- UK Government funded workshops and symposia to boost scientific ties between UK and Bahraini researchers to be organised by the British Council, the University of Bahrain and the Royal University for Women
- The cross-cultural events will focus on the water, energy and food nexus
- These events form part of the UK Government’s broader strategic commitment to strengthen partnerships with research bodies and higher education institutions in the Gulf region through a new set of programmes called the Gulf Science Innovation and Knowledge Economy programmes (GSIKE)
The UK Government is working in partnership with the British Council to launch a series of science events, which allow researchers to come together and tackle some of the challenges both countries face.
The workshop in Bahrain forms part of the UK Government’s broader strategic commitment to strengthen partnerships with research bodies and higher education institutions in Bahrain and the Gulf region through a new programme called the ‘Gulf Science Innovation and Knowledge Economy programme’. Suzanne Jones, the programme director, noted that “International collaboration in scientific research plays a crucial role in promoting prosperity and sustainable growth in this region. Water, energy and food security are a particular concern in the Gulf, and we hope to see a number of long term research projects established in partnership between the UK and Gulf research institutions as a result of this Symposium.”
The new programme includes capacity building workshops for researchers, science collaboration symposia, funding collaborative research projects and supporting women in the natural and social sciences and the humanities.
The first event is a Symposium on Water, Energy and Food, focussing on recent advances in desalination and water reuse technologies. It will draw in researchers at all career levels, 10 from the UK, 10 from Bahrain, and 20 from the other Gulf countries, and will take place at the University of Bahrain’s Sakhir Campus, on 23 to 24 November 2016.
The Middle East is home to 70% of the world’s desalination plants, most of which are located in the Gulf. However, the more water they process, the less economically sustainable they become. The process is not only costly, it could also result in a situation known to researchers as ‘peak salt’ – the point at which, as a result of intensive desalination, this process becomes unfeasible. These workshops will bring researchers together to tackle key challenges like these, helping to accelerate new thinking in the region.
Prof Riyad Hamzah, the President of the University of Bahrain said that, “The British Council is a key partner of the university in developing our research in science. We hope that this relationship will go from strength to strength as we look to develop solutions for the regional issues of water, food security and renewable energy, which are the signature research areas for the UOB. In addition the support offered through capacity building is key to developing our young researchers which we hope will go on to develop breakthrough solution”.
The second event is a capacity building workshop for Researchers, that will take place at the Royal University for Women and aims to support young researchers in Bahrain; it will be held on 27 to 29 November. It is one of a series of twelve events scheduled to take place across the Gulf over the next six months.
Prof. Mazin Jumaah, President of the Royal University for Women noted that “In collaboration with the British Council, Royal University for Women will be hosting this three-day workshop aimed at building the skills necessary for researchers to participate more fluidly in the international academic community. Royal University for Women is looking forward to facilitating the event to help foster research culture among the Bahraini research community and in the region.”
Alan Rutt, Country Director Bahrain said that “A nation with a strong research base will not only benefit from the progress created by cutting-edge research, it will develop a new generation of researchers and attract talented thinkers from abroad, further strengthening its ability to drive innovation and economic development. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to connect UK and Bahraini researchers to help them boost scientific ties between the two countries and encourage innovation around the social and economic challenges that we both share. ”