Urban design students at UAEU will get the chance to work on some of Abu Dhabi’s biggest planning projects under the terms of an agreement announced today.

The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) and the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to strengthen collaboration in research fields and to set up a training programme for students aimed at enhancing the skills of young locals.

The UPC will provide five annual internship opportunities as well as the chance to work on some of its key planning projects. Thirty UAEU students have previously been placed at the UPC and a number have gone on to secure permanent employment at the UPC after graduation.

The MoC will see the UPC’s regulations and planning manuals included in the curriculum of the Geography and Urban Planning; Planning and Urban Design and Architectural Engineering courses.

UAEU students may also be required by the UPC to undertake research projects related to urban planning that will be beneficial to both parties.

The MoC was signed by H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UPC, and H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, Vice Chancellor of UAEU. The implementation and timeframe planning is now underway. Both parties will exchange mutual visits, information and materials. They will organise workshops, forums and training courses; exchange physical data for projects executed by the UPC in order to support academic and research activities; and also share equipment, devices, systems and laboratories. Students will be supported throughout their graduation projects, and suggestions will be offered to overcome obstacles that they may face during the process.

The UPC will provide all the training materials and manuals related to its regulations as well as its Estidama Sustainability Program; Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual and the Abu Dhabi Utility Corridors Design Manual. Intensive training will be provided to selected professors to enable them to educate their students regarding these programs. The UPC will also prepare and organise on-campus workshops and training sessions for students and share data.

The UPC and UAEU will also collaborate during conferences and events. For example, by sending professional planners as guest lecturers to explain topics and real-life scenarios.

The UPC will invite UAEU lecturers as keynote speakers to their strategic urban planning events. Students will also be invited to these events so that they can see how the various stakeholders work together. The UPC will invite students to work on some of its plans and planning projects to enable them to gain valuable real-life experience.

H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi, the Director General of UPC, was quoted as saying that; “This MoC is a reflection of the UPC’s interest in supporting the creation of a strong local workforce to ensure the right skillsets are available. Additionally, this allows for the sharing of knowledge and nurturing creativity and innovation in our younger generation. In doing so, we enable these students to embark on a career in urban planning aimed at supporting Vision 2030.”

He mentioned that the UPC is always striving to plan for Complete Sustainable Communities across the emirate and a collection of manuals, based on international best practice, has been created specifically to achieve this objective. The UPC often collaborates with universities across the emirate and the wider UAE to run courses and workshops that share knowledge, build awareness and provide exposure to the work of the UPC.

He added that; “We are extremely proud that this collaborative approach has led to our regulations and manuals being included in UAEU’s curriculum and that we will have the opportunity to work together to train professors and students.

“We’ll also be collaborating on research and urban planning projects, as well as offering internship opportunities, which will provide invaluable experience to UAEU students. We look forward to working together in a similar manner with other government and private educational institutions as this provides a real ‘win-win’ situation for both parties.”

H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, Vice Chancellor of UAEU, stressed that; “This initiative reveals new horizons for our students and gives them the opportunity to learn about the UPC’s regulations, manuals and best practice in the urban planning process.

“This coincides with our constant efforts to enhance our curriculum to include the latest developments and practices and to meet global standards. UAEU is committed to strengthening strategic partnerships in areas of national priority, especially in matters related to scientific research, innovation and sustainable projects.”

“The University is also committed to enhancing knowledge in the community, honing individual skills and transferring knowledge through the various courses it offers. We look forward to the start of a fruitful partnership as the start of the new academic year approaches.”

Yasmeen Bani Hashem, Associate Manager: Spatial Data UPC, is a UAEU alumni. Prior to joining UPC she completed a UPC internship. She commented; “I have benefited immeasurably from my internship. It provided me with the necessary professional and hands-on technical experience. I was lucky to experience an international working environment, dealing with and learning from people with different backgrounds. The signing of the MoC represents a positive commitment from the UPC and UAEU that will be valuable to students who wish to enter into urban planning and its related fields.”

This collaborative approach between government entities and universities is well regarded internationally having being employed by universities in the United Kingdom and the United States to open doors for partnerships, creativity and innovation.