16.3.2

Does your university as a body provide outreach, general education, upskilling and capacity-building to policy- and law-makers on relevant topics e.g. economics, law, technology, climate change?

Global Climate Change Conference Opens at CUD

The  Global Climate Change conference began with an opening ceremony attended by government representatives, members of the Canadian diplomatic community and guest speakers from Canada and beyond.

Opening the ceremony, His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE, spoke about the UAE government’s plans to address global issues.

Professor Alaa Abd El Aziz, President of the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, also addressed the audience. The University of Prince Edward Island (UPE) is co-hosting the conference with CUD.

A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dr. Karim Chelli, President and Vice Chancellor of CUD, and Professor Alaa Abd-El Aziz outlines the cooperation between CUD and UPE and includes the proposed launch of new joint degree programs related to a Bachelor of Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Climate Change and Adaptation.

Among the keynote speakers was Dr. Francisco Dallmeier, Senior Conservation Biologist and Director of the Smithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability, who spoke about “global diversity conservation under a changing climate.”

He was followed by Dr. Daniel Scott, Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management and Executive Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo, who addressed “global climate change and sustainable tourism.”

Finally, Ms. Mashael Al Ansari, Climate Change Specialist from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the UAE, gave a presentation about “the climate change opportunities and challenges in the UAE.” She is currently pursuing her MBA at CUD.

Over the next few days, a series of keynote speakers from Canada will address other issues surrounding climate change.

The three-day conference, which focuses on the challenges and opportunities of climate change, biodiversity and sustainability, is sponsored by Emirates and Air Canada.

Global Climate Change Conference Hosted by CUD Comes to an End

April 29th, 2018: At the closing ceremony of a very successful conference on Global Climate Change, President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Karim Chelli issued a challenge to the CUD community: to take an active role in fighting climate change.

In his closing speech, Dr. Karim said: “Over the past few days, we have re-focused on issues surrounding climate change, which affects us all. We all have a role to play in preserving our planet, nations, organizations and above all individuals. Make no mistake; if each one of us plays our small part, then cumulatively we will make a difference.”

He added: “I pay tribute to our keynote speakers. Nobody here can fail to be impressed by your passion and dedication to your subjects. You have all given us much food for thought and you have presented us with a challenge which I now pass on to our University family.”

In emphasizing our relationship with the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), Dr. Karim, recognizing UPEI as the main force behind the conference, highlighted the opportunities for cooperation in the future. He referred in particular to our new joint Bachelor of Environmental Studies and Bachelor of Science in Applied Climate Change and Adaptation programs which he cited as a “direct response to the issues we face, and which would be a driver for a relationship that would continue to grow with further initiatives in the pipeline.”

In response, Dr. Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, President of the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada thanked CUD for its hospitality and for co-hosting the conference. He feels that in order to find global solutions to climate change problems, it is essential for people of goodwill to come together. He commented on the audience’s reaction and seeing the many conversations being generated throughout the breaks and cited this as a mark of success of the conference. He wished CUD well and looks forward to implementing the initiatives outlined in the University’s MoU with UPEI.

Announcement Falling Walls Lab Dubai

At the end of the ceremony, Professor David Santandreu Cologne, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Arts and Sciences, announced the launch of: “Falling Walls Lab Dubai.”

The aim of the Falling Walls Lab is to foster scientific and entrepreneurial innovations and to promote the exchange between outstanding scholars and professionals emerging from different fields of expertise worldwide.

Entrants will be required to present their research project, business plan or social initiative – in just 3 minutes!

Winners will be selected by a jury and will travel to Germany among 100 finalists for the global Lab Finale in Berlin on 8 November.

The Falling Walls Lab Dubai takes place on September 30th, 2018 at CUD. Applications can be submitted online until September 9th, 2018

CUD will be the only institution to host a Falling Walls Lab in Dubai.

For more information, visit the links:

CUD Professor Takes Climate Change Message to Dubai Youth

Dr. Rami El Khatib, Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) had been discussing the issues associated with global climate change at a recent conference hosted by the North American International School.

Under the theme ‘Change Climate Change – Road to Marrakech Conference’ Dr. El Khatib delivered a keynote speech at the youth-focused event, which was organized by Green Hope UAE. He was also called upon to join the judging panel for the environmental competitions that took place alongside the Conference.

The event was organized in the run up to the 22nd session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties, which will take place in November in Marrakech, with the aim of addressing issues of global climate change. Bringing together students from schools across Dubai, it aimed to unite young people in developing a shared vision for a sustainable future.

Dr. El Khatib said, “The consequences of climate change have a direct impact on the future of young people and therefore it is important to engage them from an early age in developing solutions and implementing action that will help to mitigate the effect of this global challenge.”

CUD students accompany Minister of Climate Change and Environment during Bio Farm field trip

April 22nd, 2019: Students from Canadian University Dubai (CUD) got the chance to accompany His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, on a two-hour educational tour during their recent field trip to Emirates Bio Farm in Al Ain.

Organized by Dr. Rami El Khatib, Associate Professor and Dean of Student Affairs, the field trip aimed to introduce senior students from CUD’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences to the principles of organic farming and the best practices in agriculture and integrated pest management, with a focus on maintaining a clean environment and preserving biodiversity.

Visiting the facility at the same time, His Excellency Dr. Thani and his team interacted with CUD students while they observed the various growing and harvesting activities taking place across the farm. Speaking about the experience, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Management student, Shaikha Mohammed, said, “This visit revealed to me why bio farming is so important, not just from an environmental perspective, but also in terms of food safety and health.

“We learned about the practices followed in greenhouses, while having the opportunity to harvest different organic vegetables and fruits. It was a great honor for us to accompany His Excellency Dr. Thani during the tour as he shared his own personal insights and experiences with us, and encouraged us to pursue research that will help to promote the UAE bio farming industry.”

Dr. Rami El Khatib, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, concluded, “We are privileged to have so many facilities in the UAE that are at the forefront of their industry in the environmental and health sciences, as well as a Ministry that is actively supporting this progressive work. We are very grateful to His Excellency Dr. Thani for sharing his knowledge and adding great value to the students’ learning experience during our visit.”

CUD and Ddfc to Engage Youth in Developing Dubai’s Design Community

CUD and Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC) have come together to promote the engagement of young, emerging talent in the development of Dubai’s growing, world-class design community.

The new partnership will see the two organizations work together on a range of activities to extend DDFC’s activities into the student community and to cultivate wider networks that will help to build a global market for regional design.

The collaboration was sealed with signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between DDFC Chairperson and Group CEO TECOM, Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, and CUD President Professor Karim Chelli. Also, in attendance at the signing ceremony were DDFC CEO, Jazia AlDhanhani, and select academic and administration staff from CUD.

The Dubai Design and Fashion Council was established by the Dubai Government to raise the profile of Dubai as a regional and global destination for design. Leading the development of a sustainable industry, DDFC provides in-depth market intelligence and helps elevate local and regional talent, enabling the contribution of the creative industries to the development of the Emirate. DDFC oversees, supports, promotes and drives initiatives related to 5 key design segments – Fashion Design, Product Design, Architecture, Interior Design, and Graphic Design.

Ajman Police honors CUD Professor for her efforts to support the happiness of the customers

The Ajman Police General headquarters honored Dr. Wided Al-Dafri, Associate Professor in the Department of Communications for her work with two female police officers, Corporal/ Fathia Sohrab Al Zarouni and Sergeant Fatima Rashed Bin Zayed.

Dr. Wided was selected by the Ministry of Interior as one of the training consultants representing CUD to deliver the “Excellence Diploma in Customer Service.” The Diploma targets front-end employees and supervisors of governmental and semi-governmental sectors to enhance their ability to promote happiness in government activities.

The award recognized Dr. Wided’s contribution towards an initiative by Ajman Police as part of the Ministry of Interior’s strategic objectives to enhance the security, safety and public confidence in the effectiveness of the services they provide.

Dr. Wided visited the students at their workplace to learn about the client management program and evaluate their performance. She expressed her pride and happiness as she witnessed the students applying the knowledge they had achieved during their learning.

His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel Ghaith Ali Al Kaabi, Head of Al Naimiya Police Station, presented the award to Dr. Wided as a token of appreciation for her efforts in guiding her students.

Canadian University Dubai partners with PepsiCo

Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has partnered with global Foods and Beverages company, PepsiCo, to help promote environmental sustainability through the reduction of single-use plastic on campus. The collaboration aims to encourage a culture of refill and reuse through the Aquafina Water Station, a new hydration platform that has already saved an average of more than 1,800 bottles per week since installation.

As part of the agreement, CUD has become an early adopter of the Aquafina Water Stations, enabling the university community to reuse plastic and minimize associated waste. During the first six weeks of operation, the three installations have helped save a total of 11,090 plastic bottles, 109,502 ounces of water, and the equivalent of 14 planted trees. The platform also measures the prevention of carbon dioxide emissions and has helped eliminate over 865Kg of emissions so far.

CUD International Community Gets Together for Campus Potluck

September 25th, 2018: Starting at 5 PM, students from all around the campus dormitories gathered together, bringing food, drinks, and most importantly, a sense of belonging which helped forge an on-campus family of international students.

While away from home to study and learn, many of these multicultural students who yearn for the time spent around the family dinner table found what they were looking for in one of Canada’s most celebrated traditions.

The event, which was organized and hosted by the Student Council, saw participation from a considerable number of students who just wanted to give something back to their campus community.

Tunes from a multi-cultural playlist decorated the air as students from a variety of backgrounds gathered to present a piece of their home culture, whether it be food or drink from Nigeria, Hong Kong, or Kazakhstan, there was a huge variety and everyone left the event satisfied and well-fed.

CUD Community Gives the Gift of Life

Students, faculty and staff members of Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have come together to help save lives at the annual blood drive held on campus.

More than 70 donors came along to give blood in support of the campaign led by the Dubai Health Authority Blood Donation Centre at Latifa Hospital.

The donations will be used for patients suffering from the blood disorder Thalassemia, a condition that results in the abnormal formation of hemoglobin. Sufferers of the inherited illness need blood every three to four weeks to stabilize their condition. The blood will also be used in cancer treatment, heart surgery and cases of blood loss.

The CUD blood drive is organized by the University Health Centre in collaboration with Student Affairs as part of an annual program of health action and awareness raising activities that takes place on campus.

Ms. Kim Karema, the University Nurse said, “The blood donation drive is an important event in our calendar as it’s an opportunity for the University to show its support for the local community. Giving blood is a simple process and one unit can save up to three lives.”

Caa Holds International Accreditation Workshop at Canadian University Dubai

Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has hosted representatives from more than 20 higher education institutions across the UAE at a workshop organized by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) to introduce universities to the quality standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The event saw more than 50 delegates from top universities in the UAE gather in CUD’s Red Theatre to hear from expert Professor Mo Sarhan, Dean of the School of Business Administration, Savannah State University, USA, about aligning CAA and AACSB accreditation standards.

Established almost 100 years ago, AACSB provides internationally recognized, specialized accreditation for business and accounting programs at bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. AACSB accreditation is regarded worldwide as the longest standing, most recognized form of professionally specialized accreditation that an institution and its business programs can obtain.

Opening the workshop, CUD Chancellor, Mr. Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, paid tribute to the role of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the CAA in advancing the university sector in the UAE, and recognized the ongoing guidance and support they provide to CUD as it approaches its tenth year of operation.

Introducing the workshop on behalf of the Ministry, Dr. Will Williams, CAA Commissioner, said, “One of the distinctive features of higher education in the UAE is the positive disproportion of international accreditations, which highlights the huge significance of events like this in helping us to align with international norms.”

The delegates went on to hear from Professor Sarhan on the standards, processes and challenges of AACSB and the three pillars of innovation, engagement and impact that it is built upon. With less than 5% of the world’s business programs having earned AACSB accreditation, it is a credential that demonstrates first-rate, international standards, producing highly-skilled, sought-after graduates.

International Conferences & Speakers

International Conferences

As part of its research agenda, Canadian University Dubai regularly organizes conferences and workshops that bring together both researchers and practitioners to share their experience and expertise on an international stage. These workshops enable multidisciplinary collaboration across diverse research areas with industry and businesses, both regionally and globally.

Canadian University Dubai has successfully organized the following conferences:

CUD Delivers Legal Training for Majid Al Futtaim Properties

Lawyers from the region’s leading diversified real estate and property services company, Majid Al Futtaim Properties LLC, have been benefitting from the Canadian University Dubai (CUD) Corporate Training and Consultancy Services through a dedicated skills development program in legal English.

The delegates took part in a two-day course on Drafting Contracts in English as part of their professional education in legal practice. During the program, the trainees benefitted from the professional expertise of CUD Assistant Professor, Ms. Jeanette Teh, a Canadian-qualified lawyer who has practiced law both in Canada and Dubai; and Ms. Elahe Ghazinoori of EMG Associates, a non-practising solicitor with vast experience of leading training in the field.

The Drafting Contracts in English program provides a practical introduction to the essentials of negotiating and drafting commercial contracts in the common law tradition. As most international commercial agreements are drafted in English, irrespective of the nationality of the contracting parties, it is a program that is proving popular among legal professionals from both government and business entities in the UAE.

The course was part of CUD’s growing portfolio of Corporate Training and Consultancy Services, which offers established and tailor-made training programs to business and government sector clients from the UAE and beyond, across a wide range of disciplines, including: management and leadership; communication, interpersonal and language skills; information and communication technology; and creative arts, multimedia and animation.

CUD Student Recognized In Top 2 | Tourism TechGen Hackathon | Dubai Ministry of Economy

 Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 5th, 2022:  CUD’s Mechatronics Engineering student, Lujain Ihsan Alsamhouri, won 2nd place at the “Tourism TechGen Hackathon” finale which took place at Zayed University in Dubai, under the patronage of H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member and United Arab Emirates Minister of Economy:  Building Our Future Economy Based on Knowledge and Innovation.

“It has been an inspiring and exciting journey from the very beginning. Working with students from various disciplines enriches creativity and brings completely new elements to the table. This is what happened at the Tourism TeckGen Hackathon. We had participants from management, engineering, and environmental sciences that were elected among hundreds of other applicants.” Dr. Samar Noaman, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management

The Institutional Lead of the Hackathon Initiative was Prof. Naveed Yasin, CUD Professor of Entrepreneurship and Head of Entrepreneurship and the Creative Industries; and the advisory board comprised of CUD’s Faculty of Management:  Dr. Sayed Gilani, Dr. Farooq Haq, and Dr. Samar Noaman. Six hundred students entered the competition and went through a rigorous competition entry process of assessment, a exam and quizzes – of which the top thirty-one students were selected to progress to the competition.  In preparation of the competition, the thirty-one students from several UAE universities attended an introduction workshop and were placed into seven teams.  Students received a briefing of how to sustainably improve the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates, through the application of technology solutions – focusing on eco-tourism, a fundamental aspect of the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals. 

CUD’s Engineering student, Lujain, formed part of a group of students who initiated a mobile application driven to offer key features to enrich the eco-tourism sector of the UAE.  The app provides a unique experience for each eco-tourist, by employing artificial intelligence features and non-fungible token (NFT), a unique digital asset recorded in a blockchain to enhance app security and reduce fraud.  The NFT certifies authenticity and ownership.

“The application of technological benefits to the eco-tourism industry of the UAE provides an abundance of technological solutions – tailored to impeccable solutions to benefit our country.”  Lujain Ihsan Alsamhouri, CUD Student, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering – Mechatronics

Two days of training followed which included seminars and presentations around topics of entrepreneurship, research of the existing tourism industry in UAE, and coaching sessions.  The seminars were divided between notable presenters on topics of entrepreneurship and brainstorming sessions for the competition projects – followed by several team building activities between the students.  The prep was underway to inspire and encourage the creativity, abilities and skills from talented students.

“Engineering skills, paired with the application technology, produces abilities suited to business models moulded to the concepts applicable to develop business.  The culmination of the technological and engineering solutions are geared towards business solutions.” Dr. Tamer Mohamed, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Applied Sciences and Technology  

Seven teams pitched the eco-tourism projects –  Lujain pitched the group project to H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, and associates, illustrating the key features of the Sustainable Development Goals and solutions showcasing applied technology to improve the eco-tourism industry of the UAE.  The competition connected CUD’s student to the distinguished dignitaries within the booming tourism industry of the UAE.

“CUD is really proud of Lujain and her level of confidence while pitching to H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy. This is a real example of how top-notch technologies, such as artificial intelligence, elevate the level of the user experience and business model sustainability.”  Dr. Tamer Mohamed, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Applied Sciences and Technology

“The pitch day was adrenaline-filled and this excitement remained till the awarding day. This is when the journey was crowned with the trophy and great feelings of content. It has been a remarkable experience on all levels.” Dr. Samar Noaman, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management

The awards ceremony took place on December 5th, 2022 – Lujain was honoured with 2nd place for her contribution to the project to contribute towards eco-conscious sustainable development goals within the tourism industry of the UAE.

“The competition was a fantastic experience of opportunities for me to embark on a journey with a group of students from other UAE universities. The mentorship from Dr. Tamer and Dr. Samar has been profound in the success of our group.  We are very proud to have pitched to H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, and to have taken a trophy home.” Lujain Ihsan Alsamhouri, CUD Student, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering – Mechatronics