The symposium was sponsored by Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) and co-organised by the Centre for Advanced Materials at Qatar University (QU). The event brought together experts from academic institutions, research centres, industry and government organisations to discuss the latest advances in materials science and engineering.
The 2017 symposium addressed the theme ‘Advanced Materials for Reliable Energy Systems — Improving the Quality of Life’ to support research grand challenges as identified in vision 2030 of Qatar.
The event featured distinguished keynote and invited speakers, a panel discussion and an invited poster session designed to offer researchers and students a chance to present their findings in the form of a poster and receive valuable feedback from attendees. The symposium also featured a session in which six teams of students from four local high school showcased their projects and ideas on the symposium theme.
Dr Mohamed Yousef al-Mulla, managing director and CEO of Qapco, said the topic of the symposium was important, especially regarding the opportunities and challenges currently being faced for a sustainable energy future.
“The fact that we have access to clean, affordable and reliable energy is something that we take for granted. We must not forget that our approach to, and utilisation of, energy in the 21st century must not only be clean, affordable and reliable, but also should be sustainable,” he stressed.
The symposium featured speakers from top international academic institutions and local industry, including Kahramaa, Qatar Environment and Energy Institute, QU, Tamuq and Texas A&M’s main campus in the US.
The annual event has become a valuable platform through which researchers, academics and industry professionals can discuss the latest trends and advances in materials science and engineering. The objective of the symposium is to promote dialogue and exchange of ideas among experts from various disciplines, as well as identify and address prospects for future interdisciplinary collaboration.
