Abu Dhabi University organizes 3rd Annual “UAE Undergraduate Student Research Competition”

Under the patronage of H.E Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Abu Dhabi University announced the launch of the third annual “United Arab Emirates Undergraduate Student Research Competition (UGSRC)” to coincide with the UAE’s classification of the year 2015 as the “Year of Innovation”.  In its third year, the nation-wide research competition aims to showcase, recognize and promote outstanding student research conducted at any higher educational institution in the UAE, while providing students with the opportunity of presenting their results in a nationwide competition, to be held on ADU’s campus on 21^st of May 2015. 

The announcement was made during a press conference held yesterday (Monday 16^th of March) on Abu Dhabi University’s campus in the presence of Dr. Nabil Ibrahim Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University, Dr. Richard Gibb Provost of ADU, Dr. Ashraf Khalil Director of Research at ADU, Dr. Aly Nazmy Dean of ADU’s College of Engineering, Dr. Jacob Chacko Dean of ADU’s College of Business Administration and Mr. Charles Diab Director of University Advancement. 

Commenting on the significance of the competition, Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University Dr. Nabil Ibrahim explained that it promotes undergraduate research efforts throughout universities around the UAE and enhances student skills, focusing on their critical and analytical thinking and boosts their confidence in their research aptitudes. “Perhaps one of the most sincere testaments to the success of the competition was the fact that only in its second year the UAE-UGSRC attracted more than 515 research papers covering various fields in engineering, natural sciences, health and humanities, information technology, business administration, arts and sciences, and education. These research papers were the culmination of the hard work and efforts of student teams from more than 21 universities across the UAE. The top 120 research papers were then chosen to be presented throughout sessions with a specialized committee composed of more than 60 professors and experts from academia and industries that covered the scope of the competition. Twenty-seven winning teams were finally announced with the winning teams being awarded a total of around AED 164,000”, added Dr. Ibrahim.

Dr. Ibrahim went on to stress the University’s appreciation and gratitude for H.E Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan’s patronage of the UAE-UGSRC in its second year, as this will enhance the importance of fostering the undergraduate research culture among university students. “We’re looking forward to the participation of even more students this year, and we are certain that other universities across the UAE that share our passion and value undergraduate research will encourage their students to step forward and present their research in this unique competition that has proved to be in a class of its own”, concluded Dr. Ibrahim. 

On his part, Dr. Ashraf Khalil Director of Research at ADU pointed out that one of the most distinguishing factors of the competition this year is the fact that it coincides with the classification of 2015 as the “Year of Innovation”. “It presents an excellent opportunity to emphasize the importance of spreading a research culture, and enhancing innovation and creativity among university students thereby encouraging them to think out-of-the-box while showcasing and presenting their research. The UAE-UGSRC is also a wonderful platform of communication as it allows students to work in teams of 4, whether they belong to one or more university”, said Dr. Khalil.

The third annual “United Arab Emirates Undergraduate Student Research Competition” emphasizes research in Engineering including: Architecture and Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Project and Engineering Management, and Chemical Engineering. While research projects in Arts and Social Sciences can cover: Mathematics, Public Relations and Mass Communications, Psychology, Sociology and Statistics. Applications in the Natural and Health Sciences category can include: Energy, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Health and Safety, Occupational Health, and Public Health. Or in Business Administration: Accounting/ Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources Management, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing. Furthermore, while in Information Technology research projects can be in Artificial Intelligence Applications and Mobile Applications. The Education category covers Instructional Technologies, Gifted and Special Needs.

The 3^rd UAE-UGSRC is part of the “Step Up Shabab” initiative which fosters entrepreneurship and innovation at Abu Dhabi University. The competition accepts student teams, which can consist of up to four students from one or several universities. Once registration for the UAE-UGSRC ends on March 29^th, the 100 shortlisted teams will be selected and announced on 6^th of Aril to present their research projects during the closing ceremony at ADU on May 21^st .For more information about the competition: http://www.adu.ac.ae/ugsrc.html#.VQVRJP6JiUk