Abu Dhabi University launches Center of Excellence in Smart, Sustainable and Entrepreneurial Cities

Abu Dhabi University has launched the Centre of Excellence in Smart, Sustainable and Entrepreneurial Cities, with a dedicated budget of AED 6 Million, to boost scientific and applied research agenda, and generate research outputs that contribute to the UAE’s national development.

The Centre will be the umbrella under which three research centers focused on sustainability will operate, which are the Research Center in Sustainable Built Environments, the Research Center in Sustainable Business Processes and the Research Center in Smart Services for Smart Cities.

Commenting on this new addition to the University’s arsenal of centers dedicated to excellence, Dr. Nabil Ibrahim Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University explained that research is a fundamental pillar of the University’s 2014 -2019 strategy. "We’re continuously working on linking our research outputs to the needs of the policy agenda of Abu Dhabi’s Government and its Economic Vision 2030, through monitoring and analyzing the key issues that face various sectors of society in the UAE and trying to find innovative solutions to these issues.

"The newly launched center will also help us in allocating more resources towards enhancing the number of faculty driven research and further encourage them publish their research in specialized scientific journals registered in SCOPUS and other world-renowned databases," he added.

On his part, Provost of Abu Dhabi University, Dr. Richard Gibb explained that with the start of the new academic year, the University has started implementing a research strategy focused on exploring investment areas in vital research topics of national standing, as well as creating an environment that values and encourages a diversity of scientific and applied research interests.

He said, "Research is one of the most vital factors that affects the international reputation of any University; in fact, it is the main determining aspect of a higher education’s ability to compete internationally. At ADU, we’ve always been keen on elevating our research standards and under the umbrella of this new Centre of Excellence, the three newly inaugurated research centers will promote opportunities for research grant proposals, capacity-building and funding small innovative projects.

WAM/AAMIR