Issue 13 I Nov 2021
Students’ Artwork Featured in Art + Technology Exhibit at Khalifa University 457 Students Recognized in Khalifa University’s Honors Day 2021 Khalifa University Participates in Emirates Mars Mission’s Planet X Youth Challenge KU Faculty Joins the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists Roster
Dr. Hanane Lamaazi Wins WomenTech Community Award at the WomenTech Global Awards 2021
KU Research Scientist Recognized as One of the Most Influential Researchers Worldwide by Clarivate
The WomenTech Global Awards is the biggest event that gathers women working
Dr. Yaqoob joins an elite of
in tech. This year, 1,712 candidates from
researchers setting the pace for
151 countries competed in 16 categories.
fresh and pioneering research.
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ABOUT KU TIMES KU TIMES IS A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE KHALIFA UNIVERSITY MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. IT AIMS TO KEEP OUR STAKEHOLDERS INFORMED AND UPDATED ABOUT KHALIFA UNIVERSITY’S LATEST BREAKTHROUGHS, CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, COLLABORATIONS, INITIATIVES, STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND NEWS.
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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT AN IDEA FOR AN ARTICLE, NOMINATE STUDENTS OR OTHERS TO BE INTERVIEWED, PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS ON TOPICS YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ ABOUT, OR SIMPLY WANT TO LEAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE EMAIL US AT COMMUNICATIONS@ KU.AC.AE.
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Petroleum Engineering Faculty Discusses Advanced Discretizations in New Book on MATLAB Reservoir Simulation
Expo 2020 University Program
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In Its 12 Years of Existence, YFEL Outreach Program Has Created an Alumni Body Exceeding 500 Young Future Leaders in Energy and Sustainability
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Student & faculty achievements, and campus activities
ST UDENT AWA RDS
Two KU Teams win 1st and 2nd at Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport Two teams from Khalifa University took first and second place for their innovative ground vehicle and drone at the 2nd Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport. The competition was held by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) under the theme ‘Self-Driving Logistics’ and offered prizes over AED6 million. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, honored the winners during a ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Wednesday, 27 October 2021, in the presence of His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority. The challenge is devoted to Self-driving Logistical Services, including ground transport and drones. Over six weeks, the qualified projects and initiatives were subjected to various tests at a testing site in the Dubai Silicon Oasis. Thirty-one academic institutions and international companies competed in the challenge, with seven teams making it to the finals in the Academia category. Khalifa University won first place in the Academia category in the Ground Vehicles Challenge, winning US$100,000 for their robot with a unique mechanical design that makes it effective in rugged conditions and terrain. The robot features a driving program focused on risk management strategies, touchless package delivery, and the successful clearing of tests and obstacles.
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The KU Ground Vehicle team was led by Dr. Majid Khonji, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Science, and included the following team members: • Eyad Shaklab, Research Assistant • Arjun Sharma, Research Associate • Rashid Alyassi, Research Engineer • Dr. Areg Karapetyan, Postdoctoral Fellow • Mustofa Basri, MSc student • Mohamed Nagy, MSc student • Murad Mebrahtu, MSc student • Mohamed Al Zarooni, 2020 Al Nokhba member While in the Aerial Vehicles Challenge, Khalifa University finished second and won US$50,000 for a modified drone fitted with a dedicated cargo compartment. The highly reliable drone proved it can quickly deliver supplies in urban areas.
The KU Aerial Vehicle team was led by Dr. Hamad Karki, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and included the following team members: • Vishnu Badhran, Research Associate • Vidya Sudevan, PhD student • Hamdan Al Dhanhani, 2021 Al Nokhba member • Khaled Al Kaabi, 2021 Al Nokhba member • Abdullah Al Sherif, 2020 Al Nokhba member • Abdullah Al Ataishi, 2020 Al Nokhba member • Abdullah Al Hosani, 2020 Al Nokhba member Dr. Fahad Al Maskari, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering and coordinator of the Al Nokhba Program – a KU program that trains National Service Associates from the UAE in the research and development of autonomous vehicle technologies – supported both winning teams in an advisory role. Teams were evaluated based on three key elements: Safety, which included reliability, visibility handling, interaction with pedestrians, and speed control; usability, which included speed, ease of use, cargo safety and understandable behavior; and the level of maturity, which included passing the scenario and operator interaction, path planning, detection and prediction. The challenge was part of the Dubai World Congress for SelfDriving Transport, which aims to highlight the leading role Dubai is playing in self-driving transport and to accelerate efforts to achieve the targets of Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy by attracting experts and technologies of self-driving transport to the UAE. 5 KU TIMES
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KU Students Compete in Bloomberg Trading Challenge Two student teams from Khalifa University competed against more than 495 universities in the Bloomberg Trading Challenge, investing non-fiat US$1 million in trade currency to buy and sell stocks and other commodities over the course of the 7-week competition. We are so proud of our KU students for participating in this challenge, which is based on a real-world investment environment using the popular Bloomberg Terminal platform. Through their dedication and strong team cooperative spirit, and by leveraging the skills they’ve acquired from either business or math courses at KU, our teams performed extremely well and gained a strong understanding of realworld trading. The team with Faculty Advisor Dr. Ricardo H. Archbold, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences, includes the following members: • • • • •
Team Captain: Zehara Ali, BSc in Biomedical Engineering Cidrik Mulugheta, BSc in Chemical Engineering Hamad Alblooshi, BSc in Mechanical Engineering Khalid Adam, BSc in Chemical Engineering Tiemar Semere, BSc in Computer Engineering
The second team with Faculty Advisor Dr. Giorgio Consigli, Associate Professor of Mathematics, and supporting advisor KU TIMES 6
Dr. Jorge Zubelli, Professor of Mathematics, includes the following members: • • • • •
Team Captain: Bruno Nunes Costa, PhD student Omar Forrest, PhD student Iman Chaabi, BSc in Mathematics Haya Mayoof, BSc in Mathematics Mohammed El Amin Azz, BSc in Mathematics
At the end of the competition, Team Captain Zehara placed 50th, while Team Captain Bruno placed 77th, out of 496 total competing universities. While in the Middle East/Africa Regional competition, Team Captain Zehara placed 6th and Team Captain Bruno placed 8th. This is particularly impressive considering that most of the team members do not have a strong knowledge of finance or trading. The students used the same type of terminals and data information that is available to real investment banks and financial exchanges. They gained the knowledge of how to access financial information and determine the economic trends that affect stocks and other commodities and exchanges across the world. Profits and losses were determined by the real-world performance of these financial instruments. The teams had to indicate the strategy they used to determine the trades. Participating students became certified on the Bloomberg Terminal, which gives them a competitive advantage in the job market post-graduation.
KU Students Learn through Experience and Share during First Experiential Learning Symposium The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) sponsored KU’s first annual Experiential Learning (ExL) Symposium. The Symposium allowed students to reflect on their out-of-classroom learning experiences and showcase their learning to the KU community. The Symposium highlighted the many programs offered at KU that engage in experiential learning. The Symposium underscores KU’s commitment to providing engaging experiential learning opportunities to students to help them develop real-world skills. Learning by doing and then reflecting on the experience is central to experiential learning, and KU supports students in this endeavor by creating an environment that nurtures creative inquiry and reflection. Three-thousand dirhams were awarded to the Symposium’s top three winners. Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, SVP of Academic and Student Services, opened the Symposium by congratulating students on their willingness to share their experiential learning experiences and insights to provide peers with a sense of how they can grow and develop themselves.
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Eighteen students presented their experiential learning experiences, ranging from freshman to postgraduates. They shared various experiences tied to internships, volunteering activities, study abroad opportunities, fieldwork, and research. Most participants presented their work individually, while a few presented as a group.
All presenters received a certificate of participation and a digital program of the Symposium. THE TOP THREE WINNERS
The Symposium’s winners also shared insight from their experiences. The 1st place winner, Saad AlKharji, a Junior majoring in computer engineering, spoke about his study abroad experience at Tsinghua Global Summer School. He noted that “I learned about Kolb’s cycle by participating in the Experiential Learning Symposium. It’s a very useful tool that helped me reflect deeply on my experience and allowed me to share it clearly with everyone.”
SAAD ALKHARJI, Junior, majoring in Computer Engineering, won 1,500 AED.
ST 1 PLACE
The 2nd place winner, Khadeijah Alhantoobi, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering, talked about her internship experience at SolarShip inc. and said, “Your communication circle will grow in the industry by participating in the symposium, which is a great thing.” The 3rd place winner, Hour Almadhaani, a Master’s in engineering systems & management student, spoke about her study abroad experience at the Colorado School of Mines. She said, “I highly recommend students join the study abroad program. It will allow them to get valuable skills and experiences that will benefit them in their field of study and their work in the future as well.” In addition to the Symposium winners, Abdulrahman Alzaabi, senior from the BSc in Mechanical Engineering program, presented on his volunteer experience at the Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi. He said, “I would recommend this opportunity to my peers. Not only do you share what you’ve learned, but you get to know how your ‘learning by doing’ experiences are very critical to your development journey.” Dr. Ludovic Dumee, Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering, Dr. Marko Gacesa, Assistant Professor in Physics, and Dr. Ashley Ater Kranov, Manager, Quality Assurance and Accreditation, served as judges in the Symposium.
TOPIC: A MEETING OF FUTURE GLOBAL LEADERS
KHADEIJAH ALHANTOOBI, Senior, majoring in Aerospace Engineering, won 1,000 AED.
ND 2 PLACE
TOPIC: PEACE + FREEDOM INTERNSHIP WITH SCHOLARSHIP
HOUR ALMADHAANI, Master’s in Engineering Systems & Management, won 500 AED.
3 PLACE
RD
TOPIC: ENERGY SAVING
The experiences shared by these KU students are just a few examples of many experiential learning opportunities open to all KU students. Many students are engaging in some form of experiential learning at KU, which inevitably plays a part in shaping their futures. The CTL hopes more students will engage in next year’s Symposium to share their experiences and inspire other students. 7 KU TIMES
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457 Students Recognized in Khalifa University’s Honors Day 2021 Khalifa University celebrated the accomplishments of its highest achieving sophomore, junior, and senior students in this year’s Honors Day 2021, which was held on Wednesday, 22 December. Organized by the Student Success Department, Honors Day recognizes the academic achievements of our students, highlighting their hard work and commitment. During the event 457 KU students who have shown excellence were honored, and 244 of these students were inducted as new Golden Key Honor Society members. The Golden Key Honors Society is an international honors organization that celebrates and supports collegiate scholars around the world. KU’s Golden Honors Society Chapter is the first in the Middle East, reaffirming the University’s commitment to help students realize their full potential while setting the standards of academic excellence in the region. During the event a special recognition was given to Golden Key member Natnael Berhane Debru, a junior Physics student. Natnael was awarded the Golden Key Undergraduate Achievement Award that recognizes Golden Key members for their KU TIMES 8
excellence in their undergraduate studies. Aside from being a Golden Key member, Natnael was also on the President’s List for both Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 terms. In his message to the students, Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University said: “Everything we value about Khalifa University is embodied in you. Your determination, your commitment to pursuing knowledge, your self-discipline, and your creativity. You are what makes Khalifa University unlike any other university in the UAE. “The immense effort you have put forth will certainly bear fruit in the next semester and the years to come. Those of you who are seniors this year will have the distinction of graduating ‘with honors’, which is an honor that is reserved for those hard-working students at the culmination of their academic studies at the university. To graduate with this distinction, from the UAE’s #1 University, reveals that you are highly ambitious, extremely skilled, and incredibly determined, which are characteristics highly sought after by employers and top-tier graduate programs.” Dr. David Sheehan, Professor & Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences;
and Dr. Mahmoud Al Qutayri, Professor & Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Engineering; as well as Ms. Melissa Leitzell, CEO of Golden Key all offered congratulatory messages to the students. VIEW HONORS DAY 2021 CEREMONY
KU Student Team Places 3rd in World Robot Olympiad
FIRST TIME KHALIFA UNIVERSITY JOINED THE WRO COMPETITION.
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A team of Khalifa University students won 3rd place at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) UAE 2021 that was held from October 1 to 3, 2021. The WRO is a series of national robotics competitions of WRO member countries with over 85 national events organized worldwide. The WRO UAE 2021 event gathered around 800 participants grouped in 300 teams.
under the theme “Powerbots - The Future of Energy.” This season’s theme focused on the challenges that come with using more energy from renewable sources. The teams were asked to build robots that specifically address the following: • • •
The teams competed in three categories, Regular, Open, and Future Engineers,
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Modernizing the energy use of a house; Assisting e-vehicle charging in a parking garage; Managing the energy mix on the grid; and Designing self-driving cars that use sensors to avoid obstacles.
Students in the Regular category were tasked to design, build, and program robots to solve specific challenges within a set timescale. The instructions were given at random during the day of the competition and the students had to video record themselves as they worked on their robot to complete the challenges given to them. They submitted their video within 24 hours after the instructions were given to them. Khameis Mosabbah Alzeyoudi, BSc in Electrical Engineering, Wasen Khameis Aldhanhani, BSc in Aerospace Engineering, Humaid Abdulla Alhammadi, BSc in Computer Science, Khaled Ali Alshaloubi BSc in Mechanical Engineering, Khawla Mohammed Ashkanani, BSc in Electrical Engineering,
Shamma Fadhel Alghfeli, BSc in Chemical Engineering, Muna Abdelrahman Almaazmi BSc in Aerospace Engineering, and Mahra Eid Alsuwaidi, BSc in Industrial and Systems Engineering, competed as two teams in the Regular Senior Category where they designed a robot that was built and programmed to perform certain tasks that can facilitate the use of renewable energy. Not only were the students able to build up on their STEM and robotics knowledge, but they were also able to hone other soft-skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication, all of which are important and needed in the digital transformation of global businesses and industries. Team member Shamma shared, “We are so honored to be one of the top three teams in the National World Robotics Olympiad 2021, and grateful to be the recipient of the third position award. A huge thanks to our team for always working hard and still maintaining a friendly environment. In addition, special thanks to the university for supporting us by providing us with the required materials and a space for us to embrace our creativity and to potentially win this competition. We are always willing to compete again in this competition and hopefully win the top position one day.” 9 KU TIMES
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KU EECS Senior Students Win 2nd Place at 15th IEEE UAE Student Day 2021 Competition
The 7kW multi-coil wireless charging system the team designed was based on a thorough research/literature review of wireless charging systems. The team studied the various compensation strategies, selected the best compensation strategy, modeled and designed the wireless charging system, verified it through computer simulation, and finally built an experimental prototype. The team included senior students Faris Alazzani, Esmaeil Alhajeri, Ali Alzaabi, and Saeed Al Qubaisi. They were supervised by Dr. Balanthi Beig, Associate Professor, Dr. Khaled Al Jaafari, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Khalid AlHammadi, Assistant Professor, all from KU’s EECS Department. Dr. Nazar Ali, Associate Professor of EECS is the course instructor. KU TIMES 10
A team of four Electrical Engineering and Computer Science senior students have won 2nd place at the 15th IEEE UAE Student Day 2021 competition in the category “Senior Design Project - Power and Renewable Energy,” beating out nine other teams, for their innovative electric vehicle wireless charging system. The Competition took place virtually on 6 November 2021.
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“Participating in such competitions motivates students to work hard, and winning 2nd place encourages us to develop our project further,” Faris, the Team Leader, shared. “Since the sky’s the limit at Khalifa University, we will do our best to participate in more competitions and conferences with our project and aim for first place. Many thanks to Khalifa University and the EECS department for giving us this opportunity to participate in this competition and for providing all the equipment we needed to develop and test our system. Moreover, many thanks to our supervisor Dr. Balanthi Beig. He supported us from the beginning and he encouraged us to participate in this competition. Lastly, we are thankful to our supervisors Dr. Khaled Al Jaafri and Dr. Khalid Al Hammadi, and to researchers Dr. Ahmed Shehada, Dr. Motiur Mohammed and Mr. Nguyen The Hoach for their help in the lab. We would also like to thank Dr. Shihab Jimaa, Associate Professor of EECS and KU coordinator of the IEEE Student competition for his encouragement.”
Khalifa University Participates in Emirates Mars Mission’s Planet X Youth Challenge
The KU multi-coil wireless EV charging system consists of a rectifier with capacitor filter – a device which converts an alternating current (from the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company’s distribution supply socket at 230 volts and 50 Hertz), into a direct current. Then this DC power is converted to 85 kilohertz high frequency AC using a silicon carbide-metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-MOSFET) based DC to AC converter. This high frequency AC power is then transmitted wirelessly through a magnetic field using transmitter and receiver coils. The electric vehicles are fitted with receiver coils and the high frequency AC signal is converted to DC using another high frequency rectifier. This DC is then used to charge the car battery. The KU students selected the series compensation strategy after conducting a thorough literature review. In the first stage, they modelled and designed a wireless charging system based on a single coil arrangement. Through simulation studies, they found that the energy transfer is reduced due to misalignment and the distance between transmitter and receiver coil. To increase energy-transfer efficiency, three coils were used at the transmitter end. The design was then verified through computer simulation using MATLAB/SIMULINK software. The team then fabricated a scaled down experimental prototype and successfully tested it at the power electronics and sustainable energy research lab in KU’s Advanced Power and Energy Center.
THE AEROX TEAM WITH ENG. OMRAN SHARAF (CENTER), PROJECT MANAGER OF THE EMIRATES MARS MISSION (EMM) - HOPE PROBE
Khalifa University competed in the Planet X Youth Challenge, a nationwide event aimed to promote students’ interest in STEM. The competition was launched by the Emirates Mars Mission, in partnership with Dubai Airshow 2021, and was designed specifically to inspire the youth to pursue careers in space and aviation. A prequalification round was held in September where more than 200 teams from various universities in the country applied to be part of the challenge. This was followed by a two-day training in October. And finally, the main challenge that took place during the Dubai Airshow 2021. AeroX, KU's representative team to the competition, was among the top 6 groups that qualified to compete in the final stage of the challenge after scoring a high score in the Python Hackathon. 11 KU TIMES
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The team was composed of undergraduate students: • Soghah Mohamed Ali Jedeid Alshehhi (Electrical Engineering); • Ahmed Husain Hamad Abdulla Alawani (Aerospace Engineering); • Somayyah Mohamed Rashed Abdulla Althabahi (Aerospace Engineering); and • Fatema Saleh Hasan Ali Almarzooqi (Aerospace Engineering). During the finals, the teams worked on two main challenges: • UAV Challenge – The teams were tasked to design, print, and present an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will be able to conduct exploration missions and collect samples on a fictional planet, Planet X. In creating the model UAV, the teams had to consider the physics behind the design, as well as the environment of the planet. • UGV Challenge – This challenge required teams to program an unmanned ground vehicle robot to accomplish several tasks while successfully overcoming obstacles within the 5-minute time limit.
ARO UND TH E CAMPU S
Students’ Artworks Featured in Art + Technology Exhibit at Khalifa University
The AeroX team designed an UAV specific to the environment of Planet X, taking into consideration its gravity, surface temperature, atmospheric pressure, etc. The team observed the differences between Earth’s environment and Planet X, and from their observations they were able to develop their UAV “HEXAPLORE”. Hexaplore is a unique UAV that has five main parts: hexagonal body (base), hexa rotor, higher antenna, drills, and a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG). It is designed to automatically perform the missions required to explore Planet X, including discovering new areas, taking pictures, and collecting samples. “From this experience, we are able to sharpen our way of thinking and we have gained a lot of knowledge about space missions, especially the Emirates missions. Furthermore, the challenges introduced us to a new programming language and designing software that helped us complete the challenges,” Fatema and Soghah said. “We are very honored that we got the chance to meet people from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) who are currently working on different space missions and Eng. Omran Sharaf, the project manager of the UAE’s first mission to Mars. Winning the prize wasn’t our only consideration in participating but meeting these passionate people who push us, the youth, to take part in these amazing opportunities and motivate us to work hard to have a bright future working on STEM jobs,” they added. KU TIMES 12
THE TWO-WEEK EXHIBITION SHOWCASED 13 ARTWORKS CREATED BY KU STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A WORKSHOP HOSTED BY ABU DHABI ART EARLIER THIS YEAR.
Artwork by students who completed the Art + Technology Program were displayed in an exhibit on the Ground Floor of Building E & D at the Main Campus from October 17 to 30, 2021. Art + Technology is an annual community program launched in 2017 by Abu Dhabi Art in partnership with Khalifa University to connect art and technology for students majoring in STEM, nurturing their creativity and allowing them to harness their artistic talents. The program invites established artists from around the world to visit and collaborate with students in a series of workshops.
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The “Viral Images” exhibit showcased artwork created by students during their sessions under the mentorship of Alfred Tarazi, a Lebanese multidisciplinary artist who is active in collaborating in initiatives that seek to promote and expand the appreciation for contemporary art.
STUDENTS DURING THEIR TOUR AT THE LOUVRE ABU DHABI.
Due to the pandemic, this year’s collaboration was through online workshops, with students and the artist meeting in a virtual studio space over a period of eight days. Aside from the lectures with Tarazi, the students also visited Louvre Abu Dhabi to further inspire them while working on their own art pieces.
According to Tarazi, ‘Viral Images’ is a reaction to the clutter of images in which we live; a paradigm shift imposing on its participants the limit of the production of a single image. “Viral Images is a crash course in image-making, alternating the urgency of expression with the necessity of reflection. It aims to inscribe the individual practice of each aspiring artist within a greater tradition of image-making,” he said. The students’ artworks were also exhibited at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 17-21 November 2021. The Art Fair is a yearly event that culminates all the visual arts initiatives of Abu Dhabi Art throughout the year. It brings together local and international artists to showcase their works. ART BY AAMNA AL MANSOORI
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ART BY HESSA AL SHEHHI
ART BY FATIMA AL HASHMI
ART BY HUDA AL SHEHHI KU TIMES 14
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ART BY MOHAMMED KHAN
ART BY FATMA AL FALAHI
ART BY ABDULRAHMAN AL SUWAIDI
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Community Service and Social Responsibility Program Launched The Student Success Office has launched the Community Service and Social Responsibility Program to offer KU students advanced training in the areas of volunteering and social responsibility. The program is being held virtually once a week over the course of seven weeks. • The topics to be covered are: • Volunteering • Professionalism • Social Responsibility • Social Entrepreneurship • Customer Service • How to be an Effective Team Player • Conflict Resolution After completing their volunteering hours, students will apply what they learned and will be evaluated by partner organizations. Community service is a rewarding way to connect with and give back to the community. We are delighted to give KU students the opportunity to not only volunteer their time to keep the UAE vibrant and strong, but also to learn the social, communication and leadership skills that will be valuable to their professional careers and future employers.
KU BSc Student Invited to Virtual Future Lab ‘Beyond Ideas, To Next Steps’ at MBZMFG
Muhamed Nebuhan Shajahan, BSc in Computer Engineering student, was invited to be a part of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations (MBZMFG) Virtual Future Lab program. Titled ‘Beyond Ideas, To Next Steps,’ the two-day intense program took place from 25 – 26 September 2021. Muhamed joined one hundred other students from around the UAE to discuss the challenges and opportunities in developing the UAE’s sustainable future. “It was a beneficial experience that helped me and my co-participants understand the importance of critically thinking about designing our future as well the communities’ future,” Muhamed shared. The program was led by former Harvard professor Dr. Maurizio Travaglini, who encouraged the students to be future planners who, as Muhamed explained, “open the immediate doors before the farthest ones and close the doors that stop us.” “The program inspired me to think about the world, as a place of opportunities and the doors we can open to make a difference,” Muhamed said. The event provided a safe space for students to collaborate and exchange
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ideas, while being guided to think about their own future through the lens of different design concepts. The students discussed the complexity of the concept of “entanglement” and “knotty objects,” which refers to how various practices, technologies, practices, and processes become “entangled” in an object, and how this affects societies and is in turn affected by society. In another exercise, the students discussed the L5 space colony. L5 is an area of the solar system where the gravitational force is neutral, making it suitable for operating satellites and a launch pad for future space explorations. “We imagined ourselves as a NASA team that was asked to find innovative ideas to recruit people to live in this society. The groups shared their ideas, which were very different from conventional methods of recruiting people for space exploration. Also, we described a day-in-the-life of a person in the L5 colony and the importance of togetherness among the people in this society,” Muhamed shared. “The teamwork and communication skills that I acquired from KU have truly helped me throughout this session. The program itself was a different experience than the usual virtual meeting to think about our future.”
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KU Students Complete Six Sigma Project at Bab Al Qasr Hotel
KU’S DR. MAHER MAALOUF, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, AND BSC STUDENTS MARIAM RAMADAN AND MAHA ALDHAHERI, POSE WITH THE EXECUTIVES OF BAB AL QASR HOTEL AFTER THE STUDENTS COMPLETED A SIX SIGMA PROJECT THAT OPTIMIZES ONE OF THE HOTEL’S PROCESSES. THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN SPRING 2019.
Maha AlDhaheri and Mariam Ramadan, both BSc in Industrial and Systems Engineering students, successfully optimized the service delivery at Bab Al Qasr hotel, a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, in Spring 2019, as part of their Six Sigma Methodology and Applications course. The course, delivered by Dr. Maher Maalouf, Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, engages the students through an experiential learning approach with real-life projects and activities. The students learn-by-doing the Six Sigma set of tools and methodologies, these include powerful techniques used by major companies worldwide to help improve production processes, eliminate defects, and guarantee quality. Mahriam and Maha put their retained skills from the Six Sigma course into work to help identify optimal ways to streamline the beverage delivery at Bab Al Qasr hotel. Using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) tools, the students streamlined the chain of activities at the hotel, resulting in an improved workers’ efficiency by 16.5%, with a 1000% return on investment (ROI) as judged by the Hotel management.
“This project has opened our eyes to the importance of Six Sigma and process improvement in hospitality to enhance organizations' operational and financial performance,” the students shared. They credit the experience for improving their communication and technical skills, as they had to collect information from several different stations, machines and people across many departments. “Working on this project also helped us identify non-value-added activities and inefficiencies in the hospitality sector, a field in which Six Sigma application is limited in the existing literature,” they said. “In terms of technical skills, the project boosted our data collection and analyses skills. These are vital to being able to better identify the problem, validate its existence, understand where opportunities exist, and make significant and sustained improvements that help the organization.” Several courses in the Industrial and Systems Engineering department, including Six Sigma, involve hands-on projects like this one, to help emphasize the experiential learning and learn-bydoing approach. 17 KU TIMES
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Dubai Air Show 2021 Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, the Ruler of Dubai and the UAE Minister of Defense, the Organizing Committee of the Dubai Air Show 2021 have invited our students to attend the world class exhibitions which were held from 14 to 18 November, 2021. Students had the opportunity to learn more about the latest developments in the aviation and engineering sector, listen to industry experts and enhance networking opportunities. Daily trips to and from Dubai were provided to students to partake in the unique learning experience. Over the course of the five days, 122 students attended the event.
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Workshop on Social Science Fieldwork in the UAE: What Does and Doesn’t Work A workshop on conducting social science fieldwork in the UAE organized by Khalifa University’s Institute of International and Civil Security in conjunction with the Center for Teaching & Learning and the Office of Research Services was held at KU on 12 January 2022. The workshop convened graduate students and researchers from across the UAE, and covered best practices in fieldwork research methods – including interviews, surveys, ethnographic observation, and action research – across all social science domains – political, economic, business, and security domains. The workshop gave a platform to students and scientists who have undertaken primary research in the UAE to share their fieldwork experiences, including their successes and challenges, and how they overcame them. Their experiences will assist post-graduate and new researchers in developing their own field research plans. Their presentations will also be collected for a summary paper to be published in Middle Eastern Studies. “Making the UAE a better place to live and flourish requires a better understanding of how society works. Social science
research is central to this understanding, and this requires fieldwork,” explained Dr. Athol Yates, Assistant Professor and Acting Head of the Institute of International and Civil Security, who co-chaired the event along with Dr.Brendon Cannon, Assistant Professor in the Institute of International and Civil Security at Khalifa University Speakers came from Khalifa University, Zayed University, and UAE University. KU speakers included Dr. Yates, who spoke on ‘Primary research in the UAE’s military, policing and security domain’; Dr. Nader Ayish, Assistant Professor of English, who spoke on ‘My experience conducting primary research in secondary schools and universities in Abu Dhabi’; Lama Omar Jamhawi, Manager of Research Compliance and Training, Research Services, who spoke on ‘What works and what doesn’t in primary research: The ethical dimension’; and Alia Al Hazami, graduate from the MA in Institute of International and Civil Security program, who spoke on ‘Using workshop discussions to assess the risk of space weather facing the UAE.’ “Implementing the UAE’s national priority ‘Principles of the next 50 years’ requires scientific excellence and evidence to inform policy making. This requires far greater social science research to be carried out in the UAE and examining UAE citizens, residents, visitors and entities. The workshop helped in building a shared understanding of the opportunities and challenges for different types of fieldwork research in the UAE,” Dr. Yates said. 19 KU TIMES
MY CAMPUS, MY COMMUNITY
Special Olympics UAE is Starting 2022 with a Focus on the Health and Safety of Our Athletes In partnership with the National Ambulance, Special Olympics UAE coaches attended a Train Safely workshop at Khalifa University, which qualifies participants to provide first aid, CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) in a safe, timely and effective manner. Congratulations to all our coaches for receiving their international certification & licensing! Special thanks to the National Ambulance, Khalifa University, and Health Plus Network for their support.
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CMHS Hosts Med-Camp 2021 Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences hosted its Winter Med-camp this year from December 19th-23rd, 2021 on campus. The Med-camp is a week-long event for High School students (grades 11 &12) studying in the UAE and it provides learning and growth opportunities for students with an interest in pursuing careers in Medicine & Health Sciences. The program was filled with activities, competitions and a capstone activity that the students worked on throughout the week and presented their final project on the last day of this event to a panel of judges. The students worked alongside Faculty, Staff and MD Students and they got an inside look on how it’s like to study Medicine at Khalifa University. They spent time in the College of Medicine’s state of the art facilities and labs and got to gain new experience hands-on. Students who got selected are among many who applied, as the program hosted in August 2021 was extremely successful. They got selected based on several criteria such as their grades and their passion to learn about Medicine. The College of Medicine is planning to host more Medcamps throughout the year.
“Being part of this Med-camp was such an honor to me. This experience expanded my knowledge from the basics of human anatomy to the advanced medical examinations and surgical techniques. I got to understand more and more about today’s healthcare challenges and explore scientific research in areas such as diabetes.”
“Being part of Med-camp was such an honor, I had the chance to learn about a growing epidemic (T2DM) in the many aspects of Medicine. This camp gave me a boost of motivation to enter this remarkable university. Thank you KU.”
Zeena Mahmoud Alqassem
Wadeema Alqaydi
“I really enjoyed attending Med-camp. It was such an amazing experience. We learned about the human body and I encourage everyone who is interested in Medicine to apply and attend.” Alanoud Al Ali
“I loved how it helped me expand my knowledge about Medicine and how welcoming everyone was to us high school students.”
“In my personal experience, Med-camp helped me gain a lot of knowledge in Medicine and I am excited and looking forward to attending KU in the near future.”
Marha Aljneibi
Aisha Alfalahi
21 KU TIMES
MY CAMPUS, MY COMMUNITY
ISYE Department Now a Member of the Council of Engineering Systems Universities (CESUN) Khalifa University’s Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE) Department joins other prominent international universities as it becomes a member of the Council of Engineering Systems Universities (CESUN). The CESUN is an organization of more than 50 universities from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It was established in 2004 by top-ranked universities from around the world that offer educational and research programs in Engineering Systems. Among the member universities are MIT, Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Tokyo, and Cambridge University. Khalifa University is the first from the MENA region to join the Council. One of the missions of KU’s ISYE Department is to prepare its students for the challenges that they will be facing in the 21st century. “The great achievements of the past century have led to the development and growth of large systems that are complex and require a new set of skills to grapple with them. Over the past decades, a new engineering field of study (Systems Engineering, Engineering Systems, …) has emerged with the aim to address these challenges in systems such as energy, communications, transportation, health care, and many others,” Dr. Ali Bouabid, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, said. “CESUN is, at its core, about bringing to bear engineering knowledge, along with research and design, to address the great challenges posed by large-scale, interconnected, and therefore highly complex and dynamic social-technical systems,” Dr. Bouabid further explained. The main goal of the Council is to provide a mechanism for member universities to work together in developing the discipline of Engineering Systems as a new field of study, and to broaden its engineering education and practice. “Our department will benefit greatly from this membership in sharing best practices among the member universities, and establishing connections with the best educators and researchers in this discipline,” said Dr. Bouabid The ISYE Department is eager to be an active member of CESUN. Some of the possible plans for KU would be to undertake joint projects of mutual interest in the field of study; organize meetings, symposia, and conferences; and build relationships with related professional societies and journals. These will help put Khalifa University on the world map as one of the top universities offering a program of study and research in Engineering Systems.
Emirati Genome Program
Emirati KU students, faculty and staff participated in the Emirati Genome Program (EGP), an initiative by the Department of Health which aims to gather genetic data from participating citizens to better predict and prevent genetic diseases. A virtual session was conducted by Dr. Ahmed Al Awadi, Director of Community Outreach at G42 Healthcare where he discussed how the Emirati Genome Program works. Between 14 to 18 November 2021, Emirati students, faculty and staff took part in the Program by visiting one of the sample collection sites for a blood sample. A total of 604 students have participated over the course of the Program in the two Campuses.
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EXPO 2020
KU Student Interns at Dubai Expo 2020
His main responsibility during the internship was to verify the functionality of the software applications being developed for Expo. BSc in Computer Engineering student Mohamed Alzarooni interned with Dubai Expo 2020’s Innovation and Future Technology (IFT) Department, where he was part of the Virtual Expo team responsible for developing the Expo’s virtual experiences. Being able to work on the Dubai Expo 2020, also dubbed the “Greatest Show on Earth,” was, as Mohamed put it, life changing. “I feel immense pride to have been part of the Expo 2020. It is a feeling like no other and I recommend that people be involved with the event whether they are employees, interns, volunteers, or even visitors. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. Mohamed’s nine-week long internship
put the skills he has been gaining at KU in software development and testing to good use. “My role primarily included testing several of those platforms developed for Expo by companies located across the globe. I worked with a team at Expo but also with other teams under different companies on a regular basis,” Mohamed explained. He took great joy in the project, stating the most memorable part of his experience was “seeing people’s reactions to the projects I worked on once they were released to the public. Especially the reactions of my friends and family when they tried experiences like that on VirtualExpo.world or saw Augmented Reality elements embedded as part of Expo’s Opening Ceremony.”
He would test and verify that texts and images appeared properly in apps and checked that different features agreed with specific constraints. One app that he worked on extensively, called Expo Xplorer, is now available to download for both iOS and Android. Expo Xplorer is an app that features a 3-dimensional recreation of the Expo site that users can explore and play around with from anywhere in the world. This internship was a game-changer for Mohamed, who is now rethinking his plans for the future. “My experience made me realize that I am capable of more than I initially thought possible. I simply need to challenge myself.” 23 KU TIMES
EXPO 2020
Expo 2020 University Program
Celebrating UAE’s Golden Jubilee with Solar Lights and Reflections on Antarctica
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Scientist and Head of Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) Lab at Khalifa University, participated in the Antarctica Day event on 1 December 2021 at the Dubai Expo. The event, which was hosted by Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD), brought together the 35 people from the UAE who have visited the world’s polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic.
Since the launch of the KU trips to Expo 2020 University Program in October 143 students have attended the intensive oneday education program. Undergraduate and postgraduate students enriched their learning experience and gained insight into how the future of employment is changing and how global challenges are being tackled through innovation. Depending on the student’s interest, they had the opportunity to tour one of the five disciplines: Sustainability, Innovation & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Engineering & Construction and Arts, Architecture & Design. The participants connected with industry experts and explored practices that the world has to offer. Tours to Expo 2020 University Program will continue till March 2022.
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The purpose of the gathering was to share stories on historic UAE Antarctic and Arctic expeditions from the previous 50 years, discuss the importance of the polar regions to the UAE with respect to climate change and plan future environmental collaborations, in celebration of the UAE’s 50th anniversary. “I have been studying polar regions and particularly Antarctica for more than five years,” Dr. Francis shared. “My interest is specifically in the climate science of Polar Regions with emphasis on the link between the atmosphere and the cryosphere (both land ice and sea ice). In this context, I organize every year, along with two other polar scientists, a workshop on Polar Meteorology and Climatology at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly to facilitate the exchange of new knowledge among the international community of polar scientists, which helps us to identify current gaps and plan future activities,” she added. Currently, at the ENGEOS Lab, KU researchers are conducting a project on Antarctic sea ice and how global warming is affecting it. KU has instruments in Antarctica to measure the state of ice and gain invaluable knowledge about its variability. The work is being done in collaboration with Australia.
EXPO 2020
Future plans include additional projects to study the variability of Antarctic Ice and its impact on Sea level rise globally and regionally, as well as the development of new methods to investigate the Antarctic environment from space (via satellites) and on the ground (via in-situ observations). The Antarctic Day event was organized under the Zayed’s Lights initiative. During the gathering, each participant received a Zayed light, which is a small solar powered light, in recognition of their contribution to Antarctic science and polar science in general. Over 100 Zayed Lights were used in 2018 by a team of UAE researchers from EAD who traveled to Antarctica to light up the Antarctic sky, sending a message of unity,
hope and action on climate change. To symbolically raise awareness on the importance of climate change action, in replicating the initiative of EAD’s Team Zayed in Antarctica, the attendees at the Expo 2020 Dubai event wrote the following words: ‘Antarctica, Climate Change, Dubai Expo, UAE 50 Years and COP 28’, using 50 individual solar lights, reflecting 50 years of the UAE. The participants, who are now part of the UAE Polar Network, also discussed the key messages from the August 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, which warned about the impact of climate change and the urgency to take action to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change in the future. 25 KU TIMES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
KU Faculty Joins the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists Roster
Sixteen Khalifa University faculty members have been selected to be part of the second cycle of the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Academy of Scientists (MBRAS), the primary body of the UAE’s science community composed of top researchers from different institutions in the country. The Khalifa University MBRAS members were selected for their expertise in their respective fields. In addition, four KU students were selected to participate in the new Youth Member category. The KU members join other prominent scientists from around the UAE who were selected. The total number of members that form the MBRAS second cycle is 64, along with 45 new affiliate members and 40 new youth members. This brings the total number of members in MBRAS to 97, in addition to 85 affiliate members. Khalifa University is deeply committed to the UAE’s knowledge economy transformation and to empowering the local community, which is why it is proud to see many of its faculty and students pool together with other experts in the country to explore new ways to drive scientific progress in the country. Congratulations to the KU faculty and students who were selected! The KU members include: HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCE MEMBER: • Dr. Abu Adem, Professor of Pharmacology ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY MEMBERS: • Dr. Cesare Stefanini, Professor of Biomedical Engineering • Dr. Giovanni Palmisano, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering • Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering • Dr. Khaled Salah, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • Dr. Kyriaki Polychronopoulou, Professor of Mechanical Engineering • Dr. Matteo Chiesa, Professor of Mechanical Engineering • Dr. Mohamed El Moursi, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • Dr. TieJun (TJ) Zhang, Professor of Mechanical Engineering • Dr. Ammar Nayfeh, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • Dr. Ahsan Ul Haq Qurashi, Associate Professor of Chemistry • Dr. Tarek El Fouly, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
AFFILIATE MEMBERS: • Dr. Amal Al Ghaferi, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering • Dr. Baker Mohammad, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • Dr. Daniel Choi, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering • Dr. Davor Svetinovic, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • Dr. Faisal Al Marzooqi, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering • Dr. Khalifa Al Hosani, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
YOUTH MEMBERS: • Ayesha Alkhoori, PhD in Engineering • Falah Alhammadi, PhD in Engineering • Ahmed Aldhanhani, BSc in Mechanical Engineering • Aaesha Alnuaimi, BSc in Computer Engineering • Taimur Hassan, PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Scienc
27 KU TIMES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Hanane Lamaazi Wins WomenTech Community Award at the WomenTech Global Awards 2021
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THE WOMENTECH GLOBAL AWARDS IS THE BIGGEST EVENT THAT GATHERS WOMEN WORKING IN TECH. THIS YEAR, 1,712 CANDIDATES FROM 151 COUNTRIES COMPETED IN 16 CATEGORIES. Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Hanane Lamaazi of Khalifa University’s Center for Cyber-Physical Systems (C2PS) was one of the amazing women recognized at the WomenTech Global Awards 2021. The event was organized by the WomenTech Network, the world’s largest community for women in tech with more than 5,700 ambassadors worldwide.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Lamaazi received the Gold Award in the category WomenTech Community Award (Public Vote) where she was voted #3 in the “Global Top 10 Community Award”, #3 in “Global Top 5 Unique Profile Engagement”, and top 2 in “Global Top 5 LinkedIn Engagement”. This award is in recognition of her outstanding contribution and engagement with the WomenTech Community. It also acknowledges her work and role as a valued scientific researcher in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), crowdsensing, and edge computing.
networks. She provides exceptional support to new researchers for both Master’s and PhD students by offering her expertise in research and academic writing skills. She is also a reviewer for some of the top scientific journals namely, Ad Hoc, IEEE Sensors, IEEE Access, ComCom, ComNet, and IJCS. Her most recent article, published in the Future Generation Computer Systems journal, stems from a project she led at t KU’s Center for Cyber-Physical Systems. Her recent research is focused on deploying emerging technologies. In collaboration with her
The WomenTech Global Awards is held every year following the Women in Technology Conference, the flagship event of the WomenTech Network. The conference is considered the world’s largest for women in technology and the awards highlight and celebrate the contributions of women, minorities, and their allies working in the tech industry. Anna Radulovski, WomenTech Network CEO & Founder, said, “After the WomenTech Global Conference 2021, we received tons of positive feedback, many sharing about their hardships with uncertainty, job security, and work-life balance while working remotely and how the community inspired them to overcome them. We understand the value of recognizing small and major victories while simultaneously adjusting to a digital-first environment. This is why we wish to shine a light on accomplished and aspiring female tech leaders, as well as allies, who are working toward a more equitable and inclusive world.”
team, she proposed a new data-driven framework that integrates an engine for data assessment. The framework deploys smart mobile edges as decision-makers where the selection of workers, in a heterogeneous mobile crowdsensing (MCS) environment, is based on their outcomes and the requested task requirements. Regardless of the challenges in her personal and professional lives, Dr. Lamaazi’s mission is to help women and girls, especially in the tech community, harness their talent and intellectual prowess so they can positively affect their society. “Be deaf, blind, and keep silent to all the negativity around you. Work hard, write your own story in your own way, and let your success define the fighter you are. At the end, it’s earned, not given,” Dr. Lamaazi advised. To know more about the WomenTech Network, visit their website.
Dr. Lamaazi is a distinguished and prolific researcher who has received international attention from the scientific community. She has on her credit more than 20 research articles in international journals and refereed conference proceedings. Her work has more than 400 citations on Google Scholar and more than 300 citations on Scopus, with an H-index of 10. Dr.Lamaazi has worked and co-authored papers with highly reputed scientists in the field of computer science and computer
VIEW WEBSITE
29 KU TIMES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Abhijith Suboyin and other regional innovators with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Ambassador for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of Burkina Faso and Initiator and Leader of the ‘MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy”, a worldwide program that provides access to affordable energy for women, small business and children. The program was selected by the United Nations as one of the 14 global breakthrough solutions for achieving the new Sustainable Development Goals.
Research Associate Leads Winning Team at CLIMATHON 2021
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ABHIJITH LED THE DUBAI TEAM THAT WON BEST COHORT IN THE AGRIBUSINESS CATEGORY AND TOP COHORT WINNER AT CLIMATHON 2021. THEIR WINNING SOLUTION PROPOSES A RESTRUCTURED PRODUCT LABELING SYSTEM THAT IMPROVES DATA TRANSPARENCY AND PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, WHILE ALSO BUILDING TRUST AMONG PRODUCERS, RETAILERS, AND CONSUMERS.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Climathon 2021 is a climate change initiative that brings together innovators around the globe who have the passion, expertise, and capability to tackle climate challenges. The hybrid event took place from October 2 to 12, 2021 and was co-hosted by the UAE Ministry of Change and Environment and the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO). The event is also led by Ideanco in partnership with UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This year, Climathon connected 475 innovators from 9 selected cities, namely New York, Bristol, Tampa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Orange County, Dubai, and Beirut, to resolve three core challenges: agribusiness, air pollution, and mobility. The event was divided into three parts: • Greenhouse (Learn) - A virtual sustainable academy offering hands-on experience to validate ideas, build business models and structures, and form teams. • Greenhouse (Award & Explore) - Innovators based in the UAE were invited to attend the World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2021 at the Dubai Expo. • C-Lab (Ideate) - This part of the event is dedicated mainly to come up with climate solutions for the participating cities. Each core challenge is shared with three focused cities, with each city having one cohort or team.
No 1169/2011, and addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Good Health & WellBeing (SDG 3) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12). They came up with a system where labels will incorporate a QR code, an illustration of key components (including allergens), and sustainability metrics that will be available in an app accessible and easily understandable by everyone, including those with disabilities. The platform will contain a digital, decentralized ledger for data transparency and tracking food provenance to create/promote sustainable practices, as well as build trust among producers, retailers, and consumers. The team’s proposal impressed the judges and won Best Cohort in the Agribusiness category. The cohort also garnered the highest score out of all the other cohorts in all three challenge categories, catapulting them to take home the Top Cohort Winner award. “Participating in Climathon was an extraordinary experience and is definitely something we hope to carry with us for the rest of our lives. I am extremely grateful to everyone involved, especially for their support and allowing our team to share our ‘dream’/‘solution’,” Abhijith said.
Khalifa University's Abhijith Suboyin, a Petroleum Engineering Research Associate, was among the top innovators shortlisted to participate in the finals and chosen to lead the Dubai cohort. Abhijith's team was assigned in the agribusiness category and they had to propose solutions for the challenge within 72 hours.
“As someone in R&D, I’ve always been motivated by creative projects, teamwork, and contributing to the pool of knowledge to design a better future. Furthermore, it is rare to get an opportunity to present an idea and potentially implement it in reality. Thankfully, we live in one of the best regions that fosters scientific curiosity, growth, and development.
To address the agribusiness challenge, Abhijith and his teammates devised a solution that redefines product labeling. The solution is a simple, colorcoded, and restructured labeling system that is compliant with ISO 28219:2017 and Regulation (EU)
“We all, particularly the KU community, have the capability to do better and work towards a brighter future. And I encourage everyone to have a look around, as events such as these are a great place for us to kick-start this journey,” he added.
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Roberto Sabatini Named Top National Scientist in Aerospace Engineering and Aviation
DR. SABATINI WAS RECOGNIZED AS BEST-IN-FIELD SCIENTIST BY THE AUSTRALIAN 2021 RESEARCH SPECIAL REPORT, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE TALENT AND DEDICATION OF THE BEST RESEARCHERS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS IN AUSTRALIA.
THE AUSTRALIAN 2021 Research Special Report has listed Dr. Roberto Sabatini, Professor and Chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department, as the top national scientist in the field of Aerospace Engineering and Aviation. The Australian’s annual report names the top researchers and top research institutions in each field of research, based on the number of citations for papers published in the top 20 journals in each field over the past five years.
Dr. Sabatini is a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics with three decades of experience in Avionics, Defense and Robotics/Autonomous Systems research and education, acquired in progressively more responsible industry, government and academic positions in Europe, North America, and Australasia.
Dr. Sabatini said, “I was deeply honored to be named top Australian scientist in the field of Aerospace Engineering and Aviation.” He added, “I was also very happy to see that RMIT University was listed as the top research institution in the same field. My past eight years at RMIT have been deeply transformative and enriching. In my new role of Department Chair here at Khalifa University, I look forward to the opportunity of expanding our very prolific and effective collaborations.” KU TIMES 32
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Sabatini holds a PhD in Aerospace/Avionics Systems (Cranfield University), a PhD in Space Geodesy/Satellite Navigation (University of Nottingham), and an advanced MEng in Astronautics/Space Systems (Sapienza University of Rome). Throughout his career, Dr. Sabatini attracted more than US$35 million in research funding from various industry and government organizations, including Thales, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, DST Group, SmartSat CRC, Food Agility CRC, BMT, AMIRA, Insitec, Jetstar, and CASA. He is a Fellow and Executive of the Institution of Engineers Australia, Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation. In addition to his primary academic duties and various honorary and consulting appointments in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia, and South Africa, he contributes to the broader aerospace community as Chair of the IEEE AESS Avionics Systems Panel, Editor for Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Senior Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, and Associate Editor for Robotica, the Journal of Navigation, and Aerospace Science and Technology.
and Sense-and-Avoid (SAA), in order to allow the safe and unrestricted access of UAS to all classes of airspace. “I am a strong advocate of industry-focused research and teaching, and I am very passionate about research translation for social and economic advancement. Throughout my career, I was blessed with great team-working opportunities and served in various leadership roles both in industry and in academia,” Dr.Sabatini commented.
Another study led by Dr. Sabatini dealt with integrating cyberphysical and autonomous systems with point-to-point suborbital spaceflight and conventional atmospheric air transport. He investigated various launch and re-entry methods, identified the physical and computational limitations of these approaches, and assessed their applications in future commercial space transport operations. Dr. Sabatini is also leading a project aimed at examining the unique hazards of the space environment and developing models to avoid collisions.
In his recent research, Dr. Sabatini has addressed the opportunities and challenges associated with the digital transformation for sustainability of the aerospace and aviation sector. More specifically, working in collaboration with key industry partners, he developed new avionics and Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies that enhance safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability of both air and space transport operations. These include 4-Dimensional Trajectory Optimization (4DTO) algorithms, cooperative and non-cooperative surveillance technologies, as well as adaptive/ cognitive forms of Human-Machine Interface and Interaction (HMI2), allowing the automated negotiation and validation of aircraft intents for safer and more efficient ATM operations. As an integral part of this evolutionary process, Dr. Sabatini and his team are currently addressing the requirements of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) navigation, communication
“I have recently joined Khalifa University from Australia and I am very determined to make a difference in the team fostering a culture of inclusion, integrity and conscientious change by prioritizing first and foremost the students and staff whose education and careers will be affected by the changes that will be introduced. I believe that passion, competence, and respect are the key ingredients of a successful team and I am delighted to have the opportunity of leading the Aerospace Engineering Department of Khalifa University in a time of significant growth, both in our research and educational capacity. Over the coming months, I will work with the team to assess opportunities and risks, charting a map for growth that values the contributions of all constituencies in the decision-making process.” To know more about The Australian Special Report, READ THE ARTICLE HERE
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Jiju Antony Honored with the UK Institute of Six Sigma Professionals’ Significant Contribution Award 2021
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Dr. Jiju Antony, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, won the Institute of Six Sigma Professionals (ISSP) Best Project Awards 2021 in the category “Significant Contribution to the field of Lean Six Sigma.” Upon winning the award, Steve Anthony, CEO of the Institute of Six Sigma Professionals, UK, said: “Dr. Antony has for many years been the go-to person for robust research and opinion in the world of Lean Six Sigma, and his international conferences, publications, students and research are world class. The ISSP wishes to recognize Dr. Antony’s contribution to the world of Lean Six Sigma by honoring him with the ISSP 2021 Significant Contribution award.” Professor Antony’s contribution to the body of Lean Six Sigma include: • Highest number of citations for his research outputs on Lean Six Sigma according to Scopus and Google Scholar KU TIMES 34
Highest number of academic journal papers and practitioner-oriented papers published on various Lean Six Sigma topics Founder of the International Conference on Lean Six Sigma since 2004 Founder of the International Journal of Lean Six Sigma published by Emerald since 2010 Trained over 1000 professionals from 185 plus companies across over 20 countries Winner of the Walter Mazing Book prize in 2020 for his book entitled "Ten Commandments of Lean Six Sigma" Outstanding Contribution to Quality Management practice award from the Chartered Quality Institute (UK) in 2020 “Lifetime Outstanding Contribution to Lean Six Sigma” award from the International Lean Six Sigma Institute in summer 2021
Dr. Antony is recognized worldwide as a leader in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology for improving processes and achieving operational excellence. He has put his passion for process improvement to use. As a certified LSS Master Black Belt (the pinnacle of Six Sigma expertise), Dr. Antony has a proven track record for conducting internationally leading research in the field of Quality Management, Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence. For example, Dr. Antony was instrumental in introducing Lean Six Sigma to a public sector organization with over 400 employees in Scotland, UK in 2012. He was responsible for training, coaching and mentoring over 60 Lean Six Sigma projects in this organization and demonstrated savings of more than 1.5 million sterling pounds over a threeyear period.
He was also responsible for introducing Lean Six Sigma at a Scottish Utility company, where he trained, coached and mentored over 30 people, which resulted in hard cash savings of more than 2 million sterling pounds over a period of less than 18 months. He has also helped a Scottish university develop an LSS program and delivered over 50 business process improvement projects with varied complexity. Dr. Antony teaches quality and reliability engineering and advanced quality management practices in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He aspires to set up an Operational Excellence Research Center integrated with Industry 4.0 at KU so that many local businesses can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes. The Institute of Six Sigma Professionals was established in 2011 in order to link like-minded people with an interest in Six Sigma around the UK. They support and develop Six Sigma professionals through various networking events, access to training materials, accreditation services and more.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
KU Faculty Participates in “Transport Corridors on the East Coast of Africa in the context of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision” International Conference
Dr. Brendon Cannon, Assistant Professor at Khalifa University’s Institute of International and Civil Security, was invited to offer the keynote lecture at the “Transport Corridors on the East Coast of Africa in the context of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision” international conference. Held on 18 November 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, the conference was organized by the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan. Dr. Cannon presented his original research that answered questions related to Japan’s foreign policy in Kenya, Ethiopia and other East African states. He contrasted these with the actions of China and its Belt and Road Initiative. A question and answer session followed Dr. Cannon’s keynote address and the presentations of other panelists with simultaneous translation occurring in both Japanese and English. 35 KU TIMES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
KU Professor Chairs Research in Options: RiO 2021
Dr. Jorge P. Zubelli, Professor and Chair of the Mathematics Department, recently chaired the 16th annual Research in Options: RiO 2021 conference. RiO 2021, which was held virtually from 21-24 November, provided a forum for experts to discuss some of the latest breakthroughs in mathematical research in Applied Mathematics.
Mathematical Modeling in the Applied Sciences (LAMCA), which was headed by Dr. Zubelli from 2011 – 2019. This year, the conference focused on different aspects of mathematical finance, including option pricing, fixed income, volatility trading, real options, commodities, algorithmic trading, portfolio and risk management. Some of the most prominent names in quantitative finance and risk management participated in the event, including Bruno Dupire, Head of Research Bloomberg, who is recognized as one of the most influential quantitative analysts having received in 2008 the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Risk Magazine. KU’s Dr. Giorgio Consigli, Associate Professor of Mathematics, also participated in the conference and presented on the topic of “Optimal option portfolios with volatility as asset class in
a discrete market.” While KU’s Dr. Marcos Lopez de Prado, Adjunct Professor of Practice in the Mathematics Department and ADIA’s Global Head on Quantitative Research & Development, presented on “Escaping The Sisyphean Trap: How Quants Can Achieve Their Full Potential.” The RiO conference sheds light on the increasingly important role of mathematical tools to model and understand how risk is assessed and managed, and how to address the growing number of mathematical and computational challenges the financial industry is facing. Submitted manuscripts from RiO 2021 will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Computational Mathematics and Data Science, titled “Computational Mathematics and Data Science Methods in Quantitative Finance,” with Dr. Zubelli and two others serving as guest editors.
Dr. Athol Yates Speaks at Global Security Leaders’ Summit in Dubai
This year’s meeting was co-hosted by FGV EMAp (School of Applied Mathematics in Rio de Janeiro), Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) in Brazil, and KU’s Mathematics Department. Over 200 scientists, mathematicians, and practitioners who work on the interface of mathematics and finance discussed the latest research and tools that are advancing understanding of complex financial phenomena. The conference builds on the success of previous editions, which were hosted by Brazil’s National Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics’ (IMPA) and the Laboratory for Analysis and KU TIMES 36
Dr Athol Yates, Assistant Professor and Acting Head of the Institute for International Studies and Civil Security at Khalifa University, was an invited speaker and moderator at the 23rd edition of Intersec’s Global Security Leader’s Summit – a gathering for global leaders in the security industry, which took place in Dubai on Sunday, 16 January 2022.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
RIGHT TO LEFT: AIR MARSHAL EDWARD J STRINGER, FORMER DIRECTOR GENERAL JOINT FORCE DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENCE ACADEMIES, BRITISH ARMED FORCES; GENERAL SIR NICK CARTER, FORER CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE STAFF, HEAD OF THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES; HOWARD LEEDHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ESID DMCC; DR. ATHOL YATES
Dr. Yates moderated a panel session titled “The role of Security, the Pre Vs. the Post Pandemic World”, which included highranking panellists, such as Air Marshal Edward J Stringer, Former Director General Joint Force Development and Defence Academies, British Armed Forces; General Sir Nick Carter, Former Chief of the Defence Staff and Head of the British Armed Forces; and Howard Leedham, Managing Director, ESID DMCC. Dr. Yates also delivered a speech during a Leadership Session on “Why do some imported ‘best practice’ Western security practices work and others don’t?” In his presentation, he noted that a key reason behind the UAE’s and other Gulf states’ rapid development in recent years has been their ability to identify ‘global best practices’ and implement them. Dr. Yates shares several examples of this: In the early 2000s, most UAE governments imported and applied strategic planning and quality management. While in education, the sector adopted a National Qualifications Framework, and an accreditation processes for tertiary institutions. And new national security
arrangements were recently adopted, including the creation of the National Security council and specialist security agencies like the signals intelligence agency and NCEMA. While some imported Western security practices work in the Gulf, Dr. Yates points out that others do not. “Every country has its own ideas, customs, and social behavior, which in aggregate we call a national culture. National culture determines how a nation does things, that includes security. If an imported practice conflicts with national culture, problems arise,” Dr. Yates explained. “Thus, the answer to the question, ‘Why do some imported Western security practices work in the Gulf while others don’t?’, is because practices which are based on cultural norms and align with those in the Gulf can be readily imported with little change. Conversely, practices which are not based on Gulf norms will have to be substantially modified or will not work.” 37 KU TIMES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Petroleum Engineering Faculty Discusses Advanced Discretizations in New Book on MATLAB Reservoir Simulation fluxes through grid faces with convex combinations of one- sided fluxes. Key functions in the accompanying nfvm module in the MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST) are outlined and examples of how the method is applied are presented,” he explained. Dr. Mohamed Sassi, Professor & Acting Department Chair of the Petroleum Engineering Department commented: “Dr. Al Kobaisi’s contribution to the book and his work with other eminent scientists in the petroleum engineering world is a great achievement. This is testimony of the exceptional caliber of our faculty and the strength of our Petroleum Engineering program, which ranks 21st worldwide in the QS World University Rankings.”
Dr. Mohammed Saad Al Kobaisi, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering, is sharing his expertise in advanced discretizations and has collaborated with other leading industry experts in the newly published book Advanced Modeling with the MATLAB Reservoir Simulation. Dr. Al Kobaisi authored Chapter 2 of the book titled “Nonlinear Finite-Volume Methods for the Flow Equation in Porous Media,” which succinctly explains the formulation of nonlinear finite-volume (NFV) methods as advanced discretization schemes. “It was in 2019 when I first received the invitation from Chief Scientist Knut-Andreas Lie, of the SINTEF research center in Oslo, to contribute with a chapter in an upcoming book titled ‘Advanced Modeling with the MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox’. I was humbled to learn that our recent works in the area of advanced discretizations were gaining traction in KU TIMES 38
the scientific computing community and being cited in prestigious research centers and universities’ publications (the likes of NASA Ames Research Center, Stanford University, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Communication University of China, among others). Although our developments were primarily targeting the oil and gas industry, the numerical tools we are working on at KU have applications in numerous industries and fields such as aerospace engineering, material sciences, environmental engineering, hydrology, CCUS, applied mathematics, and more,” Dr. Al Kobaisi shared. The advanced discretization schemes Dr. Al Kobaisi talks about in his chapter are consistent and monotone by design. “We show the basic ideas of how to construct one-sided fluxes, interpolate using harmonic averaging points, and obtain unique discrete
Dr. Al Kobaisi has extensive experience in the industry, previously serving as Energy Affairs Manager of the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) where he was in charge of the work on bilateral energy relations in oil, gas, and renewable energy. He was also Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE Mission to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and an Advisor to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) from 2017 to 2019. The book Advanced Modeling with the MATLAB Reservoir Simulation is published by Cambridge University Press and electronic copies of the book can be downloaded for free from their website. VIEW WEBSITE
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Ammar Nayfeh Selected to be the Deputy of the MBRAS Public Outreach Committee Khalifa University’s Dr. Ammar Nayfeh, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was selected by the Emirates Scientists Council to be the Deputy of the Public Outreach Committee of the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists (MBRAS). Dr. Nayfeh will be working with Committee Chair Dr. Aaesha Abdulla Alnuaimi, KU alumna, and the other committee members to develop and coordinate outreach activities to promote MBRAS. The committee aims to inspire a new generation of scientists and raise awareness about scientific research in the UAE, while also promoting MBRAS members and their projects. To help achieve these goals, Dr. Nayfeh will help arrange and manage two major events in the upcoming year with support from the wider committee. “Inspiring young people to love science is a passion of mine. It is important to start with students at a young age to build a strong scientific foundation. This will help increase the amount of students pursuing scientific majors and careers in the UAE. With this committee, our aim is to use fun, engaging, hands-on events and activities to help inspire young students scientifically. Additionally, there is a lot of amazing research being conducted in the UAE by top scientists including current MBRAS members that we will promote, which will also inspire students to explore science,” Dr. Nayfeh said. Dr. Nayfeh is regarded as an expert in nanotechnology and nano materials for future energy efficient optical electrical and photovoltaic nano devices.
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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Lourdes Vega Joins Emirates Scientists Council as New Member
DR. VEGA IS ALSO APPOINTED TO LEAD THE NEWLY FORMED ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD.
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Khalifa University’s Dr. Lourdes Vega now joins the prestigious Emirates Scientists Council (ESC) as a new member. Since its establishment in 2016, the Council has been working in transitioning the UAE from knowledge user to knowledge developer, positioning the country as a destination conducive to scientific research and innovation.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
“I feel very honored and excited to be a member of the Emirates Scientists Council (ESC). As members of the ESC, our duties include, among others, suggesting policies that would create a stimulating environment for innovation and research in order to attract and retain a generation of scientists in various fields, providing scientific advice to the Council of Ministers when required, raising nationally and internationally awareness above the science and technology developed in the country, and effectively establishing collaborations between the public and private sectors to make an impact in the economy and well-being of the country,” Dr. Vega commented about her appointment. “Hence, being a member of the Council comes with a great honor and responsibility, as it implies being fully engaged in such an important endeavor. I deeply thank HE Sarah Al Amiri and the Council of Ministers, for allowing me to be an active part of the present and future knowledge-based economy and society of the Country, while contributing to attract the next generation of talented scientists and engineers to be part of the joint effort,” she said. Aside from being a new member of the ESC, Dr. Vega is also leading the ESC Advisory Board on Engineering and Technology. The Board was created to support and advise the federal government in matters related to science and technology research and policy to further advance in this direction. “It is clear that research and innovation in engineering and technology has already played a key role in the advancement of the Country, and it is expected to have a huge impact in the development of the society of knowledge the Emirates is building, and our quality of life. The
Board, led by myself as a member of the ESC, is integrated by a selected team of scientists and experts in their specific fields of science from different universities and institutions in the Emirates, which will work together to accomplish our mandate,” she explained. The Board and the Council will work hand in hand in developing the engineering and technology talent pool in the UAE. Part of this is to develop programs to entice the younger generation to become engineers and entrepreneurs. The Board will also actively promote collaborations between public and private research institutions focused on engineering and technology. Describing further the Board’s role and objectives, Dr. Vega said: “We want institutions to go beyond and above individual achievements. Part of our role is to also highlight, nationally and internationally, the impact engineering and technology research and innovation developed here in the Emirates has on the economy and the society. As a Board, we will propose and develop different initiatives in all these areas, including mapping the current capabilities and interests aligned with the needs of the country, successful stories, international practices, different collaborations, etc. This is a very exciting task where many scientists and engineers in the Emirates can also contribute.” Dr. Vega is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH) at Khalifa University. She is an internationally recognized leading authority in her field of molecular thermodynamics, clean energy, and sustainability, now focused on hydrogen production and uses, CO2 capture and utilization at large scale, alternative fuels and sustainable cooling systems. Aside from her new appointment as member of
the ESC, Dr. Vega is also a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academy of Sciences (MBRAS). In 2020, she was recognized for her work and expertise in sustainability and clean energy and was awarded the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinguishment. “As mentioned, I feel very honored for being a member of the Emirates Scientist Council; I came to the Emirates several years ago with the goal to leverage my expertise and knowledge in science and technology for the needs of the country. The dream has come true; now I have an additional responsibility to do it from above, which I am happy to take. Serving is my goal. Paraphrasing the great scientist Isaac Newton, ‘If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants’.” Dr. Vega added, “Being a KU faculty and a member of the ESC reinforces how the country values our knowledge, skills and impact. I would like to remind the KU community that as an institution we have the honor and the responsibility to contribute to the knowledge-based society the country is building, and the role of each of us is equally important to accomplish it. In spite of the difficulties that we may find in our daily tasks, the efforts are worth, as any scientific or technological achievement, big or small, is part of our contribution to the present and future of the country. The better we work together, the higher the impact we can achieve as an institution. In addition, as an educational organization, we are very lucky to have the opportunity to help young talented scientists and engineers to follow their dreams.” 41 KU TIMES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
KU Research Scientist Recognized as One of the Most Influential Researchers Worldwide by Clarivate cited by their peers and have ranked in the top 1% of citations in their field in the Web of Science in the last decade, from 2010-2020. Being included in the list is a huge achievement, especially at such a young age. Dr. Yaqoob, 32, notes, “Being acknowledged as a highly cited researcher worldwide based on scientific achievements by Clarivate-Web of Science less than five years after PhD graduation is truly a great honor and an immense pleasure. It is also a worldwide recognition for my research team, which is led by Prof. Khaled Salah.”
DR. YAQOOB JOINS AN ELITE OF RESEARCHERS SETTING THE PACE FOR FRESH AND PIONEERING RESEARCH. Dr. Ibrar Yaqoob, Research Scientist in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Khalifa University, has been listed as one of the most influential researchers in the world by Clarivate. Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers List 2021 recognizes researchers for their contributions to innovation in science, social science, and citation analysis. The list highlights the most influential researchers who have published multiple papers frequently KU TIMES 42
Dr. Yaqoob has been conducting cutting-edge research in the fields of Mobile Edge/Cloud Computing, Big Data, IoT, Blockchain, and Computer Networks. Life of a researcher requires a lot and he has devoted his time, intellectual effort, technical skills, commitment, and even conceded personal sacrifices to ensure his work consistently demonstrates relevant and innovative research. “I encourage the KU community to conduct research on hot topics and publish their findings in prestigious venues on time. Time and publication venues are two key factors. To think out of the box, it is important to have a deep understanding of what is already inside the box. This can only be
achieved if one has a good understanding of the coursework,” Dr. Yaqoob advised. “I encourage KU students to pay careful attention and full devotion to the coursework as it will lead them from the known to the unknown--research problem. Research collaborations with influential researchers and domain experts are equally important as they can lead to combining expertise and resources that assist in solving bigger and more complex scientific problems,” he added. Clarivate provides insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. Its Highly Cited Researchers are from more than 1,300 institutions all over the world, promoting recognition and support for these research institutions as they evaluate and plan their strategies to accelerate the advancement of their research programs.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Diana Francis Invited as Speaker at Climate Conference Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the ENGEOS Lab, was a speaker at the Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean & Middle East 2nd International Conference. The event was organized by The Cyprus Institute and the European Commission Representation in Cyprus working together with the Eastern Mediterranean & Middle East Climate Change Initiative of the Cyprus Government. Dr. Francis was part of the Climate and Atmosphere Research & Innovation in the Eastern Mediterranean & Middle East Virtual Workshop where the discussion centered on the latest developments in climate and atmospheric sciences. They also talked about the research and innovation activities focused on the EMME region.
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LIBRARY CORNER
Khalifa University’s Medical Library BY JASON FETTY, MLIS, AHIP KU TIMES 44
KU Research Scientist Recognized as One of the Most Influential Researchers Worldwide by Clarivate
LIBRARY CORNER
Library collections are being expanded to include medicalfocused resources, including print and electronic books and online medical databases. The eBook collection is growing, and the Library has space dedicated on the 3rd floor of the E building for medical students, including the physical medical book collection and quiet study space. The library’s medical databases cover medical research, clinical practice, and basic sciences for medical education. Popular ones include AccessMedicine, ClinicalKey Student, Lexicomp, and UpToDate.
As Khalifa University grows, the Library has worked to expand its services, collections, and support to the university community. Part of that is to support the growing College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) and offer medicalrelated information needs throughout the university. Medical librarianship is part of the larger library field that specializes in helping provide high-quality information for improving health outcomes through education, research, and collection development. The KU library is working to support these goals and the CMHS’s needs through a range of efforts.
Medical students, faculty, and adjuncts can rely upon the library’s standard services such as document delivery, as well as more specialized support in research assistance, systemic review support, and training on specialized medical databases. Ongoing instruction is also available to the wider campus in the use of resources such as PubMed, working with clinical tools including UpToDate, and understanding medical research concepts such as Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and Medicine (EBM). You can request instruction for individuals, small groups, or classes–online or in person. While information is found more easily online than ever before, searching for highquality information, doing it
expeditiously, and finding full-text of research is challenging in a digital age leading to information overload. The KU library offers scholars and researchers the support needed to navigate these problems and can be a partner in education and research. Please reach out to us, in person or virtually, for questions and needs relating topics including: • Formulating research questions and developing search strategies • Participating in systematic reviews • Getting training on research and clinical databases and tools such as bibliographic management software including RefWorks • Requesting class instructional sessions on medical research • Finding and delivering fulltext articles Khalifa University’s Medical Librarian (Jason Fetty, MLIS, AHIP) can be reached for any assistance and support at jason. fetty@ku.ac.ae. You can also visit the library’s medical library page at library. ku.ac.ae/med/, which has links to specialized medical resources, information guides, and online training. Any questions, resources suggestions and requests, or general comments are always welcome. We hope to be a stronger partner to the KU community. 45 KU TIMES
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Highlights of the latest important announcements, strategic initiatives, new partnerships, and VIP visits
Khalifa University Wins International Bid to Bring Prestigious IEEE Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) Conference to Abu Dhabi in 2024 and most impactful robotics research conferences, not only to Abu Dhabi but to the Middle East, for the first time. The IROS 2024 conference will help portray the UAE’s readiness to accept modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and Khalifa University’s involvement in furthering scientific innovation in this area. We believe the conference will substantially intensify adoption of robotic systems, machine learning and smart devices, while highlighting the advances made in this sector.” Khalifa University continues to play an undeniably critical role in the advancement of robotics and machine intelligence technologies. In addition to launching the Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute, the university also plans to offer new academic programs in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Khalifa University has won the bid to host the Middle East’s firstever IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), one of the world’s largest and most impactful robotics research conferences, in Abu Dhabi in 2024. The Khalifa University bid, submitted in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and the UAE Ministry of Education, won against global competition from other leading international universities. Abu Dhabi’s status as a major conference destination, the emirate’s focus on supporting new technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence systems, Khalifa University’s Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute, and the Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KU-CARS), played a significant role in clinching the deal in favor of the university. Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “Following the successful hosting of the MBZIRC 2020 that brought international acclaim to Abu Dhabi, we feel privileged to have won the international bidding now in collaboration with other UAE Government institutions to bring IROS, one of the world’s largest KU TIMES 46
Moreover, the university’s flagship KU-CARS has over 50 faculty and staff working on several diverse projects, while researchers are conducting groundbreaking research to discover new ways to advance robotics for extreme environments, industrial applications, and infrastructure inspection. KU-CARS also has state-of-the-art labs including a new Marine Robotics Pool and an Autonomous Car Lab. In addition to KU-CARS, other Khalifa University research centers that deploy intelligent systems include the Aerospace and Research Innovation Center (ARIC), and EBTIC. Khalifa University’s initiatives in intelligence systems and robotics are in line with the UAE’s drive towards advancing the tide of progress in AI, deep learning and automation. The UAE is already exploring how public sector entities can leverage AI solutions in areas including cyber security, to detect and monitor malicious activity; behavioral analysis to aid police by predicting crimes; monitoring economic growth through time lapse satellite imagery; predicting climate change; and improving doctors’ abilities to provide accurate diagnoses.
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University Researchers Presented Papers on New Solutions in Offshore, Marine, Upstream and Downstream Segments at ADIPEC 2021 DISPLAYS ON MOST RECENT PATENTS COVERED NEW INNOVATIVE EOR TECHNOLOGIES, GEOSCIENCE, AND OIL AND GAS FIELD DEVELOPMENTS Faculty and researchers from Khalifa University of Science and Technology presented more than 11 research papers, covering the most innovative technology advancements in offshore, marine, upstream and downstream segments of the global oil and gas industry at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2021. Hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ADIPEC 2021 was held from 15-18 November at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). The Khalifa University stand, focusing on the activities of Petroleum Institute, the university’s main R&D component for oil and gas, displayed information on the latest IPs including six issued patents for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), one for artificial intelligence, robotics, and hybrid intelligent systems in geoscience, one each on oil field development and management, unconventional resources development, data analytics and machine learning in geosciences, as well as gas field development and management. It also showcased a drone, developed by Dr. Hamad Al Karki, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, and his team of
students, which won second place at the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport 2021. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “Reflecting the status of Khalifa University’s Petroleum Engineering Department which at present is ranked 21st internationally, the participation in ADIPEC 2021, a leading industry networking platform and technology showcase, will project our leading status as a pioneer in oil and gas sector innovation. In addition, our faculty presented research papers, and offered their expertise, while students demonstrated their entrepreneurial prowess at the SPE ADIPEC Virtual University Program competition. We believe through ADIPEC, we aim to provide a glimpse of our leading research projects in the oil and gas industry.” In addition to displays at the stand, Khalifa University faculty and students were closely involved in the 2021 SPE ADIPEC Virtual University Program, which gives students clear insights into
the industry and provides opportunities for students to build their professional networks and work with peers across the MENA region on joint virtual activities. Khalifa University faculty including Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, and Senior Vice-President for Academic and Student Services, was a Committee Advisor for the Steering Committee of the SPE ADIPEC University Program, while Dr. Emad Al Shalabi, Assistant Professor, Petroleum Engineering, was a member. A team of four senior Khalifa University petroleum engineering students developed a two-minute video and a 500-word write-up on this year’s project theme, ‘Hydrogen Energy as an Enabler for a Net Zero Carbon Target’. They joined a total of 29 teams from the Middle East and North Africa region for the competition. A judging panel will shortlist the top six teams who are expected to work closely with a young professional mentor for two weeks, to present a video presentation. The presentations will once again be reviewed by the judging panel, who will decide the winners. 47 KU TIMES
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University and UAE Telecom and Digital Government Regulatory Authority Sign Funding Agreement for EBTIC to Support Research and Build Capacities
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His Excellency Eng. Majed Sultan Al-Mismar said: “This agreement is vital to the government and private sectors and the Academia for achieving common national goals that go in line with the country’s ambitions and aspirations towards a future that is focused on the implementation of emerging techniques for sustainability, happiness and luxurious life.”
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Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi said: “The funding agreement strongly illustrates our close partnerships with government organizations and renowned industry brands to seek new technologies and solutions.”
FROM THE NEWSROOM
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology have signed an agreement to fund the Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC). The agreement was signed by His Excellency Eng. Majed Sultan Al-Mismar, Director General of TDRA, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ICT Fund, and Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University. EBTIC was founded by Khalifa University, Etisalat, and BT in 2009 as the first UAE-based ICT research and innovation center. The award by the TDRA follows an earlier grant awarded in 2014 to support EBTIC’s transformation to a national industry-academiagovernment research center focused on developing homegrown and globally-competitive technologies and Emirati talent in the vital ICT sector. On this occasion, H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar said: “In today’s world of rapid changes and developments, we are in urgent need of paying attention to research, development, capacity building, and enhancement of skills. Based on our experience full of achievements in the UAE, we realize the importance of cooperation among different sectors for the general benefit of society.” He added: “This agreement greatly embodies the partnership among the government, the private sector, and the academic sector to achieve common national objectives in line with the UAE’s aspirations to apply trending technologies to achieve sustainability, happiness, and wellbeing. Within this context, we in TDRA will not save any effort to support development, future foresight, and enhancement of skills required for the age of the 4th Industrial Revolution. This is based on our role to enable digital transformation within society. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi said: “The funding agreement strongly illustrates our close partnerships with government organizations and renowned industry brands to seek new technologies and solutions. EBTIC is already in a commendable position because of its successful track
record in obtaining new innovations and generating IPs over the years, and we believe this funding agreement will help EBTIC reach new milestones, while contributing to human capital development in the UAE, as well as regionally and internationally.” According to the agreement, EBTIC will lead a national research and innovation program focusing on areas including healthcare, education, communications, information technology, IoT, and data science. It will seek innovative solutions that can be exploited commercially in communications and information technology (ICT), while entering into partnerships with other renowned academic institutions to promote research and scientific excellence. EBTIC will also work with industry to ensure that research and innovations can be leveraged to tackle business and societal challenges and deliver benefits at the national level. Additionally, it will work towards submitting patents, publishing scientific papers and exploiting intellectual property rights in the ICT sector. Moreover, the Center will contribute to enhancing the country’s international standing and position in the networked readiness index. It will also contribute to developing national skills and talents and to the dissemination of trained talents in various ICT areas. At the same time, EBTIC will ensure human capital development, rate of Emiratization, training of public and private sector employees through training courses and assignments, while also training university students through summer internships and graduation projects. In addition, it will organize knowledge-sharing lectures, presentations, and workshops, and submit relevant research projects in the ICT sector. In order to further strengthen the ICT sector, EBTIC will take up a number of research projects in the ICT sector for the UAE Government, for Khalifa University, and its industrial partners. It will also present research papers at conferences, publish in scientific journals, and issue white papers, in addition to generating new IPs.
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FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University Launches ‘Khalifa University Enterprises Company’, Backed by AED100Million Endowment
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KUEC Will be Investment and Business Platform for Investors, Private Partners, Government Entities and Entrepreneurs to Accelerate Economic Impact of Research and Intellectual Property;
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KUEC Will Leverage the Support of BlackRock, J.P. Morgan and Techstars to Speed Up Commercial Potential of University’s Cutting-Edge Technical and Scientific Resources, Assets and Patents
Khalifa University of Science and Technology has announced the launch of ‘Khalifa University Enterprises Company - KUEC’, which will act as the business and investment arm of the University. The new company is backed by an endowment of AED100-million. KUEC will include ‘Innovation Acceleration and Startups’ and ‘KU Ventures’, which will support establishing and operating non-IP technology companies. KUEC also includes the Endowment Fund that will allocate funds for investments and operations.
FROM THE NEWSROOM
The mission of KUEC is to boost and speed up business engagement with the University to accelerate innovation and create impact on the University’s scientific research assets and resources. Furthermore, KUEC will also aim to encourage technology investors and entrepreneurs to partner with the University to commercialize its growing patent portfolio in areas such as energy, advanced manufacturing, health, artificial intelligence and robotics through creation of technology startups. Established and structured in consultation with three partners, KUEC will leverage the support of the leading asset manager, BlackRock, and global financial services leader JPMorgan. On the innovation side, Techstars will play a pivotal role in growth and scaling of UAE startups. BlackRock will invest the endowment assets on behalf of KUEC in a diversified global portfolio, while J.P. Morgan will provide custodial services to KUEC, supporting the asset management part of the endowment. Techstars will focus on reviewing Khalifa University’s patents, conducting research to identify commercial suitability and viability, as well as in market assessment and validation that will then lead to development of prototypes and use cases. KUEC will work in collaboration and partnership with Khalifa University’s Technology Management and Innovation Office to help generate commercial outputs of University intellectual property and introduce university spin-outs to the market. Similarly, KUEC will work with the University’s Finance and Business Development Office to ensure external partners and entities benefit from university resources and assets. Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “The Khalifa University Enterprises Company will usher in a new research-education-economy ecosystem paradigm in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the region. In line with the best practices of some of the globally high-ranked universities which have similar companies to maximize their economic development mission, we have launched this new entity not only to work within our mandate and benefit the country and the region, but most importantly to realize the vision of our leaders in creating a knowledge-based economy. The intellectual, innovation and financial revenue coming out of KUEC will advance and enhance the University’s mission in research and innovation.” Paschalis Bouchoris, Managing Director, Country Head for
BlackRock in Dubai, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the university with this endowment. The commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship will inevitably benefit not just the students, but also the broader economy. We thoroughly look forward to watching the endowment flourish.” Bouchoris’ responsibilities include BlackRock’s business operations, strategy and senior client relationships across the Middle East (ex-Saudi) region. In his previous role at BlackRock since May 2015 he led the activity of Financial Market Advisory (FMA) in Southeastern Europe and Middle East and served as a senior oversight in multiple client engagements with financial and official institutions focusing on risk management and policy advisory, capital markets, asset valuations and transactions. “J.P. Morgan has been providing custodial services to some of the most prestigious University endowments and foundations for many years, and we are delighted that the Khalifa University Enterprise Company has selected us to partner with them for this important initiative.” – Timothy Peters, head of Securities Services CEEMEA at J.P. Morgan. “Techstars’ global reach coupled with our passion of supporting the development of entrepreneurs, provides a highly engaged experience to unlock their entrepreneurial potential as we support these teams through validating and invalidating their theories to launch new ventures for growth” said Esther Lim, Director of Engagement for Techstars. Leading global universities have played a vital role in translating intellectual property into successful business ventures. According to PitchBook, a research and technology company covering private capital markets, between 2006 and 2017, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) produced 907 company founders as alumni or current students, creating 780 companies – the third most among all universities in the world. An earlier MIT study in 2015 reported that 30,000 companies founded by MIT alumni were active as of 2014, employing 4.6 million people and producing annual revenues of US$1.9 trillion, equivalent to the world’s 10th largest economy. The newly launched Khalifa University Enterprises Company is expected to work along similar lines, encouraging innovation and stimulating the creation of technology startups while further motivating students and alumni to explore entrepreneurship based on university research outputs. 51 KU TIMES
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University and ADNOC Sign R&D Framework Agreement to Undertake Research and Development Program
AGREEMENT PAVES WAY FOR ADVANCING INNOVATION IN THE ABU DHABI OIL AND GAS SECTOR Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have signed a research and development framework agreement for undertaking a joint research and development program that will advance innovation in the oil and gas sector in the areas of strategic importance to ADNOC. The agreement was signed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University, and Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Executive Director, People, Technology & Corporate Support Directorate, ADNOC, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2021 that was held from 1518 November at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). According to the agreement, a research and development board will be established with particular focus on
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upstream, downstream and digital solutions for the oil and gas industry and will have members from both partners. Khalifa University’s members are Dr.Steve Griffiths, Senior VicePresident, Research and Development; Dr.Saeed Alhassan, Senior Director, Petroleum Institute; and Dr. Ernesto Damiani, Senior Director, Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute. Khalifa University’s Petroleum Institute is home to the Center of Catalysis and Separation (CeCaS) and the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and H2 (RICH Center). The two research centers, along with other research undertaken at the Petroleum Institute and elsewhere at Khalifa University, contribute to technology innovations in areas such as hydrogen, carbon capture, catalysis and enhanced oil recovery. Khalifa University’s Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute provides a broad spectrum of intelligent systems capabilities that can be tailored to the needs of the oil and gas sector.
FROM THE NEWSROOM
Khalifa University and Lockheed Martin to Collaborate on Image Analysis System for Aircraft PROJECT FRAMEWORK TO INTEGRATE COMPUTER VISION, MACHINE LEARNING, AND EXPERT SYSTEMS, CAPABLE OF ACCURATELY LOCATING MARKINGS AND SYMBOLS ON AIRCRAFT Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Lockheed Martin signed an agreement to create a framework to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer vision to inspect and verify measurements, in order to improve the speed and accuracy of logo inspections during aircraft production cycle. The agreement was executed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, and Dr. Steve Walker, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Lockheed Martin, at Dubai Airshow 2021, held from 14-18 November 2021 at DWC. Lockheed Martin and Khalifa University will collaborate on a Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (CVPR) project using AI reinforcement learning and training sets. CVPR techniques have become more ubiquitous as computer hardware and software techniques have improved over the past 20 years. CVPR has been applied to biometrics, target identification, aimpoint refinement and automated control. It is of interest to Lockheed Martin for use across all domains. “Khalifa University’s collaboration agreement with Lockheed Martin signifies our status not only as a top-ranked research-intensive university but also as a center for academic and innovation excellence in advanced technologies such as machine learning and augmented reality systems through our research centers,” said Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi. “We believe this partnership will lead to an outcome that will
benefit industry stakeholders while ushering in quality systems to assist professionals in the global aviation sector.” “We are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with Khalifa University on this AI project based on the Memorandum of Understanding we signed last year,” said Dr. Steven Walker. “Khalifa University is a leading research institute in the region and the results will be applicable to the production line and a variety of technology developments efforts across space, air, land, sea, underwater and cyber.” This effort will research techniques to improve the ability of CVPR to accurately register standard symbology in imagery. The techniques developed can then be applied to any product that is attempting to accurately locate markings and symbols. Dr. Naoufel Werghi, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Khalifa University, will be the Principal Investigator, while Dr. Ernesto Damiani, Director, Research Centre on Cyber-Physical Systems (C2PS), will be the Co-PI.
53 KU TIMES
FROM THE NEWSROOM
KU Partnership with SSMC Furthering the Development of New Cancer Treatments, says Dr. Mustaqeem Siddiqui in Dubai Eye Podcast Dr. Mustaqeem A. Siddiqui, Vice Chair of Hematology and Oncology at Sheikh Shakbout Medical City (SSMC), comments on the valuable collaboration between SSMC and KU during an episode of Dubai Eye’s “Eye on Health’’ podcast. In his interview, Dr. Siddiqui highlights how the KU-SSMC partnership brings an important impact to cancer care. “When discoveries are made and a drug has been identified, the KU and SSMC partners bring that knowledge and technologies to patients. That’s where that partnership is most valuable. Those basic science discoveries then lead to new way of treating cancer.”
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE
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Khalifa University Honors 26 Graduates of 2021 YFEL Program and Kicks off 2022 YFEL with 55 New Future Energy Leaders IN ITS 12 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, YFEL OUTREACH PROGRAM HAS CREATED AN ALUMNI BODY EXCEEDING 500 YOUNG FUTURE LEADERS IN ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY Twenty-six graduates of the 2021 Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) outreach program received their certificates of completion during a ceremony for successfully concluding their year-long schedule of commitments. The YFEL program enters its 12th year of existence this year. The certificates of completion were presented to the 2021 YFEL members – nine UAE Nationals, five locally-based leaders, as well as 12 international leaders from Saudi Arabia, China, the US, Mexico, and Colombia. The ceremony also marked the start of the 2022 YFEL program. This year’s cohort has 55 new leaders, for whom the evening’s proceedings served as an ‘orientation’ ceremony. They include 31 UAE nationals, and 24 international students. Launched at the World Future Energy Summit 2010 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the YFEL program offers members exceptional and unmatched access to top global leaders, senior business executives and academics engaged in alternative energy and sustainability. So far, in its more than a decadelong existence, the YFEL program has created an alumni body exceeding 500 students and young career professionals. Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Senior Vice-President, Academic and Student Services, said: “This graduation ceremony marks the culmination of the 2021 YFEL members’ hard work to become future leaders, fully equipped to take on the ambitious clean energy and sustainability agenda that the UAE has strongly advocated for in the international community, through its various initiatives including the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit.”
FROM THE NEWSROOM
During the virtual graduation ceremony, a video presentation highlighted the achievements of the 2021 YFEL members that included their completion of educational courses in technology, policy and leadership. In all, the 2021 YFEL members attended 15 workshops with Khalifa University faculty experts and YFEL partners on topics such as leadership, sustainability, robotics, climate change, AI, and personal development.
AlAjlan said: “Through the YFEL program I gained and improved on a lot of skills, including communications, conflict management, leadership, public relations, critical thinking, graphic design, and video editing. After graduating, I am planning to continue working on the project with my team to attract more people, and add information, as well as more sections to the website.”
Most of the YFEL members also attended the YFEL GermanEmirati Sustainability Days organized by Germany’s AHK group to honor the UAE's 50th anniversary that focused on a sustainable journey and to broaden the UAE-German energy partnership, through academic collaboration.
Sharing her perspectives, Noora Al Mubarak, 2021 YFEL member and Khalifa University Civil Engineering graduate, said: “Because of the YFEL program, I was able to gain many skills and got an opportunity to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds, which helped me to improve my communication skills. The program also improved my research, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Now, I am planning to join more international programs in the leadership and sustainability fields.”
Ten YFEL winners of the case study competition on ‘AI for Sustainable Farming’, conducted by the Emirates ICT Innovation Center (EBTIC) were honored at the ‘CliftonStrengths’ reward workshop, organized by the YFEL partner BASF. The winners were assessed by the judges for novelty, strength and robustness of the design, feasibility of the implementation plan and the analysis-backed efficiencies delivered to the farming industry. Two projects created by the 2021 YFEL members – ‘Wastewater to Hydrogen: The fuel of the future’, and ‘Sustainability Bridge’ – generated substantial interest among sustainability leaders. International YFEL member Azza AlAjlan from Saudi Arabia worked on the Sustainability Bridge project, a website that digitally gathers all resources related to sustainability topics and allows interested people to connect and find sustainabilityrelated projects and activities to participate in. Her team included members from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Colombia and Mexico.
Al Mubarak contributed to the green hydrogen project, which looked at the entire supply chain, from production and recycled wastewater, to its storage and transportation, and finally, its implementation as a fuel to power vehicles. Over the years, the YFEL program has received support from community leaders and UAE-based corporate sponsors. Notable among them were Emirati philanthropists His Excellency Mohammed bin Kardous Al Ameri, and His Excellency Sultan bin Rashed Al Dhaheri. In addition, German companies BASF and Siemens have also sponsored YFEL programs.
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PUBLISHED BOOK CHAPTER & PUBLISHED ARTICLE
Published Book Chapter
TO VIEW THE LINKS TO THE PUBLISHED PAPERS
Title
Nonlinear Finite-Volume Methods for the Flow Equation in Porous Media
Book
Advanced Modeling with the MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
KU Author/s
Dr. Mohammed Al Kobaisi, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Published Papers
TO VIEW THE LINKS TO THE PUBLISHED PAPERS
VIEW HERE
VIEW HERE
Title
Atmospheric Rivers Drive Exceptional Saharan Dust Transport towards Europe
Journal
Atmospheric Research
KU Author/s
Dr. Diana Francis, Senior Research Scientist and Head of the ENGEOS Lab, Dr. Ricardo Fonseca, Research Scientist, ENGEOS Lab, and Dr. Narendra Nelli, Postdoctoral Fellow, ENGEOS Lab
Title
Enriched Transcriptome Analysis of Laser Capture Microdissected Populations of Single Cells to Investigate Intracellular Heterogeneity in Immunostained FFPE Sections
Journal
Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
KU Author/s
Dr. Mohamed Rahmani, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Title
What Have We Learned by Multiscale Models on Improving the Cathode Storage Capacity of Li-Air Batteries? Recent Advances and Remaining Challenge
Journal
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
KU Author/s
Khizar Hayat, RICH Graduate Student; Dr. Lourdes F. Vega, Director of RICH Center and Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Dr. Ahmed Al Hajaj, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and RICH Faculty Member
KU TIMES 56
PUBLISHED PAPERS
Title
Estimating the Viral Loads of SARS-CoV-2 in the Oral Cavity When Complicated with Periapical Lesions
Journal
BMC Oral Health
KU Author/s
Dr. Thenmozhi Venkatachalam, Physiology and Immunology Postdoctoral Fellow
Title
Calcium and Citrate Protect Pisum Sativum Roots Against Copper Toxicity by Regulating the Cellular Redox Status
Journal
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
KU Author/s
Dr. David Sheehan, Professor of Chemistry
Title
Simulation and Validation of Porosity and Permeability of Synthetic and Real Rock Models Using ThreeDimensional Printing and Digital Rock Physics
Journal
ACS Omega
KU Author/s
Ezdeen Ibrahim, Geosciences Graduate Student; Dr. Mohamed Soufiane Jouini, Associate Professor of Mathematics; and Dr. Fateh Bouchala, Assistant Professor of Earth Science
Title
Vanadium as Potential Therapeutic Agent for COVID-19: A Focus on Its Antiviral, Anti-inflammatory, and Antihyperglycemic Effects
Journal
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology
KU Author/s
Dr. Sabina Semiz, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Title
Mechanisms of COVID-19-Induced Kidney Injury and Current Pharmacotherapies
Journal
Inflammation Research
KU Author/s
Dr. Eman Alefishat, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Dr. Moni Nader, Associate Professor of Physiology and Immunology
Title
Gut Microbiota Interplay With COVID-19 Reveals Links to Host Lipid Metabolism Among Middle Eastern Populations
Journal
Frontiers of Microbiology
KU Author/s
Dr. Mohammad Tahseen Al Bataineh, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology 57 KU TIMES
PUBLISHED PAPERS
Title
Genome-wide Association Study of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in the United Arab Emirates
Journal
EBioMedicine
KU Author/s
Dr. Habiba Al Safar, Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology
Title
Magnetic Silica Surface Functionalized Palladium Catalyst: A Modular Approach for C-C Cross-Coupling Reactions in Water
Journal
Applied Surface Science
KU Author/s
Dr. Shashikant P Patole, Assistant Professor of Physics
Title
Low Volume Hospitals Are Not Associated with Inferior Outcomes After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
Journal
Journal of Vascular Surgery
KU Author/s
Dr. Noora AlHajri, Epidemiology and Population Health Instructor
Title
miRNAs in the Regulation of Cancer Immune Response: Effect of miRNAs on Cancer Immunotherapy
Journal
Cancers
KU Author/s
Dr. Noora AlHajri, Epidemiology and Population Health Instructor and Mustafa Hasan Shehadeh, Medical Student
Title
Candida Albicans PPG1, a Serine/Threonine Phosphatase, Plays a Vital Role in Central Carbon Metabolisms Under Filament-Inducing Conditions: A Multi-Omics Approach
Journal
PLoS One
KU Author/s
Dr. Mohammad Tahseen Al Bataineh, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Title
Learning from Itch - Epidermolysis Bullosa is a Genetically Determined Barrier Disruption and a Chronic Inflammatory Disease
Journal
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
KU Author/s
Dr. Zbigniew Ruszczak, Adjunct Clinical Professor, College of Medicine and Health Sciences
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PUBLISHED PAPERS
Title
Medication Discrepancies Among Hospitalized Patients with Hypertension: Assessment of Prevalence and Risk Factors
Journal
BMC Health Services Research
KU Author/s
Dr. Eman Alefishat, Associate Professor of Pharmacology
Title
Interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with Cardiomyocytes: Insight into the Underlying Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiac Injury and Pharmacotherapy
Journal
Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy
KU Author/s
Abdulhamid Abdi, Medical Student; Dr. Ali Khraibi, Professor of Physiology and Immunology; Dr. Hamdan Hamdan, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Immunology; and Dr. Moni Nader, Associate Professor of Physiology and Immunology
Title
Nanojunction Material Effect on the Photoelectric Response of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Rectennas
Journal
ACS Omega
KU Author/s
Dr. Lina Tizani, Research Associate, System-on-Chip Center (SoCC); Dr. Yawar Abbas, Research Scientist, Department of Physics; Dr. Baker Mohammad, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and SoCC Faculty; and Dr. Moh’d Rezeq, Associate Professor of Physics and SoCC Faculty
Title
C3PU: Cross-Coupling Capacitor Processing Unit Using Analog-Mixed Signal for AI Inference
Journal
IEEE Access
KU Author/s
Dr. Dima Kilani, Postdoctoral Fellow, System-on-Chip Center (SoCC); Dr. Baker Mohammad, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and SoCC Faculty; Dr. Yasmin Halawani, Postdoctoral Fellow, System-onChip Center (SoCC); Mohammed F. Tolba, Research Associate, System-on-Chip Center (SoCC); and Dr. Hani Saleh, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and SoCC Faculty
Title
Metallated Isoindigo–Porphyrin Covalent Organic Framework Photocatalyst with a Narrow Band Gap for Efficient CO2 Conversion
Journal
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
KU Author/s
Dr. Dinesh Shetty, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Dr. Abdul Khayyum Mohammed, Postdoctoral Fellow, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department
Title
SIT1 Transporter as a Potential Novel Target in Treatment of COVID-19
Journal
Biomedical Concepts
KU Author/s
Dr. Sabina Semiz, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics
59 KU TIMES
PUBLISHED PAPERS
Title
Vertebrae at the Thoracolumbar Junction: A Quantitative Assessment Using CT Scans
Journal
Journal of Anatomy
KU Author/s
Dr. Natalie Keough, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Title
Reflective Writing and the Self-Perceived Development of Intrapersonal Communication Skills among First-Year University Students in the UAE
Journal
Reflective Practice
KU Author/s
Dr. Tanju Deveci, Associate Professor of English and Dr. Mark Wyatt Associate Professor of English
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61 KU TIMES
College of Arts & Science College of Arts & Science
LEADER IN LEADER IN RESEARCH RESEARCH
College of Medicine & Health CollegeScience of Medicine & Health Science
The highly-ranked Khalifa University offers fully accredited degrees to all nationalities through its 3 academic colleges, 13 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and 2 PhD programs, offering plenty of opportunities for students to explore theirdegrees intereststoand learn from The highly-ranked Khalifa University offers fully accredited all nationalities award-winning teachers. through its 3 academic colleges, 13 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and 2 PhD programs, offering plenty of opportunities for students to explore their interests and learn from As Abu Dhabi’s research-intensive university, Khalifa University gives students a award-winning teachers. chance to study in-depth with expert faculty and researchers on the leading-edge of discovery in science, engineering, and medicine to solve real-world problems. As Abu Dhabi’s research-intensive university, Khalifa University gives students Our a students develop cleaner energy,faculty find new to produce sustainably,of chance tohelp study in-depth with expert andways researchers on water the leading-edge create smarter diagnostic tools, and better waysreal-world to use AI to make data discovery in science, engineering, anddiscover medicine to solve problems. Our insightful. students help develop cleaner energy, find new ways to produce water sustainably, create smarter diagnostic tools, and discover better ways to use AI to make data Study beside our award-winning faculty and help deliver real solutions, transform insightful. lives, and change the world. Study beside our award-winning faculty and help deliver real solutions, transform lives, and change the world.
Facebook: Khalifa University
Twitter: @KhalifaUni
Instagram: @khalifa_university
Facebook: Khalifa University
Twitter: @KhalifaUni
Instagram: @khalifa_university
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College of Engineering College of Engineering