International Scholars from the World’s Top 100 Universities Collaborate with Khalifa University’s Advanced Materials Chemistry Center
Khalifa University’s Advanced Materials Chemistry Center (AMCC) hosted the 1st AMCC Conference on New and Advanced Materials bringing together over 120 registered attendees from leading research-intensive universities in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East to explore the advances in materials chemistry being made by Khalifa University’s AMCC researchers. The conference focused on the role that chemists play in developing advanced materials for a range of industries including energy, healthcare and the environment.
The conference included keynote lectures from distinguished international chemists such as Professor Derek Woollins, St. Andrews University, UK; Professor Sanjay Mathur, Cologne University, Germany; and Professor Andrey Roghach, City University of Hong Kong, reflecting the strong collaborative research relationships that exist between AMCC and global research powerhouses around the world.
The conference was also attended by Dr. Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice-President, Research and Development and Professor of Practice, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Khalifa University; Dr. Ahmed Al-Durra, Associate Provost for Research and Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as Professor Ehab El-Saadany, Acting Dean, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
Dr. Steve Griffiths said: “The work being done at AMCC is part of the wider research strategy at Khalifa University and it is setting the foundations for some of the most important research innovations we will see in the coming decades. Advanced materials chemistry is a critical platform for innovations in all the important economic sectors that are vital to the growth of the UAE economy.”
An important deliverable of AMCC in preparing the next generation of researchers is allowing junior researchers to present their work to their peers. As a key part of the conference, 22 poster presentations were given by graduate students, postdoctoral research fellows, research scientists, and junior researchers working on cutting-edge applied materials chemistry projects spanning functional inorganic materials, functional polymer materials and multiscale materials simulations. The award ceremony for the best poster presentations for junior researchers was officiated by Dr. Ahmed Al-Durra.
Prof. Sharmarke Mohamed, Chair of the Conference and Theme Leader, AMCC said: “We set out from the beginning to put together an international conference where our students at all levels – undergraduates, MSc and PhD – are empowered to present their work. The quality of the poster presentations from junior researchers was impressive and this reflects the diversity of research being done within AMCC and more broadly in the Chemistry Department of Khalifa University.”
AMCC is dedicated to advancing research in the field of materials chemistry, with a focus on developing new materials, new methods and establishing their structure-property relationships through advanced characterization methods and multiscale modeling for various potential applications.
Professor Ahsan Ul Haq Qurashi, Director, AMCC, said: “AMCC is focused on groundbreaking research themes including advanced materials characterization and modeling, polymer and hybrid materials as well as functional inorganic materials. We have made significant efforts to align our research with the needs of the UAE and are already developing new materials with the potential for commercialization”.
Alisha Roy
Science Writer
18 December 2023
