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Abu Dhabi University (ADU), an internationally recognized academic institution for quality education and applied research, has announced that registration is now open for the seventh edition of its Undergraduate Research Competition (URC), which will be held under the patronage of His Excellency Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education. The URC will be open to undergraduate students across the UAE and other GCC countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman. The competition aims to expand critical thinking abilities amongst undergraduate students by encouraging an innovative mindset and tackling topics of interest, providing them with first-hand experience of scholarly exploration and scientific research.

Inspired by ADU’s core strategic goals, the competition reflects the university’s prioritization of research, in order to prepare students for their post-graduate careers. Using creative solutions, ADU aims to promote scientific research and innovation within the student body, in line with the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for science and entrepreneurship.

Elaborating on the contest, Professor Ashraf Khalil, Director of Research at ADU noted: “As an institution that believes in providing students with the best academic experience, and in line with its students first approach, Abu Dhabi University strives to provide top quality resources to its students to prepare them for careers beyond the four walls of a classroom. Over the course of the last six editions of the URC, we have witnessed an increase in the participation of our ambitious students and their interest in pursuing scientific research. Our competition has now become one of the largest and most important annual undergraduate events in the UAE, and we have no doubt that this year’s seventh edition will continue to elevate students to new academic heights.”

This year’s contest will introduce a new category for ‘innovation’ designed to put students’ creativity to the test. The category is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship, digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI), representing the key cornerstones of the UAE's economic plan. Participants are encouraged to practice essential skills that are required in order to succeed in the job market, as the UAE shifts towards a technology-focused and knowledge-based economy.

The students’ presentations will be judged by a Scientific Committee with the involvement of experts from academia as well as the industries represented by the categories, with winners to be announced during the closing session of the competition. The registration deadline is January 30, and the competition will commence on April 29. Students are advised to visit the university’s website for more information about the contest. In addition to a Certification of Recognition, winning teams will also receive incentive prizes worth over AED 100,000.