Students from national and international universities participate in creating solutions to housing challenges

In a virtual ceremony, the UAE government honored the affiliates of the second batch of the “Impossible Hackathon” model for students of national and international universities, which was organized by the Ministry of “The Impossible”, as part of its initiatives aimed at enhancing students’ participation in designing the new generation of government practices, and creating qualitative solutions.��

The work system for the second batch of the “Impossible Hackathon” model for students of national and international universities included a course entitled Innov8x accredited by the ��ݮ��Ƶ of Engineering at the American University of Colorado Mainz and Khalifa University, which focused on design and leadership thinking, analysis of challenges, development of prototypes, and the participation of stakeholders in developing Innovative community solutions, where a team from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure coordinated periodically with students to follow up on the developments of their work, answer their questions and inquiries, provide them with information and help them design and devise the best solutions to challenges.

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The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) launched the Academic Writing Workshop Series designed for postgraduate students and postdocs.

The Academic Writing Workshop Series took place over seven weeks during the Spring 2021 semester to support postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows with their academic writing.

The workshops focused on several modules, ranging from transversal engagement across skill-sets including critical thinking and data analysis, data organization and display, and writing planning, as well as vertical requirements with tips and examples towards literature review, experimental papers, grants and online writing.

Aspects related to academic writer blocks, procrastination, and lack of focus are common to all writers—beginners and experts included—and this course aimed to provide tools and tips on how to minimize these aspects to successfully deliver a high quality of writing.

Discussions engaged participants with core academic questions related to plagiarism, engagement with peers and reviewers/editors, ways to respond to criticism and reviewers comments, as well as pathways towards successful grant writing.

Lastly, consideration for research vulgarization and risks/benefits of online expression of researchers were also discussed to help the attendees improve their online presence efficiently and safely.

Dr. Prasoon Raj, Postdoc, Nuclear and Radiation Science, one of the participants who completed the workshops, said: “The Academic Writing Series covered plenty of essential topics. Guidance on writing review papers, background of a peer-review process, grant writing tips, and communication through broader/social media were some of the very useful elements for me. Individual experiences of course students gave perspectives for many publication-related issues which I am facing (or may face). It is seriously a must-do for early careers. Quite a good balance of contents, with ample scope for discussions.”

Ahmed Khalid Mohamed Abdalla Alzaabi, a Master’s of Petroleum Engineering student, shared his experience from this program: “I had an engaging experience in learning how to tackle various academic challenges such as writing well-structured sentences based on importance, meaning, and purpose. Moreover, I learned how to present my results in a clear manner to deliver a clear message and get various conclusions from it. My favorite part was how everyone in the course shared their experiences and lessons learned from the course assignments and their research topics. Overall, I highly recommend this course to graduate students starting their journey in research.”

Yongjie Liu, a PhD student from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Center for Membrane & Advanced Water Technology (CMAT) also completed the workshop series: “The Academic Writing Series focused on Critical thinking, Development of research question/rationale, Literature assessment and benchmarking, Data organization and ordering, Development of critical argument, and Data presentation and layout. I think the course outline is logical covering shallower topics and then delving into deeper topics. Dr. Ludo also gave feedback on our assignments without reservation. I feel better in starting to write an academic draft than before because Dr. Ludo taught me a great way to search for relevant references and how to organize data.”

The course was very well received by the attendees and will be offered for a second round from April to May 2021 with a team of instructors to discuss specific writing challenges and provide tips towards more efficient writing and engagement. The lead faculty facilitator of the program is Dr. Ludovic Dumee, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Staff Report
5 May 2021

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AlAnood Jumaan Mohamed Ahmed AlBreiki Volunteered to do Voiceovers for Videos on Math, Science, Chemistry and Biology

Not many would think to drive from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, thrice a week, for over a year, just to spend three hours in a recording booth, even if it is to contribute to a challenging and noble task. But AlAnood Jumaan Mohamed Ahmed AlBreiki, a Bachelors of Chemical Engineering student at Khalifa University, has proudly done that.

AlBreiki volunteered to do Arabic voiceovers for educational videos on Math, Science, Chemistry and Biology as part of the project, the largest free e-learning platform in the Arab world, under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). The project was launched recently by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.

AlBreiki appears in a that was posted by HH Sheikh Mohammed on his Twitter account. She was recently honored with a certificate of appreciation by HE Mohammed AlGergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the United Arab Emirates, and the Chairman of the Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in the Government of Dubai.

“The main reason I chose to be a part of this project was that when I was in high school, I couldn’t find educational videos on the internet in Arabic, especially in Biology and Math. This was a problem for students like me, who were studying in Arabic at school and wanted to use videos to help themselves study further at home. So when I heard about this project, I wanted to volunteer because I liked the idea and wanted to help the youth in the Middle East,” AlBreiki explained.

Though AlBreiki is a busy student, and is currently studying for Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Khalifa Univerity, she found the time and energy to make the 1.5-hour drive from Abu Dhabi to the Dubai Design District, and do her recordings for three hours, because she was energized by the knowledge of the impact the Madrasa project would have.

“All the hard work we did will now reach millions of students. It will also reduce the pressure on parents to get and pay huge amounts for private tutors for their children, because now their children can learn online for free through the new platform,” she explained.

The Madrasa e-learning platform offers 5,000 Arabic educational videos on subjects including science and mathematics and targets all levels of school students from kindergarten to Grade 12. The project provides educational materials in Arabic online at no charge to over 50 million Arab students around the world.

AlBreiki added: “It’s an honor to be part of educating a child who can contribute to the region’s future. I feel so delighted that I contributed to this portal.”

Madrasa is the culmination of hundreds of thousands of hours of hard work put in by translators, proofreaders, designers, technicians, and voice-over artists who volunteered for the Translation Challenge.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
22 October 2018

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Abdulla Mohammed Alshimmari Keen to Attract More Investors to Transform Food Services Platform ‘Foodate’ into Global Business

PhD candidate Abdulla Mohammed Alshimmari has been chosen among the four finalists to participate in the Pitch@Palace Global 2.0 at St. James’s Palace in London this December.

Alshimmari was selected out of 14 entrepreneurs from the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia who pitched their project ideas in Abu Dhabi as part of Pitch@Palace GCC 1.0, a platform that seeks to amplify and accelerate the work of entrepreneurs. The winning entrepreneurs from the UAE and the Gulf region will be given an opportunity to present their ideas before an elite group of businessmen, investors, and high-level company executives, at the London event.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, attended the final event of Pitch@Palace GCC 1.0 at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, in the presence of the His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and founder of the Pitch@Palace initiative that aims to encourage innovation. The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), founding partner of Pitch@Palace UAE and GCC, announced the four winners.

With this year’s theme being ‘Technology serving humans’, Alshimmari, won for ‘Foodate’, an online-based smart system for food and beverage services. It provides high-end tech-savvy services through an e-Commerce gateway, which includes business tools like customized e-Commerce web/app, smart management tools and payment gateways.

Speaking about his experience, Alshimmari said: “Pitching at the Pitch@Palace GCC 1.0 was truly challenging, as the finalists were professionals and I believe all of us had great ideas and applications. However, the bootcamp made me aware of the specific criteria about pitching itself, while the trainers and their course proved beneficial.”

Having come this far, Alshimmari is firmly setting his sights on the final in London, where he will have to pitch in front of the global audience in London.

“The issue we are solving is a global issue, people are wasting around 50% of their food globally. We are providing a solution that reduces unused cooked food, reduce greenhouse gases associated with this unused cooked food and feed the needy. We will work more on how to work this solution suitably for different countries. Additionally, for the business side, we will be working on the value proposition and how to approach more investors in order to grow,” he explained.

Clarence Michael

News Writer

28 October 2018

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Abdelaziz Saeed Mohamed Alzaabi Selected to Attend for Outstanding Academic Performance and Leadership Skills

Khalifa University MSc in Mechanical Engineering alumnus Abdelaziz Saeed Mohamed Alzaabi was among four Emirati graduates selected to represent the UAE at the Nobel Awards Ceremony 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, where awardees received their Nobel Medals and Diploma from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

The graduates were given this unprecedented honor through the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), which also organized the trip and their collaboration with Nobel Prize Foundation in Sweden. Al Zaabi was selected based on his outstanding academic performance and leadership skills within the university and the broader UAE community.

The four were greeted by H.E. Sultan Al Kaitoob, UAE Ambassador to Sweden, as well as MBRF’s Chief Executive Officer Jamal bin Huwaireb.

“His excellency Al Kaitoob reiterated the government’s support for research and science as well as the goal of having an Emirati win a Nobel prize in the coming years,” Al Zaabi shared, referencing a quote from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who said: “We work today to develop a generation of UAE scientists able to compete for Nobel Prize in the next decades”.

The trip aimed to inspire promising young Emirati towards achieving their personal and professional goals in science, towards ultimately receiving the Nobel Prize.

In addition to the ceremony and prize distribution on 10 December, the UAE graduate group also attended the Nobel Week Dialogue where previous laureates discussed “Water matters”, the main topic for the year. The event also had sessions on the importance of water and scientific topics about water, as well as the possible existence of life and water on Mars.

Alzaabi and the three other Emiratis – two from UAE University, one from Zayed University – were hosted by the Nobel Foundation in the Nobel Museum in Stockholm and were given a tour on the laureates’ achievements and their artifacts that they provided to represent their achievements at the museum.

Alzaabi was selected to attend the Nobel event for his outstanding academic performance and leadership skills within Khalifa University and the broader UAE community. He won his place to represent Khalifa University and the UAE after an extensive interview in April 2018.

Earlier this year, Alzaabi was selected as a member of the UAE Youth Science Council. He also presented a paper at the 2018 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC 2018) in Miyazaki, Japan, since his research focuses on new robotics (underwater) technologies. Moreover, in his role as a teaching assistant he supports and equips freshmen engineering students with the skills needed to innovate and reach beyond their imagination and enhance traditional engineering by building and solving real engineering problems.

Abdelaziz also has several scientific contributions and has co-authored several journal papers since his final year in the undergraduate program at Khalifa University. Some of the education excellence awards he has received include H.H Sheikh Khalifa Award for Excellence in academic Achievements, H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Award for Excellence in Academic Achievements, Sharjah Award, and gold medals of the Chemistry and Physics National Olympics which were awarded by the Emirates Association for the Gifted and Ministry of Education.

The Nobel award ceremony is attended by prominent academics, scientists and previous Nobel laureates. This year’s ceremony marked the first time students from the Arab world were selected to attend. The UAE was the first country to secure a place for four students to attend the ceremony following a collaboration between Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) and the Nobel Prize Foundation in Sweden.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
3 January 2019

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