University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has joined hands with National Research Foundation (NRF), an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, to set up the first doctoral training centre (DTC) in the UAE.

The aim of the UAE Doctoral Training Centre is to engage doctoral candidates from different universities across the country in a series of innovative programs that will strengthen the research capabilities of these students and assist them in focusing their topics to areas relevant to the UAE, said a statement from UOWD.

This is in line with the vision of Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research to strengthen and enhance research capacity building and collaboration between universities, industry and governmental bodies.

The MoU was signed by Prof Ghassan Aouad, the president of UOWD, and Dr Husam Sultan Al-Ulama, the director of the NRF at a recent ceremony held in the office of the National Research Foundation.

“We believe this MoU marks a milestone in the development of doctoral research in the UAE,” said Prof Aouad.

“We are privileged and delighted to team up with the NRF to launch this venture that will create a network connecting this group of future leaders whose expertise will shape the future of the UAE in the coming decades,” he noted.

The NRF was created in March 2008 through a decree issued by Sheikh Nahyan with the goal of promoting and co-ordinating research activities, providing research leadership and providing funding support on a competitive basis to research projects based in the UAE.

“The field of doctoral research is still in its infancy and that is why the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research established the foundation four years ago,” commented Dr Husam Sultan Al-Ulama.

“We are very pleased to enter into a partnership with the UOWD in an initiative that is sure to give a tremendous boost to the pursuit of doctoral studies in the UAE and we are committed to supporting this laudable venture,” he added.

As per the agreement, UOWD will produce a summary of the DTC project within two weeks of the signing of the MoU. The NRF, on its part, will take the lead in coordinating the activity and arrange a meeting involving a selected number of institutions within two months.

Dr Ahmed Alosi, the research program manager at NRF, said “DTC is a good initiative to help build the research capacity for postgraduate and undergraduate programs and it will open doors for research collaboration for the students within their research lifecycle.”

He said the new center will provide support and help for industrial and governmental research programs.

Gerard Seeber, Consul General & senior trade commissioner, and Feras Sallan, regional education manager from the Australian Consulate General in Dubai also attended the ceremony.-TradeArabia News Service