Sharjah24: Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah (UOS), inaugurated on Wednesday morning the 16th Annual Scientific Research Forum at the University of Sharjah. The event, held under the theme "Impactful Research for the Community" took place in Al Razi Hall at the Medical and Health Campus.

The ceremony commenced with the UAE national anthem, accompanied by recitations from the Holy Quran. Dr. Hamid Majoul Al Nuaimi, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi for attending the forum and generously supporting it. He also acknowledged Sheikh Sultan's ongoing support for the university's initiatives to strengthen its reputation locally, regionally, and internationally.

Dr. Hamid Majoul Al Nuaimi emphasised the university's dedication to fostering scientific research and creating a nurturing atmosphere that encourages creativity and innovation among both faculty and students. He also highlighted the University's strong ties to scientific research, the growth of its programmes, and its extensive academic partnerships around the world, significantly contributing to promote societal service and advancing human knowledge. Through dedicated efforts, researchers have made significant advancements in the development of innovative tools and technologies that have a positive impact on people's lives and contribute to the advancement of society.

Dr. Hamid Majoul shared a variety of statistics and accomplishments that the university has achieved through its development plans, adding that the University's move into scientific research commenced in 2014, resulting in the creation of research institutes, centres of excellence, and administrative systems.

He pointed out that in the 2023/2024 academic year, the number of research groups has seen significant growth, with a total of 84 groups now in operation. In addition, a total of eight centres of excellence have been established, 

In addition, a total of eight centres of excellence have been established, and the Graduate Studies College currently provides a wide range of 70 programmes, including 50 master's programmes, 17 doctoral programmes, and three postgraduate diploma programmes, , with a total enrollment of 3,535 students.

He expressed a sense of pride in the remarkable research achievements of the University of Sharjah. In the latest academic year, the university has once again secured its leading position in the UAE when it comes to research quality and quantity. According to Scopus, the university has achieved an impressive milestone of 3,272 publications in renowned international journals in 2023. In the latest rankings by Times Higher Education, the university achieved an impressive global ranking of 68th for research quality. Furthermore, it secured a position in the 251-300 range among the top universities worldwide.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Al Nuaimi extended his congratulations to the faculty and students who received awards, emphasising the university's commitment to strengthening its connections with both local and international institutions in order to foster scientific research.

Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, underscored the University's notable accomplishments in a wide range of scientific research fields. The speaker highlighted the university's successful and long-lasting collaborations with both international and Emirati institutions, which have played a crucial role in benefiting the community through research.

Prof. Maamar Bettayeb emphasised the creation of a dedicated centre to address the challenges posed by rapid climate change, the formation of international agreements and research collaborations, the inauguration of the Sharjah Research Office in partnership with Tsinghua University's Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, and the establishing of agreements with various local institutions.

In addition, he highlighted the establishment of the Centre for Scientific Innovation, the enhanced collaboration in overseeing graduate students, and the emphasis on the excellence of finalised scientific research. In addition, Prof. Maamar Bettayeb highlighted the importance of supporting faculty and student researchers, as well as organising conferences and forums with renowned scientists and researchers from around the world. He also mentioned the upcoming graduation of a large number of graduate students, including a significant number of doctoral students in different fields of study. In addition, he emphasised the significance of conducting thorough research in Arabic and making it globally relevant by translating exceptional studies into English. Alongside the graduation ceremony for more than 250 graduate students, including 99 doctoral candidates from diverse disciplines, there will be a notable emphasis on the significance of research conducted in Arabic. Steps will be taken to ensure that these studies conducted in Arabic receive international recognition by translating exceptional research into English. This initiative seeks to showcase the importance and impact of Arabic research on a global scale.

The Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies has outlined the research institutions' goals for the next years, emphasising the need to step up their efforts to boost external income and improve relationships and collaborations with national and international funding agencies. In addition to increasing the number of student exchange programmes and concentrating on research fellowship programmes for young Emiratis, the office intends to collaborate with universities to provide many research scholarships for graduate students. This initiative is part of the university's vision to prepare a new generation of Emirati scientists.

During the inauguration, attendees watched a visual presentation highlighting the university's innovative startups spanning diverse industries such as medicine, engineering, pharmacy, renewable energy, mobile applications, virtual reality, and blockchain. Two exciting research projects in medicine and engineering were showcased, highlighting their potential to make a positive impact on society in the future.

Then, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi honoured the sponsors and the winners of the University of Sharjah's annual incentive awards for the academic year 2023-2024. The awards celebrated exceptional faculty members across various categories, including research, teaching, university and community service, as well as distinguished Emirati faculty members in research. In addition, faculty and students were honoured with the Sharjah Islamic Bank Award for research.

The latest edition of the Scientific Research Forum is focused on strengthening the university's vision and bringing its strategic plan to life. This plan places a strong emphasis on community service and development through practical scientific research. This research is dedicated to analysing and offering solutions and proposals for the challenges encountered by society.

Following the inauguration ceremony, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi toured the scientific exhibition that accompanied the event. The exhibition presents a diverse range of 27 projects and research posters, highlighting various startup projects, patents, and community initiatives. The participants provided detailed explanations of their projects to His Highness, covering a wide range of patents, community initiatives, and startups.

The Scientific Research Forum at the University of Sharjah is dedicated to highlighting and presenting the outcomes and achievements of scientific research carried out by research teams and groups from different institutes. The Scientific Research Forum at the University of Sharjah aims to highlight and present the findings and outcomes of research efforts conducted by teams and research groups within the Medical and Health Sciences Research Institute, the Engineering and Science Research Institute, and the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute at the university.