On November 8, 2021, ISIT was delighted to revive its time-honored tradition of welcoming distinguished international guests, with a visit from Professor Ahmed Ali Murad, Associate Provost for Research at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
The ISIT delegation was led by
- the school’s Deputy Director, Frédéric Gulin, representing Dean and CEO Tamym Abdessemed.
- He was joined by Sarah Bordes, Director of International Development,
- Dr. Ludovica Maggi, Research and Cooperation Coordinator,
- Dr. Malek Al-Zaum, Head of Arabic and Doctoral Studies,
- and Christian Vargas Islas, Head of International Recruitments and Partnerships.
The meeting enabled the two institutions to get to know each other better. It highlighted not only their distinguishing features – ISIT’s focus on multilingualism and intercultural expertise, and UAEU’s research-intensive university status – but also the values they share, notably a multidisciplinary approach to educating the next generation, combining humanities, social sciences, hard science and technological skills.
The meeting culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions, paving the way for the development of tangible international cooperation projects such as:
- Joint academic programs, including a diplomacy and leadership program scheduled to begin in early 2022;
- Joint academic research activities;
- Joint innovation activities;
- Organization of joint symposiums, seminars, workshops and conferences; and participation in the seminars and meetings organized by each partner;
- Exchange of academic materials and resources;
- Staff development projects for both institutions;
- Possible internship and job opportunities for students;
- Student and faculty exchange programs.
Having cooperated with the UAEU Science and Innovation Park throughout the past year as part of Expo 2020 Dubai, ISIT is excited to be marking a new stage in its cooperation with United Arab Emirates University, and thanks Professor Ahmed Ali Murad for his visit and his confidence.