Latest news with #scienceandtechnology
Bloomberg
12 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Thriving Southern Cities Face Economic Threat From Funding Cuts
Economics North Carolina's Research Triangle shows how federal efforts to curb spending are unleashing economic uncertainty in communities across the US. The same economic anchor that propelled North Carolina's Research Triangle into one of America's most thriving economies now risks becoming a liability. Major academic institutions in the community have helped lure businesses of all sizes — and the jobs that come with them — to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, transforming an economy once reliant on industries like tobacco and textiles into a leading science and technology hub.
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University jumps 25 spots in rankings to 177th globally
The UAE's Khalifa University of Science and Technology jumped 25 places to 177th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Khalifa University, which is based in Abu Dhabi, has remained the top institution in the UAE for eight consecutive years, according to the rankings released on Thursday. The university leads across several key indicators, including 11th in the world for "international faculty" top in the UAE for "citations per faculty" and "faculty student ratio", affirming its leadership in attracting global talent and producing high-impact scientific research, QS said. The rankings evaluated more than 8,467 universities from across 106 locations, with Khalifa University leading all 12 universities from the UAE, with a "graduate employment rate" of 94 per cent. 'As global academic and research landscape evolves, our consistent climb to reach the top 200 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings reinforces Khalifa University's status as a driving force in science and technology, particularly among researchers and students seeking world-class opportunities closer to home," said Prof Ebrahim Al Hajri, president of Khalifa University. "The 177th rank remains a testament to our faculty and students whose work continues to make a positive impact, while highlighting our global growing presence. Through our diverse academic community and our expanding international and regional industry collaborations, we are consistently contributing to meeting the UAE's ambitions in knowledge economy leadership.' Consistent growth More than 1,500 of the world's universities are included in the 2026 edition of the rankings. Other UAE universities saw improvements in this edition. United Arab Emirates University, for example, was second in the UAE list and went from 261 to 229. American University of Sharjah came in at three and saw its ranking improve from 332 to 272. AUS said the new position places it among the top 18 per cent of institutions worldwide – a consistent upwards trend since 2018. 'This achievement further validates the shared vision to develop AUS as a world-class centre of academic excellence, beneficial research and global engagement. Our steady upwards trajectory in recent years is the result of targeted investment in our people, collaborations and common purpose," said AUS president Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi. "We will continue to grow as a research-intensive institution that's fully committed to delivering education, competes at an international level and prepares students to lead with insight, intelligence and integrity in a complex world.' Regional improvement Across the Arab region, about 42 per cent of institutions improved their position, 32 per cent maintained their place from last year and 26 per cent dropped, QS said. Eleven universities feature for the first time, with Jordan accounting for six new institutions and Iraq five. Lebanon and Oman have three universities rank for the first time this year; Saudi Arabia has two universities debut and Palestine one. Three Saudi Arabian institutions are in the global top 500, meaning the region is now home to 19 top 500 universities, QS said. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals rises into the top 100 for the first time and is once again the region's highest-ranked university at 67. Looking at the overall picture, the US's Massachusetts Institute of Technology again comes out on top, while nearly 500 universities have improved their performance since last year, QS said. The UK's Imperial College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and UCL all maintained their places in the global top 10. Harvard comes in at 5. The biggest climber was Sunway University in Malaysia, which has risen over 120 places. The QS World University Rankings are an independent assessment that examines universities against several key indicators, from academic reputation to employment outcomes. The boost for the UAE, meanwhile, follows news that UAE universities also had risen up the rankings in another global higher education league table. Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University again led the way for the country, jumping up 30 places to 846th out of 21,462 higher education institutions assessed in the 2025 Centre for World University Rankings. Khalifa University placed in the top four per cent of universities worldwide and was the 10th best in the Middle East in the annual list measured on quality of education, employability, quality of faculty and research.
Arab News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
OIC's COMSTECH eyes enhanced academic collaboration between Pakistan, Bangladesh
ISLAMABAD: The OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) is organizing an upcoming visit by a high-level delegation of Bangladeshi universities to Pakistan next week, the global body said this week, as it aims to enhance academic collaboration between the two countries. The 10-member delegation will comprise vice-chancellors and senior officials from leading public and private sector universities of Bangladesh, COMSTECH said in a statement on Friday. The delegation is set to visit Pakistan from June 16 to 21. The visit is being organized at COMSTECH's invitation and is being facilitated by the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad, it said. 'The primary objective of the visit is to explore and enhance avenues of academic collaboration and institutional partnerships in the fields of higher education, science, and technology,' COMSTECH said in a press release. 'The delegation will participate in a series of high-level meetings, discussions, and interactive sessions with top Pakistani universities in Lahore and Islamabad.' It said that these Pakistani institutions are members of COMSTECH's Consortium of Excellence (CCoE), a collaborative network of premier universities dedicated to advancing scientific cooperation and educational excellence among OIC member states. 'This initiative reflects COMSTECH's continued commitment to fostering inter-university cooperation and strengthening academic ties across the Muslim world, particularly between Bangladesh and Pakistan,' the statement concluded. Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved recently. Once one nation, Bangladesh split from Pakistan after a brutal 1971 war with Dhaka drawing closer to Islamabad's arch-rival New Delhi over the years. However, long-time Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 after her government was overthrown by a student-led protest. She fled via helicopter to India, with Dhaka attempting to extradite her. Relations between India and Bangladesh's interim government have been frosty since then, allowing Islamabad and Dhaka to rebuild ties slowly.
Times of Oman
11-06-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Oman participates in 2nd Belt, Road Conference on Science, Technology Exchange
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman is participating in the 2nd Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange held in the People's Republic of China. The Omani delegation is headed by Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. In her speech at the conference, Dr. Rahma emphasised the importance of international cooperation in science and technology, praising the Belt and Road Initiative's role in strengthening scientific and research partnerships among participating nations. She also highlighted Oman Vision 2040 and its key pillars, which align with the objectives of the Science and Technology Exchange Initiative under the Belt and Road framework. She noted Oman's key achievements since its first participation in the initiative, including the signing of an MoU on science and technology cooperation. This has led to several collaborative programs between Omani and Chinese universities, such as knowledge exchange in "smart campuses," enhanced scientific cooperation with Chinese private sector institutions—particularly global company Huawei—as well as student and researcher exchanges, and cultural cooperation through Chinese language education and Arabic teaching for non-native speakers. On the sidelines of the event, the Minister held talks with Lin Xin, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, exploring ways to enhance scientific and technical exchange in priority research areas such as environmental sciences, food security, medicine, health sciences (including traditional medicine), and artificial intelligence. Discussions also covered expertise exchange in marine and ocean sciences, genetic resources, and mutual invitations to scientific conferences, including the upcoming Arab-Chinese Conference scheduled in August 2025. Additionally, they reviewed cooperation in cultural exchange, teaching each country's language in higher education institutions, and increasing mutual recognition of academic credentials. During her visit to Sichuan University in Chengdu, the Minister explored potential collaboration in scientific and research programmes, particularly in creative arts. She also discussed partnership opportunities between Omani private higher education institutions and the Chinese university, including joint exhibitions, young researcher training, bilateral research projects, cultural student events, and cooperation in AI, IoT, and modern technologies.
Sky News
08-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Spending Review 2025: Faster drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries to come from £86bn science and tech package
Research into faster drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries will form part of the £86bn science and technology funding due to be unveiled in the government's spending review next week. On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will unveil how much taxpayer money each government department will get. Each region in England will be handed up to £500m to spend on science and technology projects of their choice, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) says. In Liverpool, the funding is being earmarked to speed up the development of new drug treatments, while in South Wales, it will fund longer-lasting microchips for smartphones and electric cars. Overall by 2030, Ms Reeves's spending package will be worth more than £22.5bn a year, the government says. "Britain is the home of science and technology," she said on Sunday. "Through the 'plan for change', we are investing in Britain's renewal to create jobs, protect our security against foreign threats and make working families better off." Science and technology secretary Peter Kyle added: "Incredible and ambitious research goes on in every corner of our country, from Liverpool to Inverness, Swansea to Belfast, which is why empowering regions to harness local expertise and skills for all of our benefit is at the heart of this new funding - helping to deliver the economic growth at the centre of our plan for change." 3:54 Flat real-terms budget 'won't be enough' Regional leaders such as North East Mayor Kim McGuiness and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker welcomed the funding promise. But the announcement was met with caution by industry leaders. John-Arne Rottingden, chief executive of Wellcome, the UK's biggest non-governmental research funder, said: "While it's positive under the financial circumstances, a flat real-terms science budget, along with continuing barriers such as high visa costs for talented scientists and the university funding crisis, won't be enough for the UK to make the advances it needs to secure its reputation for science in an increasingly competitive world." He claimed the UK should be "aiming to lead the G7 in research intensity" to "bring about economic growth" and "advances in health, science, and technology that benefit us all". Director of policy and public affairs at the Institute of Physics Tony McBride expressed similar concerns. "To fully harness the transformational potential of research and innovation - wherever it takes place - we need a decade-long strategic plan for science," he said. Mr McBride said a "plan for a skilled workforce... starting with teachers and addressing every educational stage" is key - something he hopes will feature in Ms Reeve's spending review. Among the other announcements expected are a potential scrapping of the two-child benefit cap and a green light to a new nuclear power station in Suffolk - Sizewell C.
