SDG 16.3.3
Participation in Government Research
ASU Research Center
https://www.asu.edu.bh/asu-research-center/introduction-and-rationale/
Research center is an academic unit that is dedicated to conduct research and disseminate its output to public sector.
Inspired by the national strategy for research initiated by the Higher Education Council and Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 that aim to shift from an economy built on oil wealth to a productive, globally competitive economy, and aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 to achieving a better and sustainable future globally, such as the challenges of poverty, welfare, health, education, equality, climate, innovation, peace and partnership are intrinsically related to the work of universities as they provide society with research knowledge and skills capable of achieving those goals, the research center aims to invest in scientific research and increase the number of participants in regional/international research networks to boost the number of publication in diverse research areas.
The idea behind establishing the research center is to enable interaction between faculty, scholars, students, and industry to enhance research opportunities, academic excellence, real-world problem solving. Research center provides a mechanism for departments and colleges to respond to externally fundable research opportunities in a timely fashion,. The center will be in line with the ASU research strategic objectives in supporting the staff to produce interdisciplinary high quality research output joint with non-ASU members that will enhanced the university international reputation. The desire to foster greater interdisciplinary, coupled with the overall increase in ASU’s research activities.
Benchmarking was carried out with some universities such as: Macquarie University- Australia, La Trobe University- Australia, University of Sussex-UK, University of Victoria-Canada.
Vision
To be a recognized Center of Excellence for interdisciplinary applied research in the region.
Mission
Promote multidisciplinary research and to strengthen research collaboration among ASU faculties and between ASU and stakeholders as well as partners within the region and beyond. The center will organize relevant faculty from various colleges in research teams who will conduct research in the specific research areas/priorities. The research areas will address national priorities and issues pertaining to economic development, health, education, biodiversity, climate change, socio ecological systems, gender, etc.
Objectives:
The purpose of establishing the Research Center is to:
- Promote and facilitate collaborative and/or interdisciplinary research and enhancement of research networking capacity and infrastructure.
- Increase and effectively manage the resources and research support for its members and the wider university community.
- Provide education and training in research and related skills, especially for graduate and undergraduate students and thereby enhance the academic programs of their constituent academic units.
- Contribute to the university’s strategic educational and research missions and to support collaborations between research, teaching and learning.
- Transfer and mobilize knowledge gained through research for the benefit of society, via a variety of mechanisms as appropriate.
- Enhance the reputation of its members, the constituent academic units, and the university through the quality of its work.
- Conduct applied research directed at addressing social and scientific challenges in national priority areas;
- Promote multidisciplinary, collaborative research forming partnership;
- Promote and coordinate the implementation of specialized Master/PhD research in national priority areas;
- Build capacity in research through staff/student training on research methods
- Carry out teaching and advisory service for the public.
- Publish papers/books in reputable journals: These include books, background papers, regular reports, multimedia platforms, periodicals, newsletters and translations.
- Organize Conferences and workshops that complement research programs.
Research Center Duties
- develop scientific and field research plans, books and translation work, in coordination with the departments concerned with the directorate, and follow up on their implementation after approval.
- provide technical assistance and office and field facilities to researchers.
- supervising the issuance of scientific publications.
- exchange information with research centers with similar objectives and tasks inside and outside the kingdom.
- prepare periodic reports on the department’s activities and achievements, proposals to improve its work, and develop the relationship between it and other departments of the directorate.
- create a database and information for researchers and specialists in security research.
- compiling, preserving, classifying and indexing statistical data on security and criminal phenomena in cooperation with the competent authorities.
- spread research activity at the level of the security sectors and related entities.
- Ensure that the priorities of research supported by the center, are in line with the national research priorities.
- follow-up the stages of implementation of approved research, and periodically report on the achievements of research teams and researchers according to the plan of each research.
The Reform Project of His Majesty the King and the Sustainable Development Strategy (Vision 2030 Bahrain)
https://www.asu.edu.bh/latest-news-digest/
A group of academic members of staff from the Applied Science University is preparing a collaborative research project supported by the university titled “The Reform Project of His Majesty the King and the Sustainable Development Strategy (Vision 2030 Bahrain) and their Impact on the Performance of Government Institutions.” The project aims to analyze the central role of the government and its institutions in playing a supervisory and monitoring role in all aspects of development. This will be achieved through qualified personnel who understand the concepts of sustainable development and apply them within clear and defined programs. Government institutions strive to meet the needs of society in the present by optimizing the use of available resources without compromising the rights of future generations to benefit from these resources. This includes the key aspects of development, namely the economic, environmental, and social dimensions.
Applied Science University collaborates with the Bahrain Institute for Political Development to support students
https://www.asu.edu.bh/latest-news-digest/
Applied Science University collaborates with the Bahrain Institute for Political Development to support students in publishing their research related to sustainable development in Bahrain and its surroundings. Students from the Department of Political Science at Applied Science University have taken the initiative to publish several of their research papers on the research and studies platform affiliated with the Bahrain Institute for Political Development. Examples of such research include “The Role of Development Policies in Achieving Bahrain’s Plan” and “The Experience of the United Arab Emirates in Sustainable Development.”
Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Joint Cooperation between the University of Applied Sciences and the House of Representatives
https://www.alayam.com/alayam/events/743370/News.html
Prof. Dr. Ghassan Awad, President of the University of Applied Sciences, stressed the University’s keenness to cooperate with national institutions and local community institutions in order to achieve the benefit of the Bahraini society and contribute to supporting the wheel of development witnessed by the country under the wise leadership.
On the sidelines of the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the university and the House of Representatives, the President of the University explained that the University, based on the approach of cooperation, its principles and objectives towards enhancing and developing its role in serving the Bahraini society and supporting government and private institutions in the scientific and educational fields, was keen to sign the memorandum of understanding with the Council to provide it with academic and research expertise, hold training and educational courses for its members, and use the knowledge resource centers located in the House of Representatives, and the University and promote legal, social and political research and studies. Economic and economic carried out by the staff of the General Secretariat of the House of Representatives, specialized scientific courses and workshops.
The President of the University praised the role of the House of Representatives and its contribution to enriching the knowledge of the students of the University, pointing out that the University in its services is based on the principle of maximizing community partnership, by providing distinguished works that contribute to the achievement of added value to the Bahraini society, noting that this memorandum aims to establish a practical framework for cooperation between the two parties to benefit the students of the University by helping them learn more about the mechanism of work of the House of Representatives and attend the sessions of the Parliament, and the training courses held by the Training Center. In parliament, especially since the university offers two bachelor’s programs in law and political science, which will help them to enter the labor market.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, Abdullah bin Khalaf Al-Dosari, stated that education and training is the basis of progress and development in all societies, pointing out that the House of Representatives pays the greatest attention to building the capacity of the staff of the General Secretariat to meet the tasks entrusted to them, praising the distinguished efforts of the University and its advanced academic programs, and its societal contributions in various fields.
National Day Festival in the Ministry of Education
https://www.asu.edu.bh/2019/12/national-day-festival-in-the-ministry-of-education/
The University participated in a festival addressing the Kingdom of Bahrain National Day that was held and organised by the Ministry of Education. Many universities and schools were part of this festival sharing their happiness, loyalty and love for the Kingdom. Ms Ruqaya Mohsin, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations; Mr Ali Mohamed, Assistant Director of Marketing and Public Relations; Mr Hood Sadiq, Administrator in the Deanship of Student Affairs and students from different colleges, represented the University in that occasion. Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, the Undersecretary for Resources and Services, opened the festival on behalf of Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi, the Minister of the Ministry of Education. The booth was visited by Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak, Dr Abdulghani AlShuwaikh the Secretary General of the Higher Education Council, Dr Muna AlBalushi the Assistant Secretary General for Evaluation and Accreditation of the General Secretariat of the Higher Education Council who expressed their happiness during the festival. In addition, the Secretariat General of the Higher Education Council invited all participants from the Higher Education Institutions in an ambience full of joy and happiness to cut a cake of the National Day and celebrate this memorable occasion.
The Ministry of Labour & Social Development honors the University for its Initiative on supporting the online platform to train the NGOs
An honouring award has been dedicated to the University along with their Academic and administrative members by HE Mr Jameel Bin Mohammed Ali Hamaidan, the Minister of Labour & Social Development, for its Initiative on supporting the online platform system to train the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) that were conducted remotely on financial management. The system was launched by the Minister of Labour & Social Development to develop the capabilities of workers in non-profit organizations.
During the honouring ceremony, an honorary trophy was also given by the Minister to Professor Ghassan Aouad, The University President and Dr Mohammed Youssif, VP for Administration, Finance and Community Engagement for their attendance.
Visit by HE the Pakistani Minister of Health
https://www.asu.edu.bh/2016/10/visit-pakistani-minister-health/
Last week, the University was visited by H.E the Pakistani Minister of Health and H.E the Pakistani Ambassador to Bahrain. The delegation was received by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and President of the University and Vice Presidents and Director of Administration and Finance and Director of Marketing and public Relations.
The delegation toured the University’s facilities and expressed their admiration of our Campus. In addition, opportunities for future collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Pakistani Universities and ASU were discussed.
Delegation from the University of Prince Songkla visit ASU
https://www.asu.edu.bh/2017/01/delegation-university-prince-songkla/
On 23 January, the Chairman of the BOTs and the President together with senior colleagues from across the University received a big delegation from the University of Prince Songkla in Thailand headed by their President to discuss opportunities for collaboration in areas like research and staff and students exchange. The delegation toured the University after an overview presentation by the President about our University and its future plans. The delegation expressed their admiration for the quality of our work and our campus.
Ms. Diana El Hageova attends Researcher Connect Workshop
https://www.asu.edu.bh/2017/02/ms-diana-el-hageova-attends-researcher-connect-workshop/
Ms. Diana El Hageova, Lecturer at the Department of General Studies, College of Arts and Science, attended a two-day training workshop (23 and 25 Feb 2017) called Researcher Connect organized by the British Council. The workshop was made of short interactive modules and focused on areas such as abstracts, proposals, academic collaboration and communication.
The British Ambassador inaugurates the ‘Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure’ Forum at ASU
- Al Khaja: We seek to keep up with the scientific changes and create an awareness of international expertise.
- Aouad: Scientific conferences are an incubator for energy, research and experiments.
- The British Ambassador: The cooperation between the University and the Chartered Institute of Building is part of the cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
Applied Science University held a forum titled “Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure” on Wednesday, 13th May 2015, in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Bahrain Society of Engineers. It is considered one of the first events from a series of scientific events and conferences held by the university on the occasion of its tenth anniversary since its establishment.
The forum was inaugurated by His Excellency the British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain “Mr. Iain Lindsay OBE” and was attended by nearly 200 people from inside and outside the university. A range of topics relating to green buildings and infrastructure were discussed by a group of professors and professionals from Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
Prof.Waheeb Al Khaja, Managing Director of the Board of Directors of ASU delivered a speech on the role universities can play in promoting a culture of excellence, explaining how the university’s new building has taken into account the standards of green building through techniques that have been suppliedto it and which are compatible with the latest standards science has reached in this field. While Eng. Masoud Alhermi, President of the Bahrain Society of Engineers, spoke about the Bahrain Society of Engineers and its role in promoting sustainable construction in Bahrain. Prof. Ghassan Aouad, President of the Chartered Institute of Building and President of Applied Science Universitydelivered a presentation on CIOB’s role and his role in promoting a culture of sustainability. The forum also hosted Mr. Don Ward, Chief Executive of Constructing Excellence, UK where he talked about UK experiences in the area of sustainable buildings and infrastructure.Mr. Michael Salmon, the former President of CIOB – Middle East and Director of Drake & Skull talked about the experiences of sustainable buildings and infrastructures in the Middle East.On the sidelines of the forum, a panel discussion was held which included Mr. Chris Blythe -Chief Executive of CIOB, Mr. Rick Hopper – Managing Director of Atkins Bahrain and Kuwait, Mr. David Anthony – General Manager of Nass Contracting and Ms. Yara Tawfeek from the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI), where they all offered their expertise in the field of sustainable buildings and green architecture. The forum also witnessed the awarding of CIOB Fellowship to three members namely, Prof. Waheeb Alkhaja, Prof. NabeelAltaweeland Prof. Assem Alhaj, where this certificate is awarded to those with experience and competence in the field of engineering and construction in the world. The forum also included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Chartered Institute of Building and the Bahrain Society of Engineers.
The university also held a small exhibition representing the history and civilization of Bahrain, through a range of traditional craftsmen who manufactured their products at the sight of the audience and provided them with commemorative gifts.
For his part, Prof. Waheeb Alkhaja mentioned that this forum aims to highlight the importance of green building on the sustainability of the environment, as well as to establish the concept of preserving the environment among the students especially that the campus of the university is designed to be environmentally friendly, pointing out that the forum is part of the university’s keenness to serve the Bahraini, Gulf and Arab communities, through creating awareness on global expertise and strengthening the bonds of cooperation with prestigious scientific institutions.
The President of Applied Science University and President of the Chartered Institute of Building, Prof. Ghassan Aouad assured that such scientific conferences and forums are important for bothresearchers and higher educationinstitutions, pointing out that these conferences form an incubator for energy, research and experiences. It contributes to creating an environment conducive for publishing and scientific research, and also contributes to the renaissance and development of educational institutions through the exchange of experiences among researchers around the world.
Prof Aouad explained that Applied Science University strives to become one of the leading private universities supporting practical learning in Bahrain and the Gulf region, noting that the vision of the university’smanagement is to make it a crucible for fusing cultures and ideas, where originality and modernity are mixed in a unique manner to reflect positively on the professional future of all those who belong to the university.
In his address, HE the British Ambassador expressed his admiration for the issues raised and discussed during the forum and praised the efforts undertaken by Applied Science University and its support for scientific research to serve the Bahraini community and enhance its career between higher educationinstitutions. He also noted that the forum gave the visitors the opportunity to identify some of Bahrain’sculture and traditions. He also mentioned that signing the memorandum of understanding between the University and the Chartered Institute of Building pointed out that the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom share a strong and deep-rooted relationdominated by respect and the exchange of experiences in various fields, he also mentioned that this agreement serves as part of the relations between the two brotherly countries.
In conclusion, Prof Waheeb Al Khaja and Prof Ghassan Aouad expressed their gratitude to His Excellency the British Ambassador for attending the forum, pointing out that his presence enriched the activities of the forum significantly. They also thanked the Bahrain Society of Engineers and the Chartered Institute of Building for their cooperation, wishing that this forum is the result of a permanent joint cooperation which would support the university’s mission, which includes graduating distinctive and competent students who are capable of serving their home countries and communities.
It is worth mentioning that the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), is the world’s largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership. It ages back to 181 years, and is headquartered in the United Kingdom. It comprises of approx. 45,000 associate members, where Professor Aouad is the first President from the Middle East.
International Conference on Sustainable Futures (ICSF)
https://www.asu.edu.bh/2017/11/international-conference-sustainable-futures-icsf/
Conference was held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Education, Dr Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi and in association with London South Bank University with sponsorships from the Chartered Institute of Building (partial sponsoring of the conference proceedings and best paper on innovation), Nass Group (sponsoring the Gala Dinner), the Higher Education Academy in the UK (sponsoring 2 best papers on sustainable futures), LSBU (partial sponsoring of the proceedings and best paper on research methodology) and many other sponsors.
On the first day, the Conference started with opening remarks from the President of the University and Conference Chair who provided the context for the conference and the rationale for organizing it and provided some research results about the status of competitiveness of Bahrain in relation to other Arab nations and trends over the last 5 years.
A welcome speech was then delivered by Dr Abdul Ghani Al Shuwaikh, Secretary General of the Higher Education Council, on behalf of HE the Minister of Education who spoke at length about the importance of the topic in light of the National Research Strategy developed by the HEC.
Prof Waheeb Alkhaja, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ASU and Honorary Chair of the Conference, then delivered a speech about the importance of sustainability from Universities’ perspective and how our University is keen to embrace a sustainable approach.
In his speech, Prof Waheeb said “As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Applied Science University it gives me a great pleasure to welcome our distinguished guests and scholars and researchers and practitioners who have come all the way to Bahrain from as far as Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Nigeria, and Turkey and many other countries”.
Prof Waheeb added that “this topical conference organized by Applied Science University in association with London South Bank University and with great support from the Chartered Institute of Building, the Association of Arab Universities and the Higher Education Academy in the UK covers important topics related to our globe and its future sustainability. It is pleasing to see the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Building, Mr Chris Blythe, amongst our distinguished guests. This conference will undoubtedly contribute to HM the king’s vision 2030 to make the Kingdom of Bahrain a truly international knowledge hub. The wise leadership of our Kingdom is enabling us to generate knowledge and conduct research that is relevant to our society and communities”. He then thanked HE, the Minister of Education in Bahrain, Dr Majed bin Ali Alnuaimi for his continuous support and for the patronage of this conference and added that our Ministry, the Higher Education Council, and the Bahrain Quality Assurance Authority are doing a great job in transforming Education and Higher Education in the Kingdom, and we are all committed to their vision and state of the art guiding strategies.
Prof Waheeb added, “ASU has signed a strategic partnership with LSBU and we launched the College of Engineering last September and we are jointly organizing this conference and soon we will be announcing a joint venture to support research, innovation and enterprise. It is pleasing to see Prof David Phoenix, Vice Chancellor and President of LSBU and many colleagues from LSBU attending this conference. We have also signed a memorandum of collaboration with Cardiff Met and we launched 2 programs in Management and Business Studies and Accounting and Finance last September”.
He concluded by stating, “Building a sustainable future is an important priority for many universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain and beyond. The future leaders of tomorrow need to preach what they learnt about sustainability and undoubtedly Universities can play a major role in producing these future leaders. It is important to address the issue of sustainability by covering the three pillars of Environment, Technology and Economics. Applied Science University (ASU) in Bahrain and since its establishment has operated to be environmentally friendly within the sustainable buildings and campuses context, particularly in terms of the efficient use of energy and resources, especially the use of wastewater” and concluded by once again thanking HE, Dr Majed bin Ali Alnuaimi for his patronage and by wishing participants a successful conference and a pleasant stay in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Following Prof Waheeb’s talk speeches were made by HE Mr Simon Martin, the British Ambassador to Bahrain, about the importance of joint collaboration between Bahraini and British Universities, Prof David Phoenix, Vice Chancellor of LSBU who spoke about the value of linking research and innovation, and finally Mr Chris Blythe, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Building about the role of professional bodies in supporting sustainable futures. The opening ceremony, which was attended by around 200 people, concluded with awarding the speakers and a group photograph. It was pleasing to see Mr Sameer Nass, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Honorary Chair of the Conference, attending the opening ceremony.
Following the opening ceremony, keynote speeches were made by Dr Farzana Al Maraghi from the Higher Education Council in Bahrain about the status of research in Bahrain and internationally and gave a detailed description of the Bahrain’s National Research Strategy, and Prof Charles Egbu, Dean of the School of Built Environment and Architecture and Co-Chair of the Conference who spoke about the link between innovation and sustainability. Then, three parallel sessions started with 24 presentations on various topics such as construction, sustainable futures, finance, economy, education amongst many others. The first day of the conference was concluded with a panel discussed chaired by Mr Chris Blythe, Chief Executive of the CIOB, with members from
Different backgrounds sharing their views on the latest trends in sustainable futures relevant to their respective fields. The panelists were Ms Paula Boast, Mr Christopher Core, Ms Emilia Mateva and Dr Jassim Haji. The guest speaker at the Gala Dinner was Prof Riyadh Hamzah who delivered an interesting speech about the future of sustainability.
The second day of the Conference started with keynote speeches by Dr Roy Blatchford from the Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister about the importance of education in creating sustainable futures, and Prof Mustafa Alshawi from Unisearch UK who spoke about Building Information Modelling. Then, another 3 parallel sessions started with 36 presentations presented throughout the day on topics related to culture, HR, Advanced IT in support of sustainability amongst many others.
The Conference concluded with a successful closing ceremony where speakers, members of the organizing committee and volunteering students were awarded certificates of appreciation. Speakers presented a total of 60 papers from 20 countries from all over the globe. A total of 65 papers were published in the 730 pages Conference proceedings, which was printed in a hard cover with an ISBN number.
Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia Visit ASU
https://www.asu.edu.bh/2017/03/ambassador-republic-tunisia-visit-asu/
This afternoon, the President had the pleasure to receive the Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia in Manama, HE Mohamed Ben Youssef where they discussed potential opportunities of collaboration.
I would like to conclude this edition by reminding colleagues once again about the importance of the institutional accreditation’s task. We have to be well prepared in all eight areas of Governance, Management, Teaching and Learning, Research, Community Engagement, Students Support, Facilities and Quality Assurance. We need to provide the leadership needed to excel in all the aforementioned eight areas. The future of the University depends on achieving institutional accreditation.