A Word from the Assistant Provost for Research
Prof. Philip Hamill
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Universities are dedicated to discovery, exploration curiosity, and investigation. They are also dedicated to disseminating information. But dissemination is not simply a matter of professors passing along to students the information they have gathered while becoming #professionals. Students themselves can, and should, be part of the process of both discovering knowledge and passing that knowledge to others. It is when students begin to ask their own questions, and then get to work to find the answers to those questions, that they really begin to take charge of their own education. And it is when they pass that information along to others by sharing it with their families, by writing a paper, or by presenting at a conference that they really become members of the community of scholars.
Research requires patience, curiosity, and the ability to restart after hitting a wall in your path. Imagine the satisfaction a student feels when he or she is able to stand in front of an audience, large or small the family, peers, professional colleagues, or an assembly of complete strangers and discuss with confidence something that she has worked to learn and understand. It can be a little frightening, especially at first, but in the end, it is a moment of great accomplishment and pride.
Undergraduate research is an important part of a Zayed University education. We do not want our students to simply listen and absorb. We want them to actively explore and discover. The faculty of the College of Natural and Health Sciences are dedicated to mentoring students in research skills so that when those students leave the university, they leave with the tools they will need not only to succeed in a career, but to be lifelong learners. We are proud of these students. Those who are presenting at today’s research forum are good examples of the kind of work that is going on across Zayed University. I congratulate them all for their accomplishments and wish them well in their future endeavors.
A Word from the Dean of CNHS Prof. James Terry
On behalf of the College of Natural and Health Sciences (CNHS), it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Sixth Annual Undergraduate Research Forum. This has become our flagship annual event for promoting undergraduate research and for building a culture of excellence in scholarship among our students. Over recent semesters many of our graduates have published their work, having drawn inspiration from presenting in this forum and other scientific conferences around the world. We therefore see this forum as an important opportunity for our current students to showcase their research findings and we all congratulate them for their achievements. Their scholarly contributions will be an everlasting source of pride and will open doors to the possibility of post-graduate studies for those who desire, as well as exciting careers across diverse fields. Our students are likewise playing a role in advancing the UAE towards the visions articulated by the country’s leaders in their strategic directions. In the future, our students will no doubt become mentors for those who follow them into our undergraduate programs.
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“Empowering the Knowledge of Young Future Leaders through Innovative Research” is the theme of our forum this year.
This theme is central to the college mission and highly relevant to capacity building in science. This Forum brings together promising students to participate and share their research and scholarly activities with fellow students, faculty and staff members of Zayed University. I would like to extend my thanks to all those who have contributed to the Forum, and in particular those who have generously offered financial or logistical support, especially Zayed University Research Office, PharmaLink, EAD, IVPN, Betam, and Switch Foods. We hope you will enjoy and learn from this event!
Professor James Terry
A Word from the Organizing Committee
The organizing committee, is pleased announce the launching of the annual Forum for Undergraduate Research for the College of Natural and Health Sciences in collaboration with the Office of Research. The College strives to provide the right framework to build student research capacity, promote high quality student research and scholarly culture and prepare exceptional students for graduate school. We proudly consider the forum to be an academic celebration of undergraduate research success for the College and the University. The primary aim for this forum is to provide students an opportunity to present their research and network with other scholars in order to exchange ideas and stimulate further enriching discussions. We strongly believe that the conference will enhance the research ethos among students and motivate them to become research scholars or even pursue a career in research.
We congratulate our students today on their big success and achievements and hope they would embrace further research-based endeavors in the future. You are the element of change, and with your motivation and passion for research, you can overcome all the challenges and obstacles you would face in your scholarly journey. We take pride in your accomplishments and your determination to not only conduct research but also aim to publish the work and disseminate research findings. Thank you all for being the young research ambassadors at ZU and for inspiring your peers and igniting the spark of research passion.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the CNHS
undergraduate research forum event including our sponsors, partners, the reviewing committee members and all students and faculty who participated in the event.
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Professor Fatme AlAnouti
URF Organizing Committee:
