UAE University awards Dh12.5m for research



UAE University is awarding Dh12.5 million to its researchers, the largest amount of internal funding awarded in the institution's history.

The move is part of the university's broader effort to become a research institution as it hopes to attract more funding from government departments and other potential sponsors.

UAE University awarded funds to 37 individual projects based on their relevance to the country's health, economic, environmental and social issues, and also on how they were judged by a panel of international peers.

Several of the studies focused on diabetes, for instance, a condition that affects more than a quarter of Emiratis.

"It's an important step in continuing to build our research capability and in ensuring that our research is well aligned with the nation's needs," said Rory Hume, the university's provost.

Dr Walid Elshorbagy's study on the nation's water desalination process received a grant of Dh250,000, which will allow him to carry out chemical analyses at water treatment plants to determine whether the chlorination process or other technologies used are producing cancer-causing byproducts.

"We will try to itemise the best disinfection processes so that the harmful byproducts generated are easily eliminated and minimised," Dr Elshorbagy said. "This financial assistance will help us determine how to produce healthier water, which every individual has a right to."

Prof Basel al Ramadi, who is researching cancer cell growth and immunity, said his grant of Dh250,000 was triple what his laboratory usually received. The money will allow him to invest in cutting-edge technologies in his field, and enable him to bring in postdoctoral fellows, whom he called "the backbone" of research.

"This brings the impact and quality of our work to the standards of reputable labs around the world, in terms of execution," Prof al Ramadi said.

"Productive research requires the right people and the right technology, and that was not feasible with the funding that we had. This has a huge impact in that it brings much of the research on par with the best."

Research on genetic conditions received a high priority due to marriages between blood relatives in the UAE.

Bassam Ali, an associate professor of molecular and genetic medicine, is adapting a newly developed gene-silencing technology, called siRNA, to find treatments for birth defects.

But the projects to receive funding were not all science-oriented. There were studies on Emirati kindergarten programmes, street lighting and strategic planning for public organisations.

A study from the university's department of linguistics focused on creating a text database of Emirati Arabic. "This is important for enriching and preserving this specific dialect, which can even vary from emirate to emirate," said Dr Girma Halefom, who headed the study.

"The uses for this are endless, from translations, searching text, writing grammar books and dictionaries. This is really the beginning of research and investigation of this language."

UAE University, the oldest federal university in the country, is ranked among the top 400 in the world.

It has been working toward becoming the nation's first research-based institution, launching a public health research institute and establishing PhD programmes this year.

Officials also said earlier this year that they would eventually cut as many as 200 university jobs to help boost research funding.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series

Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen​​​​​​​
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg​​​​​​​
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

Tonight's Chat on The National

Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Results:

Men’s wheelchair 200m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 27.14; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 27.81; 3. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 27.81.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor

 

Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

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