Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS) Forum of 2013 Start

Doha, May 15 (QNA) - Faisal Mohamed Al Suwaidi, the President of Research and Development (RD) at Qatar Foundation, has affirmed that Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS) forum of 2013 which is being held for the second year in a row , aims at reviewing the QNRS after being ratified last year on part of HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser , the chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and QF's board of directors to get assured it is going on the right path and as per the right priorities . Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday on the sidelines of the two-day forum being held at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) , Al-Suwaidi said the story of researches started with the choice by HH Sheikha Moza of "Zruna" company which conducted an integrated study to the research sector in Qatar and reported to HH Sheikha Moza at the end of 2011 where the report was endorsed in December 2011 and we switched it to the QNRS in consultation with all staff at the Research and Development in Qatar. He further said," We will set the priorities and then submit them to HH Sheikha Moza and the QF's board of directors once again for endorsement and to put it into action and finance it. The President of Research and Development (RD) at Qatar Foundation mad clear that during today's meetings consultations were made with the research and development personnel where we define the most challenges facing Qatar in the 10 or 20 years to come in this sector and which include lack of manpower, the matter which made us reduce the 76 research target to 12 targets where 3 to 4 goals will be selected during this forum. The other targets will not be abolished but will go back to next year and try to rearrange them as per priorities and we will choose a number of them each year, said Al Suwaidi. Speaking about the most important challenges facing the research sector , Al Suwaidi pointed out that of the prime challenges we face are saving human energy whereas the financial aspect poses no problem, especially after His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, has allocated 2.8% of the national income annually for the research sector. Al Suwaidi further told reporters that the forum will highlight the value of fostering a national research culture. This is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and is designed to have a significantly positive impact on the country's development by addressing the most pressing challenges facing Qatar and the region. He made clear that there are about 500 researchers in Qatar working with the QF, the Educational City and Qatar University and other locations whereas we are in need of 7000 researchers to realize the targets of Qatar National Vision 2030. This constitutes a major challenge over the coming years and we have to overcome it through recruiting scientists from abroad and at the same time training and educating the Qatari cadres of males and females to encourage them to join this sector, Al Suwaidi told reporters. Elaborating he said, "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." "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," Al Suwaiti told reporters. Aimed at tackling the nation's most pressing research challenges, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development hosted today the Qatar National Research Strategy Forum 2013, in collaboration with The New York Academy of Sciences. The two-day forum brings together leading stakeholders from across Qatar National Research Strategy's (QNRS) key sectors, including academia, government, and research institutes. 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. For his part, Michael Goldrich, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The New York Academy of Sciences, said in similar remarks the he 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 Qatar National Research Strategy (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 country's 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 Qatar Foundation'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. Another of the strategy's long-term goals is to increase the ratio of researchers in Qatar's workforce by developing capabilities and building a competitive and diversified economy. Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a private, non-profit organisation that is supporting Qatar on its journey from carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world. Founded in 1995 by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. QF carries out its mission through three strategic pillars: education, science and research, and community development. QFs education pillar brings world-class universities to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. Whereas the New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology and society worldwide. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. (QNA)