DUBAI // Investment in science for its on sake rather than financial gain is key for any real human development, renowned scientist Prof Brian Greene told the World Government Summit on Sunday.
Prof Greene – particle physicist, cosmologist, professor of physics and mathematics, and director of the Centre for Theoretical Physics at Columbia University, told how such an approach had already benefited the world.
At a session entitled, How Advanced Science Shapes the Future of Government, he highlighted an experiment, first conducted 90 years ago, which demonstrated how human life continues to benefit from mankind’s “deep yearning to understand the universe”. That experiment, in which light and electrons were passed through two slits on to a viewing screen, led to the discovery that particles also have wavelike qualities.
“This discovery allowed us to then build integrated circuits – a breakthrough that informs our modern world through mobile phones and more,” he said.
“If you follow any chain of disruption back to its source you will inevitably run into basic science. It is not pursued for investment but for intrinsic interest.
“The real fuel for growth is an investment in basic science. It creates a pervasive culture of innovation. It distinguishes countries that will follow and those that will lead.”
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.