Urban design students at UAE University 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 UAE University (UAEU) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to strengthen collaboration in scientific research, and to set up a training programme for students at the university to enhance the skills of young local talent.

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

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

UAE University students may also be requested by the UPC to undertake scientific research projects related to urban planning, which will be hugely beneficial to both parties.

The MoC was recently signed by H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UPC, and H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, Vice Chancellor of UAE University, and target and timeline-setting for implementation is now underway.  Subsequently, both parties will collaborate through mutual visits and exchange of information and material.  They will organise workshops, forums and training courses, exchange spatial and physical data for projects executed by the UPC in order to support academic and research activities, and share equipment, devices, systems and laboratories.  Students will be supported throughout their graduation projects, and suggestions will be offered to overcome any obstacles students may face during the process.

The UPC will provide all training material and manuals related to its regulations, as well as its Estidama sustainability programme, Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual and the Abu Dhabi Utility Corridors Design Manual, and intensive training will be provided to selected professors to enable them to then educate their students. The UPC will also prepare and organise on-campus workshops and training sessions for students and share spatial data.

The UPC and UAE University will also collaborate during conferences and events, for example, by sending their professional planners as guest lecturers to explain a topic and real-life scenario to students.

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

H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi, Director General, UPC, said: 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 as well as sharing knowledge to nurture creativity and innovation in our young generation. In doing so, we will enable these students to embark on a career in urban planning to support the realisation of Vision 2030.

H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi mentioned that the UPC is always striving to plan Complete Sustainable Communities across the Emirate and a suite 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 to share knowledge, build awareness and provide exposure to the work of the UPC.

He added; We are extremely proud that this collaborative approach has led to our regulations and manuals being included in UAE University's curriculum, and that we will have the opportunity to work together to train professors and students on them.

We'll also be collaborating on research and urban planning projects, as well as offering internship opportunities, which will provide invaluable experience to UAE University 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 UAE University, said: This initiative unveils new horizons to our students, and gives them the opportunity to be introduced to the UPC's regulations, manuals and best practice urban planning processes.

This coincides with our constant efforts to update and enhance our curriculum to include the latest developments and practices in each specialty to meet global standards. UAE University 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 the wealth of knowledge within the community, honing individuals skills, and transferring knowledge through the various courses it provides. We look forward to the start of a fruitful partnership as the start of the new academic year approaches.

Yasmeen BaniHashem, Associate Manager, Spatial Data, UPC, is a UAEU alumni, and prior to joining, completed a UPC internship. She commented: I have benefited immeasurably from my internship. It provided me with the necessary professional and hands-on technical skills and I was lucky to experience an international working environment, especially 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 so valuable to students who wish to enter into the exciting realm of urban planning and its related fields of expertise. 

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

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