Dubai: Czech Republic on Monday celebrated its Expo 2020 Dubai National Day with a series of activities and performances under the theme Czech Spring and boosted ties with the UAE, especially in the education sector.
Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, along with Marketa Pekarova Adamova, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech Parliament, attended the inaugural event held at the Al Wasl Plaza on Monday morning.
Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE shares rapidly growing bilateral ties with the Czech Republic — one that is based on mutual respect and shared goals.
“Being one of the strongest economies in Central Europe, we are keen to strengthen commercial partnerships and look forward to broadening the scope of our cooperation in various fields of joint interest including technology, advanced industry, renewables, and many others,” he said.
He said the Czech Republic Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai takes the visitors on a transformational journey featuring unique technological innovations developed by Czech universities and companies.
Water from humidity
“At the core of the Czech Pavilion is an innovative system powered by solar energy, which produces irrigation water from humidity, thereby turning dry land into a blossoming garden. It is therefore fitting to celebrate the Czech National Day on the first day of spring. Visitors to the Czech pavilion will also have the opportunity to experience many more state-of-the-art technologies in the areas of 3D printing, recycling, glass production among others.”
Sheikh Nahyan said the Czech Pavilion stands out among visitors due to its unique architecture which features nine kilometres of hand-welded steel structure known to be the biggest-of-its-kind in the world.
“As we host the final month of what has truly been exceptional Expo, we are honoured to share this remarkable experience with our participant partners and visitors from around the globe. We hope that the meaningful conversations we have collectively engaged and throughout the past few months will play a significant role in setting key milestones for solving the challenges we face in the 21st century and beyond. Our theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ is a legacy that Expo 2020 Dubai is very proud of and we believe that it will continue to inspire us to work hand-in-hand towards building a better future for generations to come,” he added.
Centuries-old traditions
Speaker Adamova said: “We Czechs are very proud of our centuries-long tradition of high-end, innovative manufacturing.” She noted that at Expo 2020 Dubai, the accomplishment of the genius of humanity is proudly being displayed.
“If you walk around the Expo and visit the different pavilions, you can see that countries that believe in individual freedoms and peaceful competition among them, and trade machinations are those that are capable, or through achievements, achievements that contribute to the prosperity of all mankind. This should be the main lesson from this exhibition for all of us,” she added.
Czech artists presented dance and musical performances, showcasing the rich cultural history of the country.
Following the ceremony, the official delegation from both the countries visited the UAE Pavilion and the Czech Pavilion.
MoU in education
The day also witnessed both the countries boosting their ties in the educational sector with two top educational institutes — the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the UAE University in Al Ain and the First Faculty of Medicine at the Charles University, a 674-year-old educational institute in Prague signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The deans of the institutions Prof Juma Al Kaabi and Prof MUDr. Martin Vokurka respectively signed the MoU.
The potential areas of cooperation between the two colleges include medical education, clinical placement for undergraduate medical students at the teaching hospitals and health premises, exchange of faculty, researchers and staff, and joint research activities and publications.
It will also include participation in seminars and academic meetings, engagement in dully approved academic programmes by both the universities and the authorities.
Student exchange agreement at selected programmes, exchange of academic and scientific materials, and the inclusion of BIOCEV (European Centre of Excellence in biomedicine and biotechnology) at First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University within the scope of research cooperation are also covered under the MoU.
