Manama: The latest innovations in sustainable solutions for natural resources will be highlighted at an international conference in Qatar next month.
The Annual Research Conference (ARC’13), organised by Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D) and its research institutes, will bring together experts to discuss and debate issues in critical areas.
“The Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference provides the perfect opportunity for research institutes to share details about projects and plans with people, academics and industry leaders within Qatar,” said Mohammad Khaleel, Executive Director of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) that conducts research to support Qatar’s energy independence, water sustainability, and food self-sufficiency goals.
“We can explain exactly how our work will help reach national goals, increase and build human capacity and ensure that industries in Qatar are successful. It also gives us the chance to hear from world-renowned experts and learn how other nations deal with similar challenges.”
The institute will share its own innovations in energy and water security.
Khaleel added that even though Qatar was blessed with natural resources, “the country understands the importance of diversifying the energy portfolio in order to create a solid foundation for a sustainable future”.
“The question is then raised about the future of energy in Qatar. One clear solution is solar energy,” he said.
Other research grand challenges to be highlighted at the conference on November 24-25 include protecting Qatar’s cyber infrastructure, developing an integrated, modernised health care system, and supporting Arabic culture, arts, heritage, media and language.
Experts will come together at the conference under the theme “Qatar’s Cross-cutting Research Grand Challenges” to debate issues and combine efforts in order to forge ahead and address the challenges outlined in the Qatar National Research Strategy.
The list includes Ramesh Ramamoorthy, deputy laboratory director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He led the SunShot Initiative, a collaborative effort to make solar energy in the US cost-competitive with other forms of electricity by the end of the decade. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineers and one of the Institute’s advisory board members and he will speak about the technological innovations and cutting-edge activities that need to be undertaken in order for Qatar to use solar energy in a cost-effective manner.
Another expert speaker at the event is Adel Al Sharif, Research Director of Water Desalination and Reuse at QEERI. He is an expert in forward osmosis membrane technology, used to desalinate water, and will be sharing the centre’s work in bringing this new technology to Qatar.
