The student headed festivities were voted the best in a competition organized by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Community Services.

Abu Dhabi 2 January 2014: Khalifa University announced today that its Abu Dhabi campus has won the “Best National Day 42 Celebration” category in the “Exceptional University” competition organized by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Community Services. 

The innovative day long festivities were organized by students faculty and staff and included a variety of activities such as the “Time Machine” museum and a play written by Khalifa University students about a student whose invention saves the world. The play is set in 2100 and showed a future version of the UAE projecting a very advanced society based on technology and knowledge economy.  

Other activities included traditional dances and a souq that was built inside the Abu Dhabi campus and demonstrated traditional merchandize a photography kiosk and a traditional tent where several traditional handicrafts were demonstrated. 

In addition to the best celebration win Khalifa University students also ranked highly in the other categories.  Khalifa University student Mohammed Abdulrazaq Hussain won second place in the “Best National Short Movie about the Union” category for his movie titled “Between the Past and the Future.” And student Meera Saeed Al Yammahi won first place in the “Best National Dress for girls over the age of 16” category. 

The awards were launched by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Community Services with the aim of instilling and supporting a feeling of pride in the National Day Celebrations the state and its achievements its leaders and of Emirati youth in the UAE. The awards also aim to encourage cooperation between the ministry and universities and encourage the creative abilities and talent of university students. 

“We are very pleased that our National Day Celebrations have been voted the best in the UAE ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Senior Vice President of Research and Development. “I would like to thank our students and staff for putting together such an enjoyable program for National Day. Our students did an excellent job showcasing Emirati tradition and heritage and engaging our non-Emirati staff and students in the festivities. The National Day represents the UAE’s success in the 42 years since its creation and it represents the importance of unity and cooperation. Our students and staff demonstrated this unity on the day and showed their pride in the UAE and the bold vision of its founding fathers. We are molding the next generation of leaders and it’s important that they recognize the achievements of the past as they move forward towards creating sustainable growth.”

Dr. Mohamed Rezeq granted patent that may lead to a paradigm shift in the semiconductor industry.

Abu Dhabi 15 January 2014: Khalifa University announced today that one of its faculty Dr. Mohamed Rezeq assistant professor of applied math and sciences has been granted a US patent for the creation of the world’s smallest semiconductor transistor. This new transistor is presumed to consume much less energy than existing technologies because it operates in a completely different way. This is because in the operation mode electrons jump (tunnel) directly from the nano metal particles the basic components of the transistor into the semiconductor with minimal loss of energy.

Transistors are generally used to amplify and switchelectronic signals and electrical power and they are the fundamental building blocks of modern electronic devices and are present in all modern electronic systems. 

“Dr. Rezeq’s work will very likely lead to a paradigm shift in the semiconductor industry and in particular in transistor design with a huge potential to build electronic devices that are  more than 10 times smaller  and consume much less power than any of the latest known technologies ” said Dr. Mohammed Al Mualla Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Khalifa University. “We are very proud of Dr. Rezeq for his accomplishments and we think that it is a testament to the culture of innovation that we try to foster at Khalifa University. We encourage all our faculty to conduct research activities at the highest level and to involve our students in their advanced research.  In this way we are helping to build the knowledge economy envisioned in Abu Dhabi’s 2030 Vision.” 

“I couldn’t have done it without the help and support given to me by Khalifa University especially their internal research fund ” says Dr. Rezeq “I couldn’t have done this within the relatively short time I had without the help of my Masters Student Ahmed Ali. Not to mention all the support from my colleagues and students which I am very grateful for.” 

Nano-tips can be applied to many aspects of nanotechnology. For instance scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) use them as a source of electron beams. The smaller the size of the probe the higher the density of the electron beams which results in a significant improvement in the resolution and image brightness of such powerful microscopes so that more details can be observed.  Nano-tips can also be used to look at biological molecules like DNA and nano materials in scanning probe microscopes like atomic force microscope (AFM) where a sharper tip means more information can be gathered. 

Students will showcase projects demonstrating Khalifa University’s dedication to the development of renewable energy.  

Abu Dhabi 19 January 2014: Khalifa University is participating in the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from January 20th till 22nd. It is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Khalifa University’s Board of Trustees Chairman. 

Khalifa University will be showcasing student projects at their stand during the event. The projects focus on advancements in renewable energy including displays on nuclear energy and an electric car. 

One project on display is the reactor model which is a 1/10th scaled model of the reactor core within the pressure vessel of the nuclear reactors being built at Barakah UAE. Another project is a 1/3rd scale model of a nuclear fuel bundle which can be found in the reactor core in order to produce heat from nuclear fission.    

These two projects are used primarily by the University’s MSc in Nuclear Engineering students who use the models to learn about and practice the safe development of nuclear energy. Another project being showcased during the event is the recent US patented research by one of Khalifa University’s faculty Dr. Mohamed Rezeq assistant professor of applied math and sciences. The patent was granted for the creation of the world’s smallest semiconductor transistor. This new transistor will consume much less energy than existing technologies because it operates in a completely different way. 

“Khalifa University is dedicated to helping Abu Dhabi and the UAE achieve their goal of finding sustainable energy sources this is demonstrated by the projects we are displaying throughout the summit ” said Dr. Arif Al Hammadi Executive Vice President of Khalifa University. “One the most prominent examples of the University’s efforts is the launch of the academic program M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering. This program qualifies Emirati students to work as engineers in the upcoming UAE’s nuclear reactors which will provide a clean sustainable and safe source of electric power to millions of homes in Abu Dhabi and the UAE at large.” 

Another project on display is the “go to sample and return” strategy which focuses on potential applications for heterogeneous robotic platforms including ground vehicles (UGV) micro aerial vehicles (mUAV) and robot arm-hand systems equipped with advanced sensors for searching mapping and path planning.  These robots will be used in the surveillance of critical infrastructures intervention in contamination zones and inspecting the safety of public and industrial plants. This project utilizes knowledge and expertise from aerospace electronics computer nuclear and mechanical engineering fields to enhance the robotic technology used in the proposed strategy. 

The University’s BAJA SAE buggy an electric car which traveled to Washington USA to participate in a recent competition will also be exhibited at the summit. 

Another example of research that falls into the category of energy conservation is a project that reduces the energy used in air cooling systems in buildings and offices without affecting the outcome. This project is being worked on by researchers from the Etisalat-BT Innovation Center (EBTIC) which works in collaboration with Khalifa University and is based at its Abu Dhabi campus.

The Khalifa University Film Festival featured a play which supports the Absher Initiative

Khalifa University’s Student Council and Theater Club yesterday held the Khalifa University Film Festival which took place on May 13th 2014 at the National Theatre in Abu Dhabi. The evening was attended by Khalifa University students management faculty staff and alumni. 

The event featured four short films by Khalifa University students as well as a play supporting the Absher Initiative which is dedicated to improving the lives of Emiratis and providing them with stability by enhancing their participation in the labor market. This will be achieved through promoting the participation of national workforce in the private sector and the development of a comprehensive strategic framework for the employment of Emiratis in accordance with a clear and fully integrated vision. 

Short film “B” by Khalifa Abdulla was awarded the “Best Film Award” at the end of the evening.  Other films included “In My World” by Humaid AlKindi “Last Mirror” by Abdulrahman Al Humairi and “La Waeej” by Fakhra Al Ketbi.

Dr. Arif Al Hammadi Executive Vice President of Khalifa University said “Our students always amaze us with their creativity and talents in addition to their academic excellence and outstanding performance.While we are predominately a science and technology focused University it is important to note that several of our students have considerable talents and interests beyond science and technology and this film festival highlighted that extremely well. We at Khalifa University strive to support any student talents and initiatives that contribute to the character-building and leadership qualities among students to be future leaders.”

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The Khalifa University Film Festival featured a play which supports the Absher Initiative

Khalifa University’s Student Council and Theater Club yesterday held the Khalifa University Film Festival which took place on May 13th 2014 at the National Theatre in Abu Dhabi. The evening was attended by Khalifa University students management faculty staff and alumni. 

The event featured four short films by Khalifa University students as well as a play supporting the Absher Initiative which is dedicated to improving the lives of Emiratis and providing them with stability by enhancing their participation in the labor market. This will be achieved through promoting the participation of national workforce in the private sector and the development of a comprehensive strategic framework for the employment of Emiratis in accordance with a clear and fully integrated vision. 

Short film “B” by Khalifa Abdulla was awarded the “Best Film Award” at the end of the evening.  Other films included “In My World” by Humaid AlKindi “Last Mirror” by Abdulrahman Al Humairi and “La Waeej” by Fakhra Al Ketbi.

Dr. Arif Al Hammadi Executive Vice President of Khalifa University said “Our students always amaze us with their creativity and talents in addition to their academic excellence and outstanding performance.While we are predominately a science and technology focused University it is important to note that several of our students have considerable talents and interests beyond science and technology and this film festival highlighted that extremely well. We at Khalifa University strive to support any student talents and initiatives that contribute to the character-building and leadership qualities among students to be future leaders.”

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Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Minister of Higher Education the event will be held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Education Council in May

Abu Dhabi January 22 2014: Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Minister of Higher Education Khalifa University announced that it will be hosting the 4th annual QS-MAPLE conference in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) from May 6–8 2014 at the Dusit Thani Hotel Abu Dhabi. 

The QS-MAPLE conference is part of Global QS the world’s leading network for top careers and education; it is also one of the most important University ranking bodies in the world. The conference organizers have selected Khalifa University for this year’s version of the conference in the United Arab Emirates.

The QS Middle East and Africa Professional Leaders in Education (QS-MAPLE) conference was held last year in Johannesburg – South Africa with the mission of providing a forum that promoted the international development of higher education in the Middle East and Africa while supporting the processes of institutional evaluation and upgrading that will lead to greater worldwide recognition of the universities in these regions.

QS events bring an informal and interactive atmosphere to the essential business of making new friends and partners around the world. At the same time delegates benefit from the knowledge and experience of presenters well versed in the practices of global university collaboration. The delegates include university presidents and other senior university leaders and strategists senior university officers with an international or external affairs brief admission and recruiting officers student services officers curriculum developers academics with international linkages and international content in their courses education ministry officials with an international brief and officers of national education outreach and promotion bodies.

“We are thrilled to be hosting this exciting conference ” says Dr Tod Laursen Khalifa University president. “Khalifa University was established with the ambitious vision of contributing to the creation of a knowledge economy in the UAE. The UAE is a quickly developing country with big dreams and unlimited potential and we would like to think that Khalifa University also possesses these inspiring traits and that these traits are what make Khalifa University and the UAE the perfect place to hold a conference like QS-MAPLE.”

He added that the attraction of this kind of conference will help evaluate the performance of the university system that the Council intends to create and it will help in raising the level of Abu Dhabi and other UAE universities in world university rankings.

The 2014 conference will feature a multitude of international delegates parallel sessions that will focus on general and specific aspects of international higher education keynote addresses by leading authorities on higher education from around the world the QS Squared Debate which is an interactive engagement of academia for the better understanding of higher education concepts the QS Rankosium where ranking experts discuss strategies related to sustainable institutional development internationalization and innovative management and an exhibition of leading universities and other higher educational institutions from around the world.

“Khalifa University strongly believes in enabling our motivated faculty staff and students to fulfil their potential by fostering a culture of educational achievement and career development much as QS-MAPLE strives to create an environment for educational institutions and industry leaders to meet and grow. I hope that the 4th QS-MAPLE conference and exhibition will be a successful endeavor that will allow visitors to experience the dynamic and inspirational country that is the UAE and benefit from Khalifa University’s state-of-the-art facilities and culture of innovation ” concluded Dr Laursen.

Those interested in attending the event can visit www.qsmaple.org for more information.

Prof. Joel Hayward has looked at environmental degradation caused by the world’s militaries especially its air forces.

Abu Dhabi 10 February 2014: Khalifa University Professor Joel Hayward who is Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Director of the Institute for International and Civil Security has released a ground breaking book highlighting the environmental impact of the world’s air forces.  His book Airpower and the Environment: The Ecological Implications of Modern Air Warfare was published by the United States Air Force and is the culmination of four years of research and collaboration. 

Professor Joel Hayward a well-known scholar of international conflict and strategy assembled a distinguished group of eleven ecologists and strategists to advance an innovative set of ideas on how to minimize the environmental harm caused by air forces during both peace and war. These ideas were subsequently published in the book.

Professor Hayward is the author or editor of many books and dozens of peer-reviewed articles on warfare and strategy. Yet he says that his new book is undoubtedly his most creative and ground-breaking. “This book represents the very first significant analysis of the environmental harm caused by airpower and will hopefully prompt other ecologists and strategists to undertake similar studies on other ecological aspects of modern warfare.”

He first became interested in the environmental harm caused by warfare when he observed the wanton ecological harm caused when NATO repeatedly bombed Yugoslavian oil refineries and storage facilities during the 1999 Kosovo War. “For a war that was intended to address humanitarian concerns I was shocked at the widespread environmental damage that took place. It occurred to me that there must be better ways of coercing rogue regimes without inflicting substantial harm on the ecosystems in those countries” 

Professor Hayward is well placed to work on this subject having served for five years as Dean of the historical and prestigious Royal Air Force College and having written several other books on airpower. He has also taught the ethics of war to six air forces around the world and provided strategic policy advice to numerous countries’ political and military leaders.

Even after having studied its horrors for two decades Professor Hayward continues to find war intellectually interesting. He is currently under contract with Cambridge University Press to author what he hopes will be a pioneering new study: An Ecological History of War: The Environment Consequences of Warfare from Antiquity to the Present. Moreover expanding on his 2012 monograph “Warfare in the Qur’an ” he is writing for Kube Publishers a major new book on warfare during the first days of Islam to be titled: Prophet and Warrior: The Conduct and Justice of Muhammad’s Military Campaigns.

“Khalifa University would like to congratulate Prof. Hayward on publishing his book ” says Prof. Tod Laursen Khalifa University’s President. “The ideas he champions will hopefully lead to a heightened understanding of consequences of air warfare and more enlightened decisions about use of airpower in conflicts.  Khalifa University is dedicated to recruiting leading minds from all over the world and Prof. Hayward is an example of the commitment.  He is an internationally respected figure in his field and we are pleased to call him a member of our community.”

Khalifa University’s Masters of Art in International and Civil Security focuses on the study of terrorism warfare weapons of mass destruction natural disasters and a myriad of other security threats to nations. This unique program supports research teaching and policy analysis in the field of security studies. In addition to what takes place inside the classroom the institute hosts speakers workshops events and works with other institutions- within government academia and the private sector – to advance security research education training and policy-making.