The University of Sharjah organized the first virtual scientific forum this year to research and review the results of joint cooperation in a number of research and scientific fields, in addition to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the University of Sharjah, the University of Linköping and the Air Navigation Services of Sweden (LFV). This in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Henrik LanderHolm, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the United Arab Emirates, as well as His Excellency Prof. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah; His Excellency Bassam Khalifa, Business Attaché at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Sweden; Prof. Peter VärBrand, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Linköping University, and a number of representatives of the participating local and Swedish authorities and institutions.

The MoU, signed on behalf of the University of Sharjah by Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, dealt with cooperation between the three entities in developing research projects in common areas, especially in areas related to aviation management such as unmanned aircraft systems (DRONES). The MoU also includes the exchange of research and academic experiences, student exchange, and the areas of organizing scientific lectures and seminars.

In his speech during the forum, His Excellency Ambassador Henrik Lander Holm thanked the University of Sharjah, the University of Linköping and the Air Navigation Services of Sweden (LFV) for this invitation to attend this virtual meeting to discuss areas of Swedish-Emirati cooperation and review the latest developments in joint projects, stressing that both universities have distinguished academic cadres capable of activating the partnership that is based on modern technologies to support and focus on higher education, noting that the focus should be on modern science and its use in enhancing aviation to build a sustainable future for the world.

For his part, His Excellency Prof. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, praised the existing cooperation between the University and the Swedish side in a number of research projects that have achieved important results during the past years, and whose results were presented today with the participation of a number of local authorities in the field of civil aviation.

The Chancellor emphasized that the University of Sharjah, which is now the largest university in the United Arab Emirates, thanks to the support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah. The University, he added, is currently offering a large number of academic programs that meet the needs of the local labor market, in addition to its research institutes and centers of excellence. He pointed out that the University is currently in the process of establishing the Sharjah Oasis in Research, Technology and Innovation, which is a free zone authority that represents a real breakthrough for the University of Sharjah to link scientific research with industry, and is contribution towards the knowledge society and the achievement of integration and cooperation between the various research centers and institutes at the University of Sharjah with international companies and institutions in the practical application of the outputs and the results of scientific research and turning them into innovations. He urged the Swedish delegation to benefit from them and participate in its projects.

His Excellency Bassam Khalifa, the Business Attaché at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Sweden, welcomed this joint cooperation in a number of different areas in the field of industry and aviation technology, indicating the strength of the relationship that binds the two countries through a large number of agreements recently signed in many fields with the aim of supporting innovation and industry. He also referred to Sweden's participation in EXPO 2021 to support the vision and agenda of the UAE by focusing on tourism and the economy, and promoting innovation and encouraging the higher education sector, which will lead to increased investment between the two countries. This cooperation also supports the UAE's strategy during the next phase to be a global center for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, in addition to its leadership in the field of scientific research and higher education through the presence of branches of many international universities in university cities in the country.

Prof. Peter VärBrand, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Linköping University pointed out the depth of relations between the two countries in various fields as this agreement will contribute to the exchange of experiences and the transfer of modern technology, and to increase joint cooperation between the two universities in drone simulations.

During the forum, Prof. Imad Alsyouf, Director of the Sustainability Office discussed joint scientific research, along with and Dr. Ali Cheaitou, Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, in addition to a review of a number of future research that will start in the next phase. The three studies whose results were reviewed focused on organizing and simulating the movement of drones within cities, regulating civil aviation movement taking into consideration external factors such as weather, and managing the work of air traffic controllers taking into account the volume of their work and the percentage of their attention to the systems that are used.

Representatives of a number of Emirati and Swedish authorities and institutions participated in the forum, namely the Department of Civil Aviation in Sharjah, the Dubai Air Navigation Services, the General Authority for Civil Aviation in the United Arab Emirates, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the Dubai Municipality, the Exponent Company, the Air Navigation Services of Sweden (LFV), and the Swedish company (SAAB). A representative of University of Paris-Saclay in France also participated.