ABU DHABI // Faculty members and students say they are optimistic about the merger of Khalifa University, Masdar Institute and the Petroleum Institute.
A proposal to unify the three post-secondary institutions “under the umbrella of one single university” was approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council last week.
“The merger aims at placing the unified university among the best universities in the world, and at exploiting existing infrastructures and building on the achievements that have been made in all three universities,” the state news agency Wam said.
“It also seeks to reach a high level of operational efficiency that ensures the optimal use of resources. In addition, the new entity will maintain the current strength points of the three universities while building upon the capacities of each of them and improving multidisciplinary academic and research activities, and research achievements in order to preserve their local and global reputation.”
About 4,508 students are enrolled across the three institutions. While they wait for more details to be released about how the merger will proceed and on what timeline, faculty and students welcomed the amalgamation.
“We at Khalifa University definitely view this decision with optimism about the future,” said Khalifa University president Dr Tod A Laursen.
“The university that will result from this merger will have a critical mass that will be greater than the sum of its parts, and I am really enthusiastic about the enhanced opportunities for world-class scholarship and research that will be made available to faculty, staff and students. It will be our honor to work with colleagues from Masdar and the Petroleum Institute to make this happen.”
Dr Laursen praised the government’s “strong commitment” to “continue building a university that will be amongst the world’s elite”.
“This has been our commitment from the beginning at KU, and I know it is a sentiment and approach shared by Petroleum Institute and Masdar Institute. The achievements made to date, including but not limited to KU’s emergence in world rankings of top universities, is good evidence that this goal is achievable and that a great foundation is in place to build upon.”
Petroleum Institute president Dr Thomas Hochstettler said the campus community looked forward to partnering with KU and Masdar.
“For all of us at the Petroleum Institute – faculty, staff, and students alike – the prospect of joining forces with our colleagues at the Masdar Institute and Khalifa University is bright with promise for growth and ever greater collaboration,” said Dr Hochstettler. “I personally am confident that this new concentration of resources under one umbrella will allow Abu Dhabi to create a truly great university with a global reach. At one stroke, the Abu Dhabi Executive Council has established the basis for turning Abu Dhabi into a world-class higher-education destination. This is a vision that the three institutions can embrace with great energy and enthusiasm.”
Mohamed Almessabi, a mechanical engineering student at the Petroleum Institute, said the merger presents a “huge opportunity” for the higher education landscape of Abu Dhabi.
“It will definitely benefit the students academically and socially, and I hope that the success of developing the new university will exceed our expectations in the quality of the education and facilities,” said Mr Almessabi.
“Of course, the merging will be difficult at the beginning because every university follows a specific and special curriculum towards teaching the students, and different ways to facilitate the students with their needs. However, I believe through time the universities will come to an agreement that will benefit us all. And I look forward to seeing what it will become.”
Masdar Institute tweeted: “The synergy between the 3 academic institutes will enhance #MasdarInst continued contribution to #R&D in advanced energy & sustainable tech.”
For the time being, however, Masdar tweeted that “all academic and research activities of the #MasdarInst will continue as usual”.
rpennington@thenational.ae
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
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THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Racecard
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MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
