Sharjah University's Innovations, Study Projects and Expert Workshops Bring Science Closer to Public

UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH PUTS UP STRONG SHOW DURING UAE INNOVATION WEEK; TEACHERS, SCHOLARS SHOWCASE WORK, SHARE RARE INSIGHTS

Sharjah, November 24, 2016:  The University of Sharjah (UoS) has a strong presence at the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah, being held from November 20 to 26 at Expo Centre Sharjah, with its teachers, researchers and students showcasing their groundbreaking innovations, research projects and studies that are aimed at improving lives and contributing to the goal of making the UAE a knowledge-driven society and a global hub of innovations.  

The UoS has the largest stand at the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah showcasing the best of innovations and projects that were chosen from among the best of entries submitted by students and researchers. It features 15 engineering projects representing architectural, electrical, nuclear, mechanical and IT streams.  There are 9 projects by students of the Faculty of Science including mathematics, physics and chemistry streams.  It also includes two business management projects and one in Islamic Sharia.  

For the first time, Sharjah Institute of Medical and Health Sciences and the Institute of Science and Engineering are participating in the exhibition. To encourage students of various streams to participate, the UoS management has also announced a competition for the best new innovative project proposals, and winners will be honored at the end of the week.

The UoS has also been hosting workshops and lectures by its faculty members and other experts on a range of issues and future challenges:

5G Network For Future Communication
Dr Khawla Alnajjar, Assistant Professor at University of Sharjah made a presentation on the importance of innovative solutions in the field of electrical engineering with particular focus on wireless communication and 5G innovation.  As the communication revolution continues across the world, including in the UAE, there is a constant need for innovation to keep pace with the demand.  

Dr Alnajjar, an Emirati national who went to Columbia University in New York and University of Canterbury in New Zealand, is convinced that in the next decade, the demand for higher data rates and quality of service in wireless and mobile communications will continue to grow rapidly. Growth in users, devices and traffic is expected to exceed the improvements in wireless communication technology that are currently possible with today’s technology. 

“Therefore, telecom operators around the world are attempting to gain more spectrum. However, spectrum is scarce and expensive and industry and academia are already looking ahead to new ideas and new technologies that can help to meet the needs of future wireless services,” she explains. This is where the need for the fifth generation networks (5G), the proposed version for the mobile communication, emerges, on which she has been working.  

Nuclear Power for Progress and Prosperity
Nuclear technology is a contentious and sensitive subject among the public, because it strongly relates to public health and safety. There are a number of misconceptions and apprehensions in the public about nuclear technology and the special sphere of science that deals with it around the world. This is where the insights of experts like Dr Muhammed Zubair, Assistant Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Sharjah, become invaluable.  
In his presentation at the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah, Dr Zubair, who studied in China and South Korea, sought to explain the importance and use of nuclear energy from a layperson’s perspective and also address many of the misconceptions and concerns about its use.  

He offers an overview of nuclear power, public exposure and radiation, advances in safety techniques, future reactors and the crucial role nuclear power can play in the progress and prosperity of nations.    

The week-long festival of ideas at the Expo Centre Sharjah brings together hundreds of experts, innovators and academics representing public and private sector organisations, universities and government bodies and is set to see more than 110 activities including, workshops, exhibitions, debates and skits.         

All the activities of the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah are open to members of public and media. The exhibition hall of Expo Centre Sharjah has been divided into six sections with innovative names denoting a scientific spirit.