Dubai: In a sponsorship agreement between Atkins, a multinational engineering and design consultancy, and The British University in Dubai (BUiD), the university’s Sustainable Design and Built Environment (SDBE) programme is to receive financial and academic support.
Dr Abdullah Al Shamsi, Vice Chancellor of The BUiD, said that while the financial contribution will benefit students, the long-term advantage is the knowledge they receive from interacting with industry experts at Atkins.
Atkins, which is currently overseeing the Dubai Metro red and green lines projects, will work closely with BUiD students and faculty to encourage practical industry based research, share educational tools and information about the design industry.
In return Atkins will provide a list of important research projects that will be addressed by the SDBE students in their dissertations to contribute toward sustainable development and improving design industry practices. Atkins will also provide technical and practical experience in the research areas to help students collect data.
Among the research projects that have been noticed by Atkins is the work of Prof Bassam Abu Hijleh who heads the SDBE. His research, based on experience with several Atkins projects, proposes greener high-rise buildings and the use of new technologies.
His research advocates tailoring solutions for specific buildings by responding to the different energy requirements with designs based on a building’s needs.
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, and Chancellor of The BUiD, witnessed the signing of the agreement on Tuesday.
He said: “Support of this nature strengthens the link between academia and industry practice and re-emphasises the potential advantages of independent studies to the region in the longer term.”
Page last updated 01 January 2020