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Heriot-Watt University has hit the headlines in the UK and UAE highlighting its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai by showcasing its 200-year history of developing research and innovation that contributes to and drives forward solutions to global challenges.
Speaking to Deadline News and Edarabia, Dr Gillian Murray, deputy principal for enterprise and business at Heriot-Watt University, said: “For 170 years, World Expos have provided a platform from which to showcase the greatest innovations that have shaped or will change the world we live in.
“That’s why Heriot-Watt University is proud to be a supporting partner of the UK Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Taking part in Expo 2020 demonstrates our continued commitment to sharing our expertise and working with global business partners.”
The UK Pavilion’s theme is ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’ where Heriot-Watt University will display work from its global research institutes, focusing on how artificial intelligence, robotics, net zero, energy and health are shaping the world of tomorrow.
The University is one of four institutions at the official UK Pavilion. Speaking to The National Simon Penney, trade commissioner for the Middle East and the UK’s consul general in Dubai, said: “It is great to have Heriot-Watt University as a partner at Expo 2020 Dubai having had such success here in the UAE for over 15 years. With over 40% of international schools in the world using the British curriculum, UK educational expertise is in high demand.”
The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) aims to help companies transition away from traditional carbon fuels into low carbon infrastructures. The research and evidence Heriot-Watt is working through will shape society and economies on a local and global scale.
Interviewed by The Herald’s Business HQ Magazine, Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, of Heriot-Watt University, leading on the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre said: “It is a golden opportunity for the [university] institution. We already have a campus in Dubai and we’re excited to share our expertise, influence thinking around the world, and build new connections.
“By sharing our learning, we are contributing to the world’s green economic recovery and helping governments consider how to manage the transition to ‘green jobs’.”
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