Government | Wednesday 24 June, 2015 12:00 am |

Discussions held to boost collaboration in building and bridge maintenance, renewable energy, medicine, and astronomy

Sharjah Research Academy recently received a delegation from Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology, a leading university in high quality research-based innovation, industry and socialisation. The visiting delegation was led by Professor Ajay Kapoor, Vice Chancellor of International Research Engagement at Swinburne University, and Professor Riadh Al Mahaidi, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. The delegation was received by Professor Amr Abdel Hamid, Director of Sharjah Research Academy and Professor Mufeed Al Samerai, Senior Advisor of the Academy.

The visit came in line with Sharjah Research Academy’s commitment to keep pace with the latest international developments and scientific experiences in environment, energy and green buildings, and to stay abreast with the latest practices in sustainability, building maintenance and life extension of structures based on sophisticated standards that will support many beneficiary sectors in Sharjah and the UAE.

Dr Amr Abdel Hamid presented the centres that have recently joined the Sharjah Research Academy under the support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. He also presented the role played by these centres in developing scientific research, encouraging researches and studies, and strengthening scientific ties with local, regional and international universities and research institutes with the aim to develop, enrich, disseminate and activate knowledge to effectively contribute to sustainable human development.

Speaking on the occasion Professor Mufeed Al Samerai, Senior Advisor of the Academy said: “As a result of the role played by the academy in serving various sectors, this important visit will further improve the academy’s abilities in the aspects that were discussed by the two sides. The meeting was fruitful and will lead to prospective agreement and collaboration in the light of the common conception shared by both sides. Members of the delegation were impressed with the academic and technical abilities of the academy and with the extensive experience the academy has gained in various research domains in the emirate, UAE and the entire region”.

Both sides discussed ways to develop scientific research in building and bridge maintenance, environment, renewable energy, the medical and pharmaceutical fields, and astronomical sciences, as Swinburne University of Technology has Australia’s first and the world’s sixth of its kind astronomical observatory. Both sides focused on the importance of cooperation in concrete sustainability in hot weather, which is one of the key focuses of engineering researches at the academy.

Sharjah Research Academy’s experts have called for the creation of a unified global platform for research in effects of corrosion on equipment and facilities, which is a global economic concern. They stressed the importance of bridging the gap between the private sector and academic institutions as this will serve the current trends followed by the economic sector in supporting the role of science in terms of growth, avoiding potential losses, and developing scientific research to provide appropriate solutions to the problems of all economic sectors.