Qatar University (QU) and Istanbul Technical University (ITU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday to boost co-operation between the two entities in science, technology and education, to be managed by collaboration between specialists and academics from both institutions.
The MoU comes as part of the “assertive commitment of Qatar University in enhancement of its collaborations with universities worldwide, and enriching the areas of science and research in education,” QU said in a statement yesterday.
The MoU was signed by Dr Hassan al-Derham, QU president; and Prof Ismail Koyuncu, ITU rector; in the presence of Mert Ozmert, deputy head of mission, first counsellor and charge d’affaires at the embassy of Turkey in Doha; Prof Mariam al-Maadeed, vice-president for Research and Graduate Studies at Qatar University, and other distinguished guests from both universities and industry.
The MoU emphasises the co-operation and methods of collaboration between the two entities, especially in the field of scientific research, which is reflected in the academic pathway falling under the strategic plan of QU, striving for excellence in scientific research through innovation with the involvement of local and international stakeholders to strengthen research and impact socio-economic development, the statement explained.
The MoU is a result of collaboration between the Center for Advanced Materials at QU with the group of Prof Syed Javaid Zaidi, Qafac chair professor; and ITU with the group of Prof Levent Trabzon for research collaboration in water desalination and water treatment.
The two teams from QU and ITU have published research papers and successfully applied for joint research projects.
The signing of the MoU will further boost the research collaboration between the two institutions and provide opportunities for capacity building to excel in science and technology for the benefit of the people of the two countries as water desalination and treatment is strategic to Qatar as well as Turkey, the statement points out. This is the first time QU is signing an MoU with ITU, which is the top technical university of Turkey.
The collaboration and MoU will also provide framework for exchange of experiences and educational, academic and scientific experiences, exchange of information, including newsletters, journals, studies, statistics and other data, conducting studies, and holding conferences, meetings, and training and exchange of faculty members and/or research scholars. In his speech for this event, Dr al-Derham said: “This MoU is a culmination of a successful collaboration that has been ongoing for the last two years between research groups from both universities. It will help develop academic and industrial collaboration in engineering and science for advanced nanomaterials applications, and provide opportunities and enable knowledge and experience sharing, in addition to building capacity and facilitating training, education and student/faculty exchange.”
Prof Koyuncu noted: “The protocol that we have entered into with Qatar University is a significant indicator of increasing co-operation in the fields of science and education, scientific thinking and the coalition of students and academicians. The collaborations will be carried out between the two nations and their researchers and students, thus providing scientific and technological advances in both Turkey and Qatar.”
Prof Nasser Alnuaimi, director of the Center for Advanced Materials at QU, praised the signing of the MoU and considered it as an important step forward for scientific research and collaboration between the two
universities.
Dr Hassan al-Derham, Qatar University president.
