Qatar Foundation to host Qatar National Research Strategy Forum 2013

Doha, May 13 (QNA) - Qatar Foundation (QF) for Education, Science and Community Development will host here the Qatar National Research Strategy Forum 2013, in collaboration with The New York Academy of Sciences. The two-day forum, which will be held on May 15 and 16 May at the Qatar National Convention Centre, will assemble leading stakeholders from Qatar National Research Strategy's (QNRS) key sectors, including academia, government, and research institutes, the QF said Monday. The forum has been created to provide stakeholders with an ideal platform to advance the nation's research objective of becoming an international centre for research and development by identifying, discussing, and confronting a host of pertinent challenges. QR Research and Development President Faisal M. Al Suwaidi will highlight the value of fostering a national research culture in his opening address. The push for research conforms to Qatar National Vision 2030 and will address the most pressing challenges facing Qatar and the region. "We are determined to align all of our science and research objectives with stakeholder priorities, capabilities and interests by facilitating an environment that allows them to engage with one another and find applicable solutions to some of the research challenges that we face today," said Al Suwaidi and added, "Qatar Foundation is steadfast in its commitment to plan and manage its research investments in order to fulfill the objectives within the Qatar National Research Strategy and overcome potential obstacles along the way." The New York Academy of Sciences Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Goldrich will present participants with an overview of the research 'Grand Challenges' that Qatar is facing today. During a series of working groups, stakeholders will actively engage in the deliberations on how to overcome these challenges. In keeping with the objectives of QNRS, which was launched last October, the forum also aims to provide researchers with the opportunity to network and cooperate on future research projects, nationally and internationally. QNRS was developed to guide all R&D investments in Qatar and provides the national framework to align singular objectives alongside the country's priorities, while taking into consideration stakeholder capabilities and interests. It represents the first R&D sector-wide strategy in Qatar and defines five pillars or themes to achieve the countrys aspirations: Energy and Environment; Information and Computing Technology; Health and related Life Science and Technologies; Social sciences, Arts and Humanities; as well as enterprise-wide interdisciplinary research and development. The strategy, which is being implemented by QF's research institutes, universities, service providers, government, industry and funders, is expected to nurture and enhance the cycle of innovation from university research through to commercialisation. One other long-term goal of the strategy is to increase the ratio of researchers in Qatar's workforce by developing capabilities and building a competitive and diversified economy, the QF said. (QNA)