AL AIN // The first students to undertake a PhD programme at a federal institution began their four-year journey yesterday at UAE University.
Thirty-eight of the country's most talented young students were chosen from 200 applicants for the programme. Most of those selected - 28 - were women.
Abdulla al Khanbashi, the university's vice chancellor, said the predominance of females would "guarantee the quality" of the programme and act as a "challenge" to the 10 male PhD candidates.
The university had planned to accept only 20 candidates, but so many qualified students applied that it decided to nearly double the number.
The students, from a range of countries including the UAE, India, Bangladesh, Syria and Morocco, will study in four departments: engineering, information technology, medicine and science.
Many of the students have linked their research to a developing field in the country, including shark ecology in the Gulf and studies into diseases such as diabetes.
Hazem Bakri al Nasr, 28, will focus on the UAE's water shortage and climate change.
"The UAE in particular has limited water resources and when the country's developing at such a fast pace and the population is growing so quickly, it places higher demands on the country's water," Mr al Nasr said.
"I hope this study will help to manage this problem and look at the impact of climate change."
He said it was important to think for the future. "We are part of this world so we have to consider what's going on."
He was surprised not to see more male candidates but said: "It isn't always so easy for people to take this time out. I don't have children yet and we get a very generous allowance but it is not so easy for other men with families to support."
All the students have been given scholarships to take part in the programme, part of UAEU's ambition to also become a research centre. They receive free housing, a living allowance and a research grant for the duration of their study.
The provost, Wyatt R Hume, said he hoped the first PhD graduates would complete their schooling in two years.
Dalal Matar Shamisi, 25, is one of the students who was allowed to enter the programme after completing only an undergraduate degree. With a two-year-old daughter, the young mother from Al Ain said earning a PhD would be a challenge but expressed confidence she could do it with the support of her husband and family.
She is doing the first research on the petroleum geology of the UAE. She had an opportunity to study in the US, but she said it was important to put her knowledge to use at home.
"Nobody has studied this here yet," she said.
"They are depending on geophysics but in doing this they are only studying the surface."
Indian-born Jincy Merin Isaac, 23, is studying autoimmune diseases. She said the history of the problem in her family motivated her to go deeper into the subject.
Laila al Rais, from Dubai, and Maitha Mohamed bin Dalmouk, from Sharjah, are studying architectural engineering, focusing on the growing demand for environmentally friendly buildings.
"It's a big issue, especially with all the changes to building regulations," said Ms al Rais, 30.
"This is the future in the UAE and everything's changing. There are still very few of us specialised in this field."
The students must give seminars in their departments as well as submit research for publication in reputable journals during their study. They must also maintain a grade of B or above.
"Some people will find it hard and some will drop out," said Dr Hume, "but this is a great step for us and the country as a whole. It's the first time this has been done here. We are very proud."
UAEU recently was ranked as the 374th best university in the world.
Later this year, UAEU hopes to accept PhD candidates in the fields of humanities and social science.
@Email:mswan@thenational.ae
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
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6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
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Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
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Key facilities
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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