ABU DHABI, UAE--(Business Wire/ January 8, 2017 -- The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) has signed a partnership agreement with the UAE Space Agency in the federal institution’s head office in Abu Dhabi.

A delegation from the university, consisting of Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, its president, Professor Mousa Mohsen, dean of the School of Engineering and director of RAK Research and Innovation Center, and Dr. Abdul-Halim Jallad, director of the university’s newly-established ICT Center for Teaching and Creativity in Informatics Communication and Networking (ICONET), attended the signing ceremony.

Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim welcomed AURAK’s latest agreement, stressing, “We pride ourselves on being a government-owned university and are always eager to contribute to the advancement of this country. This cooperation with the UAE Space Agency represents a significant opportunity for mutual benefit, which will ultimately strengthen our nation’s role in the space sector. Furthermore, signing a memorandum of understanding with such a prestigious entity underlines the quality of the research going on at AURAK, through our Ras Al Khaimah Research and Innovation Center, as well as our ICT Center for Teaching and Creativity in Informatics Communication and Networking.”

H.E. Dr. Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, added: “This agreement is in line with the foremost goals of the UAE Space Agency. By collaborating with academic institutions within the UAE we will be supporting the space sector, promoting scientific research and innovation, and directly engaging with students in order to inspire them to think about space, technology, and their role in building the future of our country. We are extremely pleased to be collaborating with such a wide range of respected entities and look forward to working closely with them.”

The Memorandum of Understanding caters for research-based cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the two parties, with the intention of supporting the space sector through collaboration in space science, education, research, technology and applications. It is envisioned that the agency’s satellite program will be utilized to observe impacts of various environmental phenomena occurring in the UAE.

The agreement is particularly relevant to AURAK whose School of Engineering consists of a total of ten undergraduate programs and a master’s program. The university’s programs in computer science and electronics and communications engineering programs both received ABET accreditation in July 2016.