Dubai and Cardiff increase collaboration on sustainable design and development

Major research projects examined at the meeting included new research on the use of innovative passive designs, advanced simulation techniques, renewable materials, waste management and environmental conservation.

A total of 20 students from Dubai participated in the meeting, which provided an important opportunity to contrast environmental design research from Europe and the Middle East.

Several students, all of whom are participating in the Sustainable Design of the Built Environment programme at BUiD, presented findings from their own studies.

"It was a welcome opportunity to share knowledge with peers working at The University of Cardiff. Obviously, climate conditions and design approaches differ in Europe and the Middle East, but there are techniques that are appropriate for both regions that can minimise the environmental impact of construction,"

said Professor Bassam Abu-Hijleh, Atkins Chair, Head of the Sustainable Design of the Built Environment Programme (SDBE) at BUiD and Fellow, Cardiff University (UK).

"Cardiff's work in promoting best practice about sustainable development within the construction sector was of great interest for many of the BUiD students. At the same time, there was equal enthusiasm about the scale of the developments being undertaken in the UAE and the steps being taken to minimise their environmental cost," he added.

Students were provided with an overview of some of the major projects currently under development, along with detailed research on applied industry techniques. They were also given the opportunity to visit Cardiff's professional designed labs and extensive library in addition to receiving guidelines from some of the Cardiff academic staff in preparation to their up coming dissertation.

"One of the primary aims of the visit was to evaluate the level of education between both universities and assess the standard and quality of progress made by students from both countries,"

commented Prof. Abu-Hijleh.

"We were definitely pleased to note BUiD and Cardiff presentations were on the same high level of technical content and professionalism."

The educational visit was supported by engineering and design consultancy, Atkins. CEO of Atkins, Mr. Keith Clarke, met with the BUiD student delegation during the visit sharing invaluable industry insight into sustainable building techniques that can and are being used in the Middle East.

Additionally, to further expand their exposure and opportunities for research, the students visited another university, Greenwich University in London, where they attended presentations by academic staff there focused on different areas of sustainability.

BUiD's Masters Degree in the Sustainable Design of the Built Environment of international standards - the first of its kind in the Middle East - has attracted significant attention from international bodies. International student delegations from top universities in Hong Kong and Denmark have visited the University to learn more about the programme.

In particular, research work conducted on the challenges of building in the hot, dry environs of the Middle East - and new concepts for reducing the subsequent energy demand of cooling facilities - has provided significant insight into wider energy management challenges.

"The British University in Dubai is developing a global reputation for the strength of our research, particularly in fields that have a direct relevance and importance for the local economy. We are pleased that our efforts in offering top British educational standards in the UAE are being recognized as top quality and innovative by global educational systems," said Vice-Chancellor Dr. Abdullah M. Alshamsi, British University in Dubai.

Cardiff University is one of Britain's major teaching and research universities. Located in the centre of the capital city of Wales, it has an international reputation for the quality of its work which attracts staff and students from around the world and combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research.