Abu Dhabi University Undergraduate Research Competition and Proud Zayed University Professors

 This past Thursday was a full day at the Abu Dhabi University 2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Competition - to learn more about it you can visit the website: website (scroll down). I can say that it was a valuable learning experience for the students and gave the mentoring professors moments of intense pride.

The research journey began with many rounds of writing abstracts and then sending them in with all the required documents on February 28 - in all 248 submissions from 21 universities around the UAE were sent in and 100 accepted for paper submission. Three research teams were selected from my Capstone class from the male students and three teams were selected of female students from Dr. Damien Arthur's class to be among the 100 student teams to present at the competition held last Thursday. 

The real hard work began then with wrapping up research and writing the final papers which were submitted on May 2 - then good news arrived when we heard that three teams from our College were selected for the finals and three teams for poster presentations. (Needless to say the College of Business from Zayed University Abu Dhabi was very well represented!) 

The preparation for the big day involved many practice sessions and perhaps more than a little stress - this was a first for all the students involved. The day began early, and all the students were early. We looked at the program first thing... 

All the College of Business teams were in the same session after lunch

Required Selfie!

None of our teams presented in the morning, but many of the students (and of course Damien and I) attended the presentations of teams from around the UAE. I know my students were a bit surprised how interesting it was and how time passed quicker than they imagined it would.

After lunch we got to the room early to get good seats - a selfie and photos followed of course.

Waiting to present

The first group presented on Emiraitisation and the public sector - they knew their stuff and did very well.

Waiting for questions (yes, the research process involves a lot of waiting)

Published abstract

Published abstract

The second group presented on entrepreneurship and Emirati youth - and demonstrated they understood the issues and were ready to answer all the questions posed of them.

The entrepreneurial process

Then Damien's group of female students presented and not only did they impress me, they impressed the judges and were awarded first place in the business track! Their research involved looking into the perceptions of expats of Emirati employees and they handled a sensitive topic extremely well.

The ladies with their cheque! (Photo courtesy of D. Arthur)

Published abstract (photo courtesy of D. Arthur)

From January, this has been an interesting and rewarding journey on the research path... I am super proud of the effort and courage to do something new on the part of all my students. I will let Damien's tweet tell you how he felt! "I have never been more proud of my students than I am today. 1st prize in the UAE student research comp!" 

Congratulations to all the students and I hope you remember how much fun this was and that you encourage your younger siblings and friends to participate in the coming years... and even continue the research journey yourself :)

(Guest bloggers) Abu Dhabi Plan 2030: Education

This is a guest blogger post by one of the participating groups of students who looked at Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 and then developed a poster presentation of their chosen theme.

Done by: Mohamed Alkhoori – Zayed Aldhahri – Rashed Aldhohouri – Abdulla Alhashid

                                                         Khalifa Alshehhi

Introduction

The 2030 strategy/vision of Abu Dhabi reaches out to the different sectors from health, to finance, economics, urban planning, education and much more.  The purpose of this vision is to place Abu Dhabi as the leading city in internal development (education, urban planning etc.), and external development (foreign investments, import and export relationships).  This post will feature the educational goals of Abu Dhabi by 2030 and the leading institutes that will help Abu Dhabi attain that goal.

Zayed University

Zayed University Abu Dhabi campus

One of the first institutions that has grown exponentially over the last two decades was Zayed University.  Named after His Highness peace be upon him Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, this institute was initially founded to educate females in the UAE and now has male and female campuses.  

By 2030 Zayed University will become the leading university in the United Arab Emirates specialized in training the leaders of tomorrow in the fields of Business Sciences, International Affairs, IT and Media.  

Family Development Foundation

Women's Institute (open to visitors during the mornings)

It was established by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak the Chairperson of the Foundation which replaced Abu Dhabi Women Advancement Association 

Some of the services that the program offers include:

1 - Awareness Health Program / Fitness Program 

2 - Women Empowerment 

3 - Family Education

Sorbonne University

Originally from Paris, France and established 760 years ago and opened in 2006 in Abu Dhabi

Was moved to Reem Island as part of the 2030 vision in 2009 – Reem Island is part of the 2030 vision from an economic tourism and it allowed the place to become more lively and has established an academic community.

Campus of the Sorbonne University on Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

Masdar Institute

Model of Masdar and the Masdar Institute

Focused on Sustainable and Renewable Energy – A key role in achieving the 2030 vision, to lessen the UAE’s dependence on fossil fuels and focus more on sustainable and renewable energy ie: solar energy, and geothermal.  The projects do not work individually but they are integrated to help other problems such as fresh water availability.

All the research created at Masdar Institute is a collaboration of intellectuals from global institutes such as NYU, MIT, and Sorbonne University to achieve a clean green environment able to support a growing nation which what the Abu Dhabi will achieve by 2030.

Government School

(ADEC) Abu Dhabi Educational Council

ADEC supports the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision through direct contributions to the Emirate’s social and human development and the creation of a sustainable, knowledge-based economy in Abu Dhabi.

Operations Management field trip to RAK Pearls

On Saturday I went with Dr. Batoul's Operations Management class to Ras Al Khamiah and we visited the first company to manufacture cultured pearls in the Middle East - RAK Pearls. To learn more about the company visit their website here: RAK Pearls website

Our tour starts in the soon to be opened education centre

Our tour was given by Mr. Mohamed Al Suwaidi and it started with an overview of the history of pearling in the region. For over 7,000 years the area in the Arabian Gulf from RAK to Qatar the livelihood of thousands of men and their families depended on the pearling industry. Since the 30s with the rise of cultured pearls in Japan and the discovery of oil there has been little industrial regional production of pearls.

In 2005 RAK Pearls began operations with a vision to restart the industry in the country based on sustainability of the industry, the environment and as a way of preserving (or rediscovering) an important part of Emirati culture and heritage.

We started the tour talking about the past... the traditional dhow boats used and the daily life of the divers on the pearling ships. 

The men would go out on the boats and stay out from early to mid-June to mid September - or around four months and ten days. The pearl beds from RAK to Qatar lay under shallow water - making them accesable to the divers. The men would dive from sunrise to sunset and the dives would last between 2 - 3 minutes (yes, without breathing!)

The men would wake and say the morning prayer and have one or two dates and coffee and dive all day until the evening prayer, after which they would have their single meal of the day - catch of the day and rice. Work continued as they began to open the oysters from previous days that had died in their shells - making them easier to open (and super stinky I can only imagine). Only 1 - 2% had pearls that had market value... so incredible amounts of work for limited reward.

A diver's work was measured in the number of baskets of oysters gathered in the day.

How many baskets today?

How pearls were graded and weighed in the past...

We then learned of the new method used by RAK Pearls - that was a result of an R&D joint venture between themselves and a company in Japan. I took a video (with permission of course) about the "transplant" method and you can watch it here: RAK Pearls video


Essentially a seed (made from the shell of a large oyster from the Mississippi River) is implanted into the gonad of an oyster, along with cells from a "donor" oyster - which will cover the seed with mother of pearl... super interesting actually, even if I got wobbly watching the "transplant".

Donor oysters open and ready, surgical instruments, seeds and oysters ready for seeding covered with a damp towel.

Watching the operation with great interest....

After the seeding the oysters the oysters rest for a month, are sorted for the ones that survived
and then placed in trays in the "beds"

The oysters are then left to grow in the warm, clean waters of the bay... but they are "pressure" washed once a week to keep the shells free from dust from the mountains and parasites - so the oyster has nothing to do but create that beautiful pearl.

Then, almost a year later they are ready for harvesting - and they are left to grow for about twice as long as mass produced cultured pearls as Mr. Mohammed said they are aiming for quality and not quantity. 

Nothing is wasted during harvesting - the mother of pearl is used for decorative gift ware, the ground up shell is sold to cosmetic firms, the edible part of the pearl is sold to restaurants and the rest of the oyster is sold as fertilizer... nothing is wasted! Sustainability implemented and not just in the vision statement....

Then, the very exciting part of the tour. We each choose our oyster and find our pearl :) 

My pearl!

Some of the students showing off their pearls (most will be given to Moms of course!)

Deluxe corporate gift of the Dubai 2020 logo

RAK - stunning as usual

I think we all learned a lot in this tour - not just about Operations Management - but about SME Strategy and sustainability in action. 

Action learning in Arabia: Adventures, Blog posts and More: Presentation at QS Maple

Today I presented at the 4th QS Maple Conference here in Abu Dhabi. You can find a link to the conference here: Conference website

The mission of the Conference is:

• To provide a forum that promotes the development of higher education in the Middle East and Africa in the global context that stimulates international partnership.
• To support the processes of institutional evaluation and upgrading that will lead to greater worldwide recognition of Middle Eastern and African universities.

There were some really great presentations from universities around the world... and of course I presented about my action or experiential learning projects which regular readers are familiar with :) I spoke about the lessons learned and gave some examples... 

Five lessons learned

• Go over the theory - again and again and again 

Yes, I do PowerPoint - yes, presentations might be boring, but I try to use examples that "mean" something to the students. I also use the whiteboard a lot and write the strategic management process at least once a week!

• Provide minimal guidelines/rules 

This might go against traditional pedagogy... but the more I tell them exactly what to do the less they think... and I want them to be active thinkers, looking for answers to their questions... I also empower students who "get it" to be charged with explaining it to others... Prepare for panic and prepare yourself for questions...

• Trust/be patient 

OK, I almost always panic about the organisations of events - for example last week's poster presentations... and of course the event, project, field trip always exceeds my high hopes... They will pull it off... My students don't work like I do, but it always seems to come together...

Tweeting and then Instagraming my stress to aid communication!

• Be open for the unexpected/ Live in the moment 

Well... regular readers know that this is a must. This photo explains it all... not photoshopped and yes those are bees, lots and lots of bees!

Trying to be brave in the mountains of Dibba 

• Share (blog post)/Follow up

Then we go over the project in class... what went well, what could we change for "next time" and I write about it - to share with you my reader of course, but so that future groups can learn from past groups. Truly, they learn from each other much more readily than a middle-aged Canadian professor! (I know shocking!)

It was a great conference and I will need a few days to digest all I learned... I was also very happy to present what I do for the first time to an international audience and have it well received. All in all a great two days!

(Guest bloggers) Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan: Connectivity and the Abu Dhabi Airport

This is a guest blogger post by one of the participating groups of students who looked at Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 and then developed a poster presentation of their chosen theme.

Connectivity means Abu Dhabi developing "hubs" of transportation networks to connect to the world...

By: Abdulla Al Reyami, Ahmed Al Tenaiji, Khalifa Al Rashedi, Mubarak Mahmoud

Introduction

Abu Dhabi International Airport is one of the vital player of the country’s economy, and a major player in Abu Dhabi 2030 vision. As of now, 2014, the airport has three terminals, each designated to serve different purposes. Abu Dhabi International Airport connects to 93 destinations around the globe.

Entering the airport

Terminal 1

This is terminal 1 of Abu Dhabi International Airport. It is the oldest building in Abu Dhabi International Airport, and it has gone through renovations to give it a more modern look. It acts as the main gate in and out of the emirate of Abu Dhabi for passengers.

Terminal 1 (use it to fly Star Alliance - editor)

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 is a very specialized facility; it serves the eastern, central and southern Asian demographic. It serves passengers.

Terminal 2 (I used this one to go to India - editor)

Terminal 3

Terminal 3 is a new addition to Abu Dhabi International Airport completed on 2009. Terminal 3 building increased the Airport’s overall annual passenger capacity by 5 million. The terminal is dedicated to Etihad Airways.

Business and First class entrance!

Abu Dhabi Aviation

Abu Dhabi Aviation is the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East. The company provides its services to support of the Abu Dhabi offshore oil, engineering and construction industries. The company was created in 1976.

For helicopters... (never been here - editor)

Cargo Terminal

Abu Dhabi International Airport was named the “Best Cargo Airport 2010” at the 27th Annual Air Cargo News Awards in London. The terminal has many features that ensure the safety of the cargo such as:

• Over 36,000 square meters of cargo storage area
• 24/7 services
• Temperature-controlled storage rooms with a range of Temperatures.
• Special storage rooms for vulnerable cargo
• Perishable pharmaceuticals storage

Cargo terminal

Abu Dhabi Cargo Company (ADCC) manages the handling of world-class cargo facilities, provides import and export services, and develops comprehensive delivery processes for airlines, freight forwarders and other stakeholders. They are located at Abu Dhabi International and Al Ain International Airports.

ADCC is the chosen cargo partner for many customers, including Etihad Airways and their growing network of over 60 destinations worldwide. ADCC manages all the cargo related matters in Abu Dhabi International Airport.  The Cargo village is part of the ADCC.

Cargo Village

Control Towers

As the Airport is planning to expand, a new tower was needed to accommodate the expansion. This new tower was built in the middle of the new plan for the new Abu Dhabi Airports expanding projects.

Old tower

New tower

Diversified Activity - Diversified Economy

ADAC offers a wide range of aviation-related, commercial and training services to airlines, operators, and other businesses directly and through its diversified group of subsidiaries. With its mission to become the world’s leading airport company, ADAC invested in developing a comprehensive range of aviation-related services that support the aeronautical development of all its airports.

Expansion - Abu  Dhabi 2030

Developments underway also include setting up the needed infrastructure for ADAC’s Free Zones as well as the property development services offered at ADAC. Al Bateen Executive Airport, the region’s first dedicated business aviation airport, is also undergoing parallel development plans to establish itself as a hub for the fast growing business aviation industry in the region.

Abu Dhabi International Airport expansion plan is part of the major development of the Emirate’s aviation industry, Al Ain International Airport is also undergoing expansion plans to become home to an Aerospace Cluster, with joint collaboration between ADAC and Mubadala Aerospace, aimed to become an internationally recognized center of excellence for aviation technology and innovation in the region. 

(Guest bloggers) Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan: Sustainability

This is a guest blogger post by one of the participating groups of students who looked at Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 and then developed a poster presentation of their chosen theme.

By: Mohamed Khalifa, Zayed Al Mazrouie, Ahmed Siddique

The Abu Dhabi 2030 plan is a comprehensive plan for the future development of the city of Abu Dhabi. The plan has been created to deliver the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE and the ruler of the city of Abu Dhabi, to fulfill the grand plan that was first established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan with the ongoing evolution of Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi 2030 plan is a long term-strategy plan to achieve a safe and secure society and a dynamic open economy. Sustainability is a key aspect to achieve the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan. 

Sustainability

Culture: Qasr Al Hosn Festival

The Qasr Al-Hosn festival is Abu Dhabi’s historical and cultural celebration.  It takes place in a 250-year-old fort located in Abu Dhabi. The festival gives UAE community and visitors the opportunity to experience all parts of UAE culture and heritage through activities for the past centuries. The festival gives people an understanding of how life was at the beginning of development of the city of Abu Dhabi from all living aspect.  The Qas Al-Hosn festival is a part of the strategic plan of AD 2030 as it shows that even though the country has developed dramatically throughout the years, a sign of culture and heritage still exists in it. It will give the UAE community and visitors a chance to enrich UAE heritage and not exclude it due to the country’s development; thus leading to patriotism in the UAE community.

Man weaving traditional baskets at the festival
Photo credit: Muhammed Al-Maskari

Traditional crafts at the festival

Photo credit: Jassim Al-Nowais

Environment: Masdar City

Masdar City strives to be one of the most sustainable communities on the planet that has been initiated in 2006. The mission behind the existence of Masdar city is to conserve energy and find new ways to survive with green energy development. The city runs on a 22-hecatare field of over 87 thousand solar panels. Due to us ‘human beings’ destroying/overusing most of our planets resources, conservation is a brilliant idea at this time. The existence of Masdar City and its future development in the city of Abu Dhabi can help the UAE on the long term with conserving resources for future purposes. It also helps the Abu Dhabi in going green and helps with the future of the environment of the city.

Masdar, people and environmentally friendly

Society: Developing islands

The population in the UAE is greatly increasing thus leading to an increase in demand of housings. Abu Dhabi has reached its capacity in housings within the city itself; therefore, Abu Dhabi’s government has decided in a long-term plan of making use of islands to provide more households for its community. The Hodariyat Island is a new island located near Abu Dhabi and extends up to the end of the Al Khaleej Al Arab street. The entrance of the island is located near Al Bateen are where a bridge connects the island to Abu Dhabi itself. This island is planned to be an extension of the city of Abu Dhabi, providing the community with more land for business projects and households to who are in desire of it. Another developing island is known, as Al Reem Island is a project that was recently launched, which consists of businesses, apartments, a university, a child youth care center, and more. Al Reem Island also plays a role in the strategic plan, as it is another extension and investment to the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan. 

Future plans...

Economy: Investment in Education

Education is the key to success of any developing country and Abu Dhabi has taken that into as a major factor of the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan. The city of Abu Dhabi has a lot of government schools and a couple of government universities that educate its students within the finest academic facilities. The government schools education used to educate its students all the subjects in only Arabic, but for the recent couple of years, all subjects were given in English except main Arabic-taught subjects. This would help students develop their English language with the development of their formal Arabic language. Another investment in education is the Zayed University campus of Abu Dhabi, and the Higher College of Technology. Both these institutes provide students with high quality education through highly respected professors in the finest educational facilities. These educational facilities are well respected internationally and help educate the UAEs community and prepare them to invest in Abu Dhabi’s economy. Abu Dhabi’s investment in education has been one of the highest investments from all of its factors as it seeks to educate its community for a further economic and social development. Abu Dhabi 2030 plan would be easily achieved if the community took part in the development process.  

Zayed University campus Abu Dhabi

Photo credit: Mohamed Al-Khazraji