Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Education Council and Khalifa University will host one of the biggest higher education events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region the 4th QS-MAPLE conference and exhibition which will take place in a week’s time at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.

With the theme of “global challenges and opportunities in higher education” Middle East and North Africa Professional Leaders in Education – QS-MAPLE – offers the ideal platform for actively engaged university leaders as well as mid-level academics to participate in constructive debates on the internationalization of students faculty and the curriculum.

The mission of QS-MAPLEis “to build world-class universities for Middle Eastern and North African communities through global partnership and collaboration.” The conference will be held from May 6-8 2014and will convene more than 300 delegates from across the globe.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi Executive Director of the Higher Education Sector at the Abu Dhabi Education Council said: “Hosting QS-MAPLE comes at a time when ADEC has developed a comprehensive higher education indicator system that focuses on inputs processes and outputs of higher education institutions considering the best international practices. The indicator system allows stakeholders to view key indicators not only for the institutions but for the HE system at large. Also it compares institutions’ effectiveness along meaningful dimensions.” 

“We are thrilled to be hosting this exciting conference ” says Dr. Tod Laursen Khalifa University president. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the region’s academic leadership to get together and discuss the future of education in the Middle East and North Africa.  It will also give us a chance to showcase the high quality of education and innovation that we’ve cultivated at Khalifa University. We strongly believe 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.”

It is worth noting that 4th QS-MAPLE will unravel QS’s newest regional rankings system devised for the Arab world—QS University Rankings: Arab World. Participants at the conference have the opportunity to attend the rankings session and determine the weight of criteria that will form the rankings together with experts from the QS Intelligence Unit.

The event comprises of parallel and plenary sessions featuring general and specific aspects of international higher education with keynote addresses by leading authorities on higher education; the QS Squared Debate which is an exciting interactive engagement of the academia for the better understanding of higher education concepts; the QS Hub exhibition where leading universities and other higher education institutions from around the world showcase their institutions and programs; and the Creative Awards for the best international education promotional designs in four categories. In addition there will be plenty of networking opportunities through the ice-breaker reception conference dinner and closing lunch.

For more information please visit www.qsmaple.org

26 exciting applications have been submitted for review from nine university teams

Khalifa University announced that it has received a record number of submission to its Mobile Application Contest 2014 (MAC2014) with 26 applications from nine different teams. The winners of the competition will be announced at a special ceremony on May 4th at the Westin Hotel in Abu Dhabi and teams were given the chance to participate in several unique training sessions over the past few weeks. 

This year’s event saw generous sponsorship from several organizations including the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Emirates Advanced Investment (EAI) Samsung and IBM.   

Khalifa University teams submitted seven of the 26 apps which was more than any other participating university. Some of which deal with health care and social networking. 

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.

Event saw 26 innovative apps submitted by university teams from around the country

Khalifa University concluded a successful 9th Mobile Application Contest (MAC2014) today. During a ceremony the winners were announced with the first place going to The Green Socket app from Abu Dhabi University. The second and third places went to American University in Sharjah team for Lung++ app and UAE University team for Fares Adventures app respectively. The fourth place winner was iCare app from Khalifa University. 

MAC2014 is a yearly event organized by Khalifa University that requires student teams to submit original and culturally focused apps. This year’s event saw generous sponsorship from several organizations including the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Emirates Advanced Investment (EAI) Samsung and IBM.   

Twenty-six apps were submitted this year from university’s across the UAE.  Khalifa University teams submitted seven of the 26 apps which was more than any other participating university.   

“We are glad to see wide participation from students from around the country ” said Khalifa University Executive Vice President Dr. Arif Al Hammadi. “I would also like to congratulate all the winners of the MAC2014 competition which started back in 2006. The importance of this contest lies in that it coincides with the government’s move towards smart services. The UAE is keen to utilize the latest smart applications in order to strengthen its position as a technology world leader. I would also like to emphasize Khalifa University’s commitment towards the higher education sector in the UAE which has become a regional center for technological research and innovation. In addition we are dedicated to providing superior academic programs advanced technologies and resources to create a knowledgeable and well-rounded generation that contributes to the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision in building a knowledge-based economy.” 

His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori Director General of the UAE m-Government initiative said “The Mobile Application Contest initiative reflects Khalifa University’s interest in supporting the initiative to move towards smart government and emphasizes the University’s leadership’s keenness to develop student skills and knowledge and to stay up to date with the latest technological developments.” 

Al Mansoori also said: “We are embarking on a stage where mGovernment and the mCity will be a culture in all walks of life. This requires a work force that is able to use technology to develop solutions to various life problems. Competitions like this can help in spreading the mGovernment culture.” 

Some of the apps submitted included iCare: Elderly Oriented Mobile Health Application which is a bilingual app that acts as a “personal nurse” for its user.  Another app that seeks to help those in emergency is the Multi-Source Patient Localization System for Emergency Response which uses features available on smart phones to identify the exact location of a patient and gives the information to the emergency responder. 

Another app is Qorbe Social Network. Unlike other social networks the Qorbe app will allow users to interact with everyone in a certain radius of you. SMAPS: the Smart Mobile Assisted Parking System. It uses Bluetooth short-range communication technology to enable drivers to navigate gated parking garages in a short time. Other innovative apps where Smart Shopping Cart which allows users to create fill and pay for a virtual “shopping cart” of goods all from the comfort of their smartphone and Cayram which is a multi-player board game based on a traditional game played by Emiratis and using Emirati rules. 

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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Event saw 26 innovative apps submitted by university teams from around the country

Khalifa University concluded a successful 9th Mobile Application Contest (MAC2014) today. During a ceremony the winners were announced with the first place going to The Green Socket app from Abu Dhabi University. The second and third places went to American University in Sharjah team for Lung++ app and UAE University team for Fares Adventures app respectively. The fourth place winner was iCare app from Khalifa University. 

MAC2014 is a yearly event organized by Khalifa University that requires student teams to submit original and culturally focused apps. This year’s event saw generous sponsorship from several organizations including the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Emirates Advanced Investment (EAI) Samsung and IBM.   

Twenty-six apps were submitted this year from university’s across the UAE.  Khalifa University teams submitted seven of the 26 apps which was more than any other participating university.   

“We are glad to see wide participation from students from around the country ” said Khalifa University Executive Vice President Dr. Arif Al Hammadi. “I would also like to congratulate all the winners of the MAC2014 competition which started back in 2006. The importance of this contest lies in that it coincides with the government’s move towards smart services. The UAE is keen to utilize the latest smart applications in order to strengthen its position as a technology world leader. I would also like to emphasize Khalifa University’s commitment towards the higher education sector in the UAE which has become a regional center for technological research and innovation. In addition we are dedicated to providing superior academic programs advanced technologies and resources to create a knowledgeable and well-rounded generation that contributes to the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision in building a knowledge-based economy.” 

His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori Director General of the UAE m-Government initiative said “The Mobile Application Contest initiative reflects Khalifa University’s interest in supporting the initiative to move towards smart government and emphasizes the University’s leadership’s keenness to develop student skills and knowledge and to stay up to date with the latest technological developments.” 

Al Mansoori also said: “We are embarking on a stage where mGovernment and the mCity will be a culture in all walks of life. This requires a work force that is able to use technology to develop solutions to various life problems. Competitions like this can help in spreading the mGovernment culture.” 

Some of the apps submitted included iCare: Elderly Oriented Mobile Health Application which is a bilingual app that acts as a “personal nurse” for its user.  Another app that seeks to help those in emergency is the Multi-Source Patient Localization System for Emergency Response which uses features available on smart phones to identify the exact location of a patient and gives the information to the emergency responder. 

Another app is Qorbe Social Network. Unlike other social networks the Qorbe app will allow users to interact with everyone in a certain radius of you. SMAPS: the Smart Mobile Assisted Parking System. It uses Bluetooth short-range communication technology to enable drivers to navigate gated parking garages in a short time. Other innovative apps where Smart Shopping Cart which allows users to create fill and pay for a virtual “shopping cart” of goods all from the comfort of their smartphone and Cayram which is a multi-player board game based on a traditional game played by Emiratis and using Emirati rules. 

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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Students were required to design build and fly their own aircraft competing against 66 prestigious universities from around the world

Khalifa University announced today that its Design/Build/Fly team placed 7th out of 66 entries at the recent AIAA Cessna/Raytheon Missile Systems Student Design/Build/Fly competition held in Wichita Kansas. 

The Khalifa University team was required to design fabricate and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned electric powered radio controlled aircraft built to meet a specified mission profile. The goal was to balance a design with demonstrated flight handling qualities and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance. The teams were graded on the three flight missions and on a design report that documents the design analysis and fabrication of the airplane. 

Several other prestigious universities from around the world also participated in the competition with Khalifa University ranking 2nd in the design portion and 7th overall.  In addition Khalifa University was the only team to attend from the United Arab Emirates and the Arab world as well as being the only team comprised entirely of undergraduates. 

Khalifa University President Dr. Tod Laursen said “It is unusual for teams with relatively little DBF experience to achieve such a high finish in the DBF competition which is quite demanding. I am extremely proud of our students who have worked hard and effectively to achieve this result. What this DBF team has done is an inspiration to all of us at Khalifa University.” 

“We are thrilled with our students 7th place finish ” said Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi Executive Vice President. “This was a major international competition and our students excelled in it. This is not just a big win for Khalifa University but a big win for the UAE. This is even more impressive when you consider that unlike other teams ours was comprised entirely of undergraduate students.  It just goes to show that they are receiving a high quality of education that can easily be compared to any other worldwide. Khalifa University strives to hire academic leaders in their fields who offer our students a hands on education that prepares them for real world challenges.  We are dedicated to achieving the goals set out in the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision and international recognition like this demonstrates that we are molding the industry leaders of tomorrow.” 

Adnan Salem Obaid a student in Khalifa University’s Aerospace Engineering program and the DBF team leader said: “I’m very proud of this achievement because it came after months of continuous hard work. When we traveled to the US and competed against prestigious international universities and achieved the seventh place we reaped the fruits of our labor and we are looking forward to achieving further excellence in the coming years.”

Conference addresses global challenges and opportunities facing educational institutions in the MENA region.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of United Arab Emirates the Abu Dhabi Education Council and Khalifa University opened the first day of the 4th QS Middle East and North Africa Professional Leaders in Education (QS MAPLE) conference at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi. 

The conference opened with an exhibition of higher education institutes and academic providers from around the region as well as a welcome address by Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi Director General Abu Dhabi Education Council and a plenary session delivered by Professor M. Badr Aboul-Ela Director for the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) and Vice President of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE). 

The conference will run until May 8th and has attracted more than 300 delegates from around the world to discuss the theme of “global challenges and opportunities in higher education.” QS-MAPLE offers the ideal platform for actively engaged university leaders as well as mid-level academics to participate in constructive debates on the internationalization of students faculty and the curriculum. 

Professor Badr Aboul-Ela Director The Commission for Academic Accreditation at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research said: “I am pleased to see such rich program for this conference and the wide participation from institutions of higher education in the region and internationally.   I am sure that the outcome of this conference and the rich discussion and debates would bring together new ideas for collaboration among institutions which will help them in the challenges we all face in our efforts to ensure the delivery of quality higher education programs to be recognized both within the country and internationally for their excellence.” 

“We are pleased to be part of this exciting event ” said Khalifa University President Dr. Tod Laursen. “This conference offers those of us in higher education a wonderful opportunity to meet share and explore ideas with one another. It is my hope that this conference will help strengthen the bonds between our academic communities and to expand relevant partnerships collaboration and best practices in higher education leadership.Khalifa University is especially pleased to be involved in the organization of this event as we believe it fits strongly with our mission of offering a high quality of education to our students.  This conference will allow visitors to experience the tremendous diversity breadth and depth of ideas and best practices available in higher education at Khalifa University and in the UAE as a whole.” 

It is worth noting that 4th QS-MAPLE unravels QS’s newest regional rankings system devised for the Arab world—QS University Rankings: Arab World. Participants at the conference will have the opportunity to attend the rankings session and determine the weight of criteria that will form the rankings together with experts from the QS Intelligence Unit.

The three day forum will discuss “Big Data: Opportunities and Challenges”

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court and Vice Chairman of Khalifa University Board of Trustees Khalifa University announced today that it will hold the UAE’s Eighth Information and Communication Technology Research Forum (ICTRF2014) at the Dusit Thani Hotel Abu Dhabi on May 11th 2014 and at its Abu Dhabi campus on May 12th and 13th 2014. 

The main theme of this year’s forum will be “Big Data: Opportunities and Challenges” and will include sessions on: Big Data and Smart Government Big Data and Smart Health as well as Big Data and Smart Grid. The main topics in these sessions will be presented and discussed by prominent invited international speakers followed by a panel discussion.  Speakers for this year’s event include Dr. Glenn Ricart President US-Ignite USA who will discuss “US Ignite: Big and Open Data in Smart Cities ” Dr. Masood Mortazavi Distinguished Engineer Huawei Innovation Center Huawei USA who will discuss “Big Data and Social Life — Benefits Limitations and Harm ” Dr. Charlie Schick Director Big Data Solutions Healthcare and Life Sciences IBM USA who will talk about “How Big Data is leading to Smarter Healthcare ” Ms. Marcia Kean MBA Chairman Strategic Initiatives Kean-Feinstein Healthcare USA who will present on “Big Data Big Bang and the New Equilibrium of Smart Healthcare ” and Prof. Albert Y. Zomaya Director Centre for Distributed & High Performance Computing School of Information Technologies University of Sydney Australia who will discuss “Smart Grids in the Cloud and Big Data Era”

The forum will be followed by a workshop on Big Data Technologies and Healthcare hosted by the Etisalat BT Innovation Center (EBTIC) which will be held on May 12th 2014 at Khalifa University’s Abu Dhabi campus and a Graduate Engineering Research Symposium (GERS) which will take place on May 13th 2014 also at the Abu Dhabi campus.  The symposium will present graduate students research papers and posters in the area of ICT research. 

ICTRF2014 is co-organized by EBTIC and the Emirates Advanced Network for Research and Education (ANKABUT). ICTRF2014 is sponsored by the TRA (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) in partnership with Etisalat Abu Dhabi Education Council the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) and the IEEE UAE Section. 

ICTRF2014 is open to academics researchers and industry professionals from the fast growing ICT sectors in the UAE and the region. For registration and more information please visit ICTRF2014 website.