UAEU Student Internship sees Successful Collaboration between Faculties
Press Release
Date: 15 March 2012
Collaboration between the UAEU Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences and the UAEU Faculty of Science adds a synergic cross-disciplinary dimension to student internship training.
As part of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree majors’ program, students in the Faculty of Science participate in an internship program. These internships are a meaningful career-related work experience that strengthen student educational experiences and allow them to apply academic knowledge to the world of work.
In support of its primary mission, the Undergraduate Internship Program at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, UAEU, provides young students with comprehensive, high-quality instructive knowledge in the techniques of modern biology while becoming integrated members of a vibrant scientific community.
During the last two years approximately 45 students were accepted into the fully subsidized, 8 week program to work with senior laboratory staff members on independent subjects including Cancer Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Immunology, Hematology, Serology, Computational Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Ecology, Conservational and System Biology at various training organizations including Sheikh Khalifa Hospital-Abu Dhabi, Tawam Hospital-Al Ain, Aljimi Hospital-Al Ain, Al Fujairah General Hospital, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority-Al Ain, Forensic lab-Al Ain/Abu Dhabi, Management of Scientific Centres and Presidential Camel-Al Ain, Wildlife Park and Resort-Al Ain, Dubai Municipality/Central Laboratory and MASDER-Abu Dhabi.
In recent months Dr. Amina Ahmed (Coordinator for Undergraduate Internship Training Programs, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, UAEU) and Professor Chris Howarth (Coordinator for Undergraduate Research, Office of the Assistant Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAEU) have been working on a collaborative initiative to provide opportunities for students from the Faculty of Science to participate in internship programs in the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences research laboratories.
Students may complete the entire internship in a single laboratory or may rotate among different laboratories. UAEU student Du’a Ismail Ali Warsame (Faculty of Science, Biology Major and Statistics Minor) was the first to complete an internship in the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences. Du’a spent her entire internship shadowing activities in the Electrophysiology Centre run by Prof. Chris Howarth (Physiology) and Dr. Murat Oz (Pharmacology) conducting activities of a research team comprising Ph.D, Masters and Technical Staff engaged in a variety of research projects. These included techniques for isolating cells, studying the electrophysiological properties of cells and the use of a variety of data acquisition and analysis software.
Du’a had this to say about her experience: “Having my internship in the Electrophysiology Centre was a valuable experience as it introduced me to the research field world which I’m very interested in and gave me a good vision of my future PhD study. I highly recommend students who are seeking to continue their graduate education to have their internship in one of FMHS research labs. After the internship period I began to appreciate the work needed to produce a scientific paper.”
Professor Sehamuddin Galadari, Vice Provost for Research and Graduate studies added: "As a research-intensive institution, UAEU values the extensive collaboration between Faculties, as well as with our partners both nationally and internationally, and within arenas of academia and industry; it is with this synergy and willingness to cooperate that UAEU can best serve the research interests of the UAE Nation."
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Notes to Editors:
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)
- 21st Century research-based university, providing research solutions to support the UAE and, through its global partners, the wider world
- Founded in 1976 by HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan; the UAE’s first national university
- Chancellor: His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Ranked # 338 in the 2011/2012 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings
- Nine faculties:
- Business & Economics
- Education
- Engineering
- Food & Agriculture
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- Information Technology
- Law
- Medicine & Health Science
- Science
- 12,279 students enrolled in 2010/11
- First PhD program in UAE national institution commenced in 2009
- Strong focus on providing specific research solutions and benefits to society − the new model of a 21st Century university, furthering research as part of the global network of discovery and innovation
- http://www.uaeu.ac.ae
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