Dubai: A Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) that will build sustainable research partnerships with government, industry and other universities in the UAE will be operational in the coming two months.

University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) and National Research Foundation (NRF), an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up the training centre.

The initiative is in line with the vision of Shaikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, to strengthen research capacity building among various institutions in the country.

Through the DTC, doctoral candidates from various universities in the UAE will engage in a series of innovative programmes to boost their research capabilities and help them find research areas relevant to the country.

“We believe this MoU marks a milestone in the development of doctoral research in the UAE,” said Professor Gassan Aouad, UOWD president.

“We are privileged and delighted to team up with the National Research Foundation to launch this venture that will create a network connecting this group of future leaders whose expertise will shape the future of the UAE in the coming decades,” he added.

NRF Director Dr Husam Sultan Al Ulama said: “The field of doctoral research is still in its infancy and that is why the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research established the National Research Foundation four years ago.”