Today's Edition
SHARJAH (WAM)
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of University of Al Dhaid (UODH), signed, on Wednesday, at the university’s headquarters, a cooperation agreement between the University of Al Dhaid and the University of Liverpool in Britain, to establish a programme in veterinary medicine.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan welcomed the University of Liverpool delegation and attendees, pointing out that many countries and institutions establish universities with colleges of agriculture and veterinary medicine, but they do not have farms, fields, sheep, goats and cows for students to train on, and they head to a place outside the country to train there.
He explained that the University of Al Dhaid supports the educational process and includes facilities such as wheat and corn fields, cow, bird and goat farms, all of which are prepared to train university students.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan explained that the cooperation agreement in the field of veterinary medicine, which was signed with the University of Liverpool, was initiated by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock in Sharjah, which owns a large number of pastures that include cattle, camels and goats for the locals. It is a dual service where the locals come to the pastures and a similar service is provided to them. The aim is to develop the animal wealth, which does not come by wishful thinking, but by full support, protection and treatment.
H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan added, "During the drought period, we need dry grasses, and during the period of diseases, we need treatment. Therefore, there is a small veterinary clinic in every pasture we have. However, now with the presence of the College of Agriculture and the College of Veterinary Medicine at this university, we notice that all fields, whether in the field of crop cultivation or vegetable cultivation, as well as for livestock and sheep, include what protects them. We notice that in the field of agriculture, we have a prestigious university with which we have signed a contract and it will undertake the teaching, curriculum and guidance process, in addition to cooperation with the prestigious University of Liverpool in the field of veterinary medicine."
The Ruler of Sharjah discussed the efforts made to cooperate with major educational institutions, saying, “We do not hide the fact that we spent more than a year studying a number of universities and spending large sums of money, and we are looking for the best programme. There are cheap universities, but we do not hesitate to provide University of Al Dhaid with what is meagre. Within a short period, before the year had passed, we were able to reach an agreement with the University of Liverpool, who came and saw and expressed their admiration for the university’s facilities and praised its management. We say that we will protect the scientific knowledge process without diminishing or distorting it, and we will continue with this approach to preserve the word between us and them.”
The Ruler of Sharjah expressed his happiness, along with the members of the Board of Trustees of University of Al Dhaid and the people of the region, with this progress achieved by the university, promising that these meetings and joy will be repeated after their sons and daughters graduate from this university, announcing the opening of the doors of University of Al Dhaid to any student from the Gulf countries and to anyone who sees the desire to study agriculture and livestock, to come to the University of Al Dhaid and find the appropriate education.
He praised the efforts of the two universities and the agreement in record and rapid time, explaining that he directly supervised the process of communication and cooperation.
For his part, Dr. Tim Jones, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, delivered a speech in which he highlighted the compatibility between this initiative and the University of Liverpool’s established ethos, saying, “This partnership is at the heart of what we strive to achieve at the University of Liverpool, which was founded nearly 150 years ago. Our founding mission was to enhance learning and improve lives, and these ethos continue to guide everything we do, serving our new strategic framework, University of Liverpool 2031, and thus our plans for the future are firmly focused on global engagement and partnerships, built on outstanding research and teaching.”
Dr. Jones emphasised the institution’s history of innovation and global impact, saying, “Our Veterinary School celebrated its 120th anniversary this year, and over its long history has become a centre of innovation, delivering world-leading achievements and building a reputation as one of the best veterinary schools in the world. The Liverpool Veterinary School is ranked 11th in the QS World University Rankings and is recognised as the UK’s best veterinary school by The Sunday Times. The University of Liverpool will play a pivotal role in developing the programme’s cutting-edge curriculum that integrates global standards with regional priorities, creating state-of-the-art facilities to nurture a new generation of veterinary professionals, and fostering a research ecosystem tailored to the needs of the region.”
“We have signed with University of Al Dhaid because of its excellence and ambitious plans to become a leading institution for veterinary education and research in the UAE and the region,” added the University of Liverpool’s Chancellor. “We are excited about this collaboration, which will benefit our staff and students, as well as support our research. Our focus is on addressing a range of global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, food sustainability and the impacts of climate change on animal diseases – all vital areas of human investigation.”
The agreement, signed on behalf of the University of Liverpool by Dr. Tim Jones, Chancellor of the University, stipulates cooperation between the two universities to establish a scientific programme "Veterinary Medicine", with the aim of benefiting from the global expertise of the University of Liverpool and its innovative research, and providing an educational experience for students in the field of veterinary medicine.
The signing of the agreement was attended by the Ruler of Sharjah; Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak. Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Dr. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah; Dr. Aisha Ahmed Bu Shlaibi, Chancellor of the University of Dhaid, and a number of members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Al Dhaid, academics and representatives of the University of Liverpool.
