergraduate programs in Aerospace Engineering Biomedical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a concentration in Power Systems Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering with a concentration in Software Systems.

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Mother of four is an expert in early lung cancer detection

Dr. Fatma Taher the first Emirati to obtain their PhD from a university in the UAE and who recently graduated from Khalifa University is well on her way to becoming a world leader in the early detection of lung cancer.

Dr. Fatma Taher who was born and raised in Dubai and is currently a mother of four has been conducting groundbreaking work into early detection of lung cancer based on sputum color image analysis. Her work is based on a recent discovery by medical researchers that proved that analysis of sputum cells can assist in the successful early diagnosis of lung cancer where the sputum analysis modality is considered the cheapest and most non invasive tool.

Dr. Taher’s area of interest is Image Processing and after completing a Masters in cancer detection she thought it was only natural to look into electronic methods of early cancer detection. Her current work deals with the attempt to design a computer-aided detection or diagnosis (CAD) system for early detection of lung cancer based on sputum color image analysis. Her hope is that this system will reduce the false negative rate and increase the true positive rate as much as possible and will reduce mortality rates from lung cancer. This would be a huge support to pathologists allowing them to handle larger amounts of data and detect a greater number of cases.

Dr. Taher has travelled to Bristol University to participate in similar research being conducted there in addition she has spoken at several conferences including the IET conference which was held in London UK the ICIP conference which was held in Florida USA and the ICECS conference which was held in Spain in addition to many other international conferences which were held in the UAE. Dr. Taher has also received many awards for her research including the prize for the best PhD excellence Award at Khalifa University’s “Leadership Day ” the Best Paper award at the BCS International IT Conference Towards 21st Century Innovations in Abu Dhabi and the Best Paper award and first place at the PhD Forum of the 20th IEEE International Conference on Electronics Circuits and Systems (ICECS).

Dr. Taher has had around 14 publications in international journals and conferences out of her PhD studies. Dr. Taher benefitted from the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Scholarship Program (Buhooth) Scholarship program which offers Emirati’s interested in pursuing their graduate degrees competitive monthly salaries for full time students health insurance for students and their dependents all tuition fees study expenses international conference attendance expenses and job placement after graduation.

The University offers a variety of Masters Degrees in International and Civil Security Information Security Electronic and Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering. The University also offers several PhD specializations in engineering including Mechanical Aerospace Nuclear Biomedical and Robotics. These specializations add to the existing specializations in Communication Computer and Electronic Engineering.

“The completion of Dr. Taher’s studies are not only a major milestone for Khalifa University but a major milestone for the United Arab Emirates ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Senior Vice President of Research and Development. “Khalifa University has been tasked with the job of educating the next generation of industry and science and technology leaders. In order to do this we have created and are still in the process of creating challenging undergraduate and graduate programs. The programs we offer were identified by the wise leadership of this country as essential to the development of the knowledge economy and to the creation of a skilled national workforce dedicated to the advancement of the UAE. We are proud to play our part in the achievement of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision.”

In addition to benefitting from Khalifa University’s high quality of education and scholarship opportunities Dr. Taher was also aided by Khalifa University’s culture of research and innovation. Khalifa University boasts several research centers and initiatives including the UAE Advanced Network for Research and Education (ANKABUT) which connects educational institutions using a state of the art high-speed network. This network connects the UAE to other networks located in the United States Europe and Singapore and helps to facilitate the exchange of scientific information and research.

The University also manages the Etisalat BT Innovation Center (EBTIC) which is a specialized research center the first of its kind in the region and is based on a partnership between the United Arab Emirates Telecommunications Corporation Khalifa University and British Telecom (BT). Since the Center was founded it has widely contributed to the patents filed by Abu Dhabi.

Other research centers include the Robotics Research Center The Aerospace Research and Innovation Center (ARIC) and the Khalifa Semiconductor Research Center (KSRC).

Khalifa University offers several extensive undergraduate programs in Aerospace Engineering Biomedical Engineering Civil Engineering Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a concentration in Power Systems Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering with a concentration in Software Systems.

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Khalifa University Clubs Show Students what they have to offer

Special Club Day featured displays and games to attract new members.

Khalifa University student clubs held a special day in order to attract new members and show plans for future activities. The daylong event was held on September 30 at the University’s Abu Dhabi campus attracting many of the University’s students as well as faculty and staff. 

Clubs displaying that day included student branches of professional societies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Other clubs included ones for Debate Literature Arabic Media Photography Theater and Anime.  There was also a booth for the Emirati Club which helps host major events like National Day and Flag Day. Khalifa University’s Student Council also had a booth to spread awareness of their activities among students and to premier new clubs like story writing and gastronomy. 

Club Day at Khalifa University 30 September 2015 Club Day at Khalifa University

“The Theater and Talent Club really tries to promote students creativity we have a lot of departments within the club that suits many talents like costume and set design script writing and more ” said Mohammed Naqi. “We’re very involved in lots of activities all years we put on plays and productions and help with the National Day.  We even made a historical movie called The Battle of Kaidabaa which was received well.” 

Student Pledge at Student Club Day at Khalifa UniversityIn addition to Club displays the University’s Student Council also held an Academic Pledge event.  Students were able to sign their name to a large board to show their commitment to upholding academic integrity and abiding to the rules of the University and the UAE. 

“The academic pledge reminds our students how to act and tells them why they shouldn’t cheat or plagiarize and that they should abide by the University’s rules ” Hamad Alaydaroos President of the Student Council.  “As a student council we are trying to get students involved and create a lifestyle that engages our students and helps them show their creativity.” 

Club Day at Khalifa UniversityKhalifa University strives to provide students with a well-rounded education that includes the pursuit of activities outside of the students’ academic careers and majors.  Promoting student run clubs is an important part of achieving this goal as well as creating a sense of community spirit and an exciting atmosphere for current and future students and alumni. 

Fatima Alshehhi from the Korean Club said “We had a lot of students who were fascinated with the Korean culture so we made a club to celebrate that.  We organize an entire day called Han day and we bring in Korean performers foods and learn to write our names in Korean.  I think it’s important to learn about other cultures in order to open your mind and the Korean Club helps does this.”

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Special Club Day featured displays and games to attract new members.

Khalifa University student clubs held a special day in order to attract new members and show plans for future activities. The daylong event was held on September 30 at the University’s Abu Dhabi campus attracting many of the University’s students as well as faculty and staff. 

Clubs displaying that day included student branches of professional societies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Other clubs included ones for Debate Literature Arabic Media Photography Theater and Anime.  There was also a booth for the Emirati Club which helps host major events like National Day and Flag Day. Khalifa University’s Student Council also had a booth to spread awareness of their activities among students and to premier new clubs like story writing and gastronomy. 

“The Theater and Talent Club really tries to promote students creativity we have a lot of departments within the club that suits many talents like costume and set design script writing and more ” said Mohammed Naqi. “We’re very involved in lots of activities all years we put on plays and productions and help with the National Day.  We even made a historical movie called The Battle of Kaidabaa which was received well.” 

In addition to Club displays the University’s Student Council also held an Academic Pledge event.  Students were able to sign their name to a large board to show their commitment to upholding academic integrity and abiding to the rules of the University and the UAE. 

“The academic pledge reminds our students how to act and tells them why they shouldn’t cheat or plagiarize and that they should abide by the University’s rules ” Hamad Alaydaroos President of the Student Council.  “As a student council we are trying to get students involved and create a lifestyle that engages our students and helps them show their creativity.” 

Khalifa University strives to provide students with a well-rounded education that includes the pursuit of activities outside of the students’ academic careers and majors.  Promoting student run clubs is an important part of achieving this goal as well as creating a sense of community spirit and an exciting atmosphere for current and future students and alumni. 

Fatima Alshehhi from the Korean Club said “We had a lot of students who were fascinated with the Korean culture so we made a club to celebrate that.  We organize an entire day called Han day and we bring in Korean performers foods and learn to write our names in Korean.  I think it’s important to learn about other cultures in order to open your mind and the Korean Club helps does this.”

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Khalifa University Students Complete Work Readiness Program

Program taught students interview skills leadership and communication techniques

31 Khalifa University students have completed a special program designed to teach them useful internship and work skills such as time management oral and written communications skills and team dynamics. The course which was offered through INJAZ UAE a member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide took place over four sessions at the University’s Abu Dhabi campus.

The program was delivered with the support of trained corporate volunteers one of whom was a Khalifa University alum and gave the students an opportunity to interact with real-life mentors and professionals while learning work skills that could be applied to their internships or permanent employment opportunities.

The students who have completed the course are the first at the University however more sessions are planned for both current students and those who have recently graduated. The course aimed to teach students how to develop innovative personal strategies in order to achieve lifelong learning pursuits and career opportunities as well as identify and demonstrate work readiness skills needed to research get and keep a job. This was done by teaching a number of subjects including: emotional intelligence leadership time management oral and written communication problem solving team dynamics and coping with conflicts.

“Khalifa University is dedicated to providing its students with a well-rounded education ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Senior Vice President of Research and Development. “In order to do this we need to offer our students a variety of opportunities that expand their knowledge of the world beyond our core educational focus of science technology and engineering and prepare them for the professional world. Opportunities like this one to develop business skills or to expand their ability to communicate and function in a corporate environment are essential and a very real part of why our students are in such high demand by the work force. Khalifa University is dedicated to fulfilling the goal of the creation of a knowledge economy as laid out in the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision.”

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Program taught students interview skills leadership and communication techniques

31 Khalifa University students have completed a special program designed to teach them useful internship and work skills such as time management oral and written communications skills and team dynamics. The course which was offered through INJAZ UAE a member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide took place over four sessions at the University’s Abu Dhabi campus.

The program was delivered with the support of trained corporate volunteers one of whom was a Khalifa University alum and gave the students an opportunity to interact with real-life mentors and professionals while learning work skills that could be applied to their internships or permanent employment opportunities.

The students who have completed the course are the first at the University however more sessions are planned for both current students and those who have recently graduated. The course aimed to teach students how to develop innovative personal strategies in order to achieve lifelong learning pursuits and career opportunities as well as identify and demonstrate work readiness skills needed to research get and keep a job. This was done by teaching a number of subjects including: emotional intelligence leadership time management oral and written communication problem solving team dynamics and coping with conflicts.

“Khalifa University is dedicated to providing its students with a well-rounded education ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Senior Vice President of Research and Development. “In order to do this we need to offer our students a variety of opportunities that expand their knowledge of the world beyond our core educational focus of science technology and engineering and prepare them for the professional world. Opportunities like this one to develop business skills or to expand their ability to communicate and function in a corporate environment are essential and a very real part of why our students are in such high demand by the work force. Khalifa University is dedicated to fulfilling the goal of the creation of a knowledge economy as laid out in the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision.” 

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Khalifa University Club’s Show Students what they have to offer

Special Club Day featured displays and games to attract new members.

Khalifa University student clubs held a special day in order to attract new members and show plans for future activities. The daylong event was held on September 30 at the University’s Abu Dhabi campus attracting many of the University’s students as well as faculty and staff. 

Clubs displaying that day included student branches of professional societies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Other clubs included ones for Debate Literature Arabic Media Photography Theater and Anime.  There was also a booth for the Emirati Club which helps host major events like National Day and Flag Day. Khalifa University’s Student Council also had a booth to spread awareness of their activities among students and to premier new clubs like story writing and gastronomy. 

Club Day at Khalifa University 30 September 2015 Club Day at Khalifa University

“The Theater and Talent Club really tries to promote students creativity we have a lot of departments within the club that suits many talents like costume and set design script writing and more ” said Mohammed Naqi. “We’re very involved in lots of activities all years we put on plays and productions and help with the National Day.  We even made a historical movie called The Battle of Kaidabaa which was received well.” 

Student Pledge at Student Club Day at Khalifa UniversityIn addition to Club displays the University’s Student Council also held an Academic Pledge event.  Students were able to sign their name to a large board to show their commitment to upholding academic integrity and abiding to the rules of the University and the UAE. 

“The academic pledge reminds our students how to act and tells them why they shouldn’t cheat or plagiarize and that they should abide by the University’s rules ” Hamad Alaydaroos President of the Student Council.  “As a student council we are trying to get students involved and create a lifestyle that engages our students and helps them show their creativity.” 

Club Day at Khalifa UniversityKhalifa University strives to provide students with a well-rounded education that includes the pursuit of activities outside of the students’ academic careers and majors.  Promoting student run clubs is an important part of achieving this goal as well as creating a sense of community spirit and an exciting atmosphere for current and future students and alumni. 

Fatima Alshehhi from the Korean Club said “We had a lot of students who were fascinated with the Korean culture so we made a club to celebrate that.  We organize an entire day called Han day and we bring in Korean performers foods and learn to write our names in Korean.  I think it’s important to learn about other cultures in order to open your mind and the Korean Club helps does this.”

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Special Club Day featured displays and games to attract new members.

Khalifa University student clubs held a special day in order to attract new members and show plans for future activities. The daylong event was held on September 30 at the University’s Abu Dhabi campus attracting many of the University’s students as well as faculty and staff. 

Clubs displaying that day included student branches of professional societies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Other clubs included ones for Debate Literature Arabic Media Photography Theater and Anime.  There was also a booth for the Emirati Club which helps host major events like National Day and Flag Day. Khalifa University’s Student Council also had a booth to spread awareness of their activities among students and to premier new clubs like story writing and gastronomy. 

“The Theater and Talent Club really tries to promote students creativity we have a lot of departments within the club that suits many talents like costume and set design script writing and more ” said Mohammed Naqi. “We’re very involved in lots of activities all years we put on plays and productions and help with the National Day.  We even made a historical movie called The Battle of Kaidabaa which was received well.” 

In addition to Club displays the University’s Student Council also held an Academic Pledge event.  Students were able to sign their name to a large board to show their commitment to upholding academic integrity and abiding to the rules of the University and the UAE. 

“The academic pledge reminds our students how to act and tells them why they shouldn’t cheat or plagiarize and that they should abide by the University’s rules ” Hamad Alaydaroos President of the Student Council.  “As a student council we are trying to get students involved and create a lifestyle that engages our students and helps them show their creativity.” 

Khalifa University strives to provide students with a well-rounded education that includes the pursuit of activities outside of the students’ academic careers and majors.  Promoting student run clubs is an important part of achieving this goal as well as creating a sense of community spirit and an exciting atmosphere for current and future students and alumni. 

Fatima Alshehhi from the Korean Club said “We had a lot of students who were fascinated with the Korean culture so we made a club to celebrate that.  We organize an entire day called Han day and we bring in Korean performers foods and learn to write our names in Korean.  I think it’s important to learn about other cultures in order to open your mind and the Korean Club helps does this.”

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