Abu Dhabi: A new university called Khalifa University for Science and Technology has been established in Abu Dhabi, combining Petroleum Institute, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, and Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research.
The establishment comes in line with a law issued by the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
In October last year, the Abu Dhabi Executive Council approved a proposal to merge Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the Petroleum Institute under the umbrella of one university.
It okayed the commencement plans and operational framework of the new university, and issued directives to forward the law on establishing it.
The objective behind the merger is to make the university one of the best in the world, utilise the infrastructure and build on achievements accomplished by all three universities.
The merger will help take the university’s operational capabilities into a higher gear, ensuring the ideal utilisation of available resources, the council said.
The new university will preserve current research achievements in order to maintain local and global reputation and preserve the strengths of the universities and build on their capabilities, enhancing academic and research activities in various specialisations. The new university will also preserve current research achievements in order to maintain local and global reputation.
The new university will be a corporate body with full legal capacity that enjoys financial and administrative independence to carry out its activities and will be affiliated to the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. As per the law, all rights, obligations, assets and funds belonging to the aforementioned replaced universities and institutes will be transferred to the new university.
The academic and administrative staff and professionals in all these universities and institutes will also be transferred to the new university.
According to the law, the university will support the development and conduct scientific research to achieve academic excellence locally, regionally and globally. It will also help provide the UAE society with qualified cadres and create a link between academic institutes and community organisation for mutual benefit in the field.
It will encourage and support scientific research activities, and knowledge and modern technology transfer programmes. Other responsibilities include preparing and training human resources to be scientifically qualified in various aspects of science and knowledge by organising sophisticated training and educational programmes, and encouraging innovation.
