Interested in nanotechnology?

The first International Conference on Nanotechnology and its Applications in Sharjah was held recently at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), aimed to highlight the role that nanotechnology can play in dealing with the environmental effects of industrial development.

"This international event will prove to be extremely important as it represents the beginning of a modern technology that will have significant implications in the future," said Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, during the opening ceremony.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the three-day conference aims to support scientific research on important issues relating to nanotechnology.

The conference was a joint collaboration between AUS and the University of Sharjah (UoS).

"With the aim of entering the race at the forefront of science and technology, members of AUS and the Applied Physics Department at the University of Sharjah put their hands and head together to come up with this conference as a spark for what we hope will become the Sharjah Nanotechnology Initiative," said Dr Hussain Al Awadhi, Chair of the Applied Physics Department at UoS.

The inaugural conference was meant to unite regional scientists and students with international nanotechnology experts. It worked as a forum for scientists in the Gulf region to exchange ideas and initiate collaborations between regional institutions in the nano-community.

What is nanotechnology?

It is a field of applied technology covering a broad range of topics. It involves the control of matter smaller than 1 micrometre, normally between 1-100 nanometers, and the manufacture of devices of size.

It is a highly multi-disciplinary field, drawing from fields such as science, physics, and chemistry.

Much speculation exists as to what new science and technology might result from these lines of research. Some view nanotechnology as a marketing term that describes pre-existing lines of research applied to the sub-micron size.

Interested in pursuing nanotechnology in university?

According to Dr Mohammad Islam, assistant professor of physics at the American University of Sharjah, there is no particular set of subjects a student should take to prepare for higher studies in nanotechnology.

What the student should develop is an awareness of the importance and the inevitability of nanotechnology. However, developing strong laboratory skills, both in chemistry and physics, could be a plus, he said.

"There is a demand in the job market for people with experience of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has shifted the paradigm of experimental science," said Dr Islam, who noted that in the last two decades experimental science has been sharpened to tackle the new challenges posed by nanotechnology.

New and innovative uses of the electron microscope and lithographic tools, new chemical synthesis techniques, new computational procedures are but a few things the students in this field master, according to Dr Islam.

Job opportunities for a nanotechnology graduate
The core of nanotechnology is a strong hybrid of chemistry, physics and engineering together with material science.
Graduates have a range of job opportunities in the UAE and in the GCC region as much as any other region.

"A graduate student in nanotechnology can work in any company that deals with materials; he can be a university professor; he can work in water purification, pharmaceuticals, waste management, environmental management and as a building material researcher," said Dr Islam.

Further job opportunities include microprocessor technology, health science research, petrochemical research and energy research.