DM, Harvard University discuss joint environment studies

This came in a meeting on Wednesday of Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, with a delegation from the university's School of Public Health, headed by John H Lichten, Executive Dean for Administration.

Mr. Lichten expressed the willingness of the university in cooperating with Dubai Municipality in the fields of environment and public health through the Cyprus International Institute for Environment and Public Health, which is a joint venture of the Cyprus government in association with the Harvard University and offers a post-graduate programme in public health. The institute has the potential to improve the health of people in many nations of the region and wants to make greater contributions to research, technology transfer, and education internationally.

He said the institute already offers several research studies in the region through its cooperation with the Kuwait University for the past 10 years where it had undertaken several studies on the impact of air pollution on human health and other relevant environment issues.

Mr. Lootah welcomed the university's initiative and said the modes of future cooperation could be formalized through the Dubai-based Environment Centre for Arab Towns, established by the Arab Towns Organisation (ATO) in association with Dubai Municipality.

The meeting was also attended by Obeid Salim Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Administrative Affairs and General Services, and Dr. Radhiya Al Hashmi, Director of the Environment Centre for Arab Towns.