IBM has joined hands with the University of Dubai to establish a Smarter Cities Institute that will focus on skills development and research capabilities to address urban development challenges

The center will be a venue for businesses, universities and city-administrators to develop and test solutions for future urban demands and Smart City challenges. For example, researching the use of analytics by governments and cities and how it can improve the delivery and effectiveness of citizen services - speeding social services payments, reducing crime, refining transportation systems and improving education will a major focus.

The Centre of Excellence aims to support the leadership's aim to transform Dubai into a Smart City and the UAE government into a Smarter Government.

The center will be located at the University of Dubai’s campus and will focus on curriculum development mainly around Mobility, Cloud, Security and Business Analytics which will help equip the next generation of professionals with business and technology skills needed to support a strong human capital innovation ecosystem as part of the smarter cities and smarter government agendas.

Dr Easa Bastaki, the president of University of Dubai, said: "Our mission is to develop and educate the future leaders of the country who will make a difference in the business world and play a major role in the Smart Dubai agenda."

“By collaborating with a global leader like IBM, we will be able to support the development of a strong human capital innovation ecosystem and expand our research capabilities to address the societal and economical challenges inherent to the smart cities urban development,” he added.

The center will enable students and faculty members to research Big Data, Cloud Computing and Social Business and conduct applied research focused on the economic development of the UAE.

Amr Refaat, the general manager, IBM (Middle East and Pakistan) said: "Our collaboration with the University of Dubai will provide researchers, faculty and students in the UAE with a platform for innovation, resources and technology expertise to help ensure that today’s graduates have the knowledge and workforce skills to contribute to building a Smarter City.”

“IBM collaborates with educational institutions around the world to drive innovation through research and skills development to support the development of the technical and business talent that fuels economic growth,” he added.

As part of the agreement, the university will become an IBM academic partner within the framework of the IBM Academic Initiative, a global programme that facilitates collaboration between IBM and educators to teach students the information technology skills they need to offer competitive skills and keep pace with changes in the workplace.-TradeArabia News Service