Diverse and innovative ideas on how to accelerate sustainability were shared by 20 speakers from 10 countries at a two-day workshop on ‘Interdisciplinary Solutions for a Sustainable Future’, hosted jointly by the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in Ras Al Khaimah.
Speakers from Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia and the UAE covered an array of topics — ranging from innovations in sustainable infrastructure to green agriculture, advancing Photovoltaic viability to managing groundwater resources, sustainable healthcare, and the impact of nanotechnology — at the workshop where attendees included youths from various universities from the region and the world.
Prof. Stephen Wilhite, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success and Provost, AURAK, commented: “Our support to this event stemmed from our strong belief that the study of sustainability is not just nice to have, but is essential for the survival of the human race. Through their contributions, the participants signalled their optimism that human-made problems could be tackled or solved by human-made solutions. The sheer diversity of ideas and innovative solutions was simply amazing.”
Professor Ahmad Sakhrieh, Organizing Committee Chair, AURAK, said: “This workshop will give a further boost to our ongoing collaboration with AGYA in showcasing innovations in sustainable living through the eyes of youth. The presentations delivered reflected high standards of quality, and the multidisciplinary nature of the topics explored added a layer of depth and interest to the discussions. It was inspiring to witness experts from fields as varied as architecture, engineering, biomedical sciences, and pharmacy converging to tackle pressing issues in sustainability.”
The event also included the AURAK Renewable Energy Competition, a forum for undergraduate students to showcase their research, exchange ideas, and improve their communication skills. The objectives of the competition were to promote renewable energy concepts through students’ projects; give undergraduate students an opportunity to share their research ideas; and apply engineering concepts for renewable energy.
The competition winners were: Abu Dhabi University (First Place for Smart Inspection of Oil and Gas Pipelines); AURAK (Second Place for BreatheEZ); and University of Sharjah (Third Place for 3D printed electric equipment for compressed air energy storage).
Established in 2013, the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities is based at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt. It was as the first bilateral young researchers academy worldwide. It promotes research cooperation among outstanding early-career researchers (3–10 years post PhD) who are affiliated with a research institution in Germany or in any Arab country.
