ADU’s 3rd Annual “UAE Undergraduate Student Research Competition” attracts record of 1000 students from across the UAE

In an unprecedented feat for a students’ competition in the UAE, Abu Dhabi University’s 3^rd annual “United Arab Emirates Undergraduate Student Research Competition (UGSRC)” received more than 348 research abstract submissions from around 1,000 undergraduate students from universities across the UAE. Held under the patronage of H.E Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the nation-wide research competition is part of the University’s comprehensive strategy to highlight the importance of encouraging undergraduate students to undertake scientific research endeavors and coincides with the UAE’s classification of the year 2015 as the “Year of Innovation”. In its third successful year, the competition aims to showcase, recognize and promote outstanding undergraduate student research conducted at any higher educational institution in the UAE and provide participants with the opportunity of presenting their results at the final ceremony at Abu Dhabi University’s campus on 21^st of May 2015.

Commenting on the record growth of abstract submissions to the UAE-UGSRC, Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University Dr. Nabil Ibrahim expressed the University’s pride in the competition’s success in spite of short history of only three years.  “Research abstract submissions to the United Arab Emirates Undergraduate Student Research Competition (UAE-UGSRC) have remarkably grown from 248 research submissions last year to 348 this year from more than 1000 students from universities all over the UAE. Abu Dhabi University students alone have more than 84 submissions divided over the different categories of the competition which in itself is a testament to the University’s instilled values that focuses on innovation and creativity and highlights the importance of increasing scientific research outcomes as a one of ADU’s pivotal targets of its strategic plan 2014 -2019 . This significant and probably unprecedented boost of submissions to a student-based competition also speaks volumes about the competition’s success spreading awareness amongst higher education institutions on the importance of encouraging undergraduate research endeavors for which play a big role in developing students and honing their critical and analytical thinking skills”, added Dr. Ibrahim.

Dr. Ibrahim went on to point out that one of the key indicators of the UAE-UGSRC’s success in promoting learning, creativity and innovation, is the patronage  it has received from H.E Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as the participation of student teams from 25 different universities across the nation. “This unique competition also acts as a platform of communication that allows students to exchange research ideas and outcomes with their peers, as well as offer employers, business and industry partners and entrepreneurs an insight into the some of the region’s brightest young minds”, concluded Dr. Ibrahim.

Elaborating on the role of the competition, Dr. Ashraf Khalil Director of Research at ADU explained that specialized expert committees are currently reviewing the submitted reports from the participating students who have reached more than 1000 in total. “The overwhelming response to this unique research competition confirms that students around the nation have realized that they cannot fulfil their academic potential without having a strong foundation in the various elements of scientific research, thereby enhancing the role of higher education institutions in fulfilling the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership in classifying 2015 as the “Year of Innovation”. Although postgraduate students are the most likely to utilize research skills, however; to establish and promote a research culture its vital to start at the undergraduate level which will eventually help in shaping students’ critical and analytical thinking skills. With the closing ceremony scheduled on the 21^st of May 2015, the specialized committees are set to receive full proposals and research papers of all participating teams by 29^th of April, after which participants will be notified of their presentation schedule that will be judged by experts from academia and industry, with first place winners awarded with prizes up to  AED 10,000”, explained Dr. Khalil. 

The third annual “United Arab Emirates Undergraduate Student Research Competition” has attracted research in Engineering including: Architecture and Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Project and Engineering Management, and Chemical Engineering. While research projects in Arts and Social Sciences covered: Mathematics, Public Relations and Mass Communications, Psychology, Sociology and Statistics. Applications in the Natural and Health Sciences category include: Energy, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Health and Safety, Occupational Health, and Public Health. Or in Business Administration: Accounting/ Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources Management, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing. Furthermore, while in Information Technology research projects can be in Artificial Intelligence Applications and Mobile Applications. The Education category covers Instructional Technologies, Gifted and Special Needs.