In anticipation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, KAIST and Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on March 25 at Khalifa University. The memorandum reflects the mutual desire to cultivate expert researchers and encourage significant scientific discoveries through a multilateral exchange of education and information.

The event took place at the UAE-ROK Nuclear Friendship and KAIST Alumni Night, co-organized by KAIST and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The former occasion celebrated the completed construction of the first Korean-exported — and the first in Middle East — nuclear power plant. South Korea has long been aiding the UAE government’s efforts to secure a stable energy source through investments in nuclear energy: The Korean government signed a contract with the UAE in 2009 to erect four nuclear reactors in Barakah.

In conjunction, KAIST Alumni Night commemorated numerous UAE alumni who completed the KAIST-KUSTAR partnership program, which also launched in 2009. The two institutions have since closely collaborated in not only nuclear engineering, but also other notable fields such as biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science. Graduates shared highlights of their academic lives at KAIST, while President Shin expressed his excitement in presenting opportunities for future Emirates students to experience the “top-level environment and global environment that KAIST offers”.

President Laursen voiced similar sentiments: “This MOU on research cooperation focusing on technologies for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, nuclear engineering, and other technical areas will further consolidate our partnership with KAIST and support us in developing human capital suitable to take on future challenges in the science and technology sectors. We firmly believe the talent pool of experts created by this initiative will contribute to the overall economic growth of the UAE.”