| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 40.37 |
| Liaison | Raafat Kabbara |
| Submission Date | Nov. 15, 2022 |
Higher Colleges of Technology
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Raafat
Kabbara Assistant Manager - Facilities Management General Services |
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
HCT & the Sharjah Research, Technology & Innovation Park to Support Student Research Projects & Startups.
The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) will collaborate with the Sharjah Research, Technology & Innovation Park (SRTIP) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among Emirati students, after the parties signed a collaboration agreement at the Expo 2020 Dubai site, on the sidelines of HCT’s 2nd InnCuVation Forum.
The entities will seek to support and empower Emirati youth with the required expertise to establish their own businesses and unleash their innovations, by implementing joint research and education projects, as well as training and development programs.
Under the terms of the agreement, HCT and SRTIP will work closely so as to keep updated on new developments in innovation and entrepreneurship programs, while supporting joint projects. The two parties will further discuss ways of providing support to HCT students’ startup businesses and projects, as well as exploring opportunities for further cooperation in applied research and offering special facilities for students to benefit from SRTIP’s services.
To date, the Startup Development Program has been instrumental in launching 138 startups in tandem with a focus on incubating and promoting ventures and innovations based on advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, and more.
In addition,(HCT), Tawazun Economic Council, and Mubadala Investment Company signed a Collaboration Agreement to support innovative student research projects and ideas that offer advanced engineering solutions to challenges and meet the needs of Tawazun and Mubadala in engineering areas and cutting-edge industries.
This collaboration will continue over the next five years, at a cost of 36 million dirhams, jointly funded by the three partners. The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit 2021 at Expo 2020 Dubai.
https://hct.ac.ae/en/news/hct-tawazun-mubadala-sign-agreement-to-support-student-research-projects-related-to-innovation-and-engineering-solutions/
Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
In 2022, HCT has funded 62 research projects conducted by faculty members in health, energy, water, information technology, education, and transportation, all of which promote innovation and sustainable development opportunities. In addition, HCT students are often part of the faculty members’ research activities, with whom they work to develop their skills and ultimately link them to the relevant labor market.
Applied Research focuses on practically solving the problems that societies face in the pursuit of creating highly livable environments. As an applied educational institution, HCT aims to support applied research so as to discover or create solutions which address societal needs, particularly in the seven fields of the National Innovation Strategy, namely Technology, Space, Water, Transportation, Education, Renewable energy, and Health. As at January 2022, HCT has funded 208 projects, involving 360 researchers, in relation to the seven aforementioned strategic national areas of research and innovation, in the amount of close to AED 12 million.
To facilitate applied research endeavors among its faculty and students, HCT issues research grants to successful applicants, in the categories of Seed Grants, Interdisciplinary Grants, Industry Collaboration Grants and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Grants.Please refer to the below website reflecting the Applied research projects currently on going in HCT:
https://hct.ac.ae/en/inncuvation-spaces/applied-research-projects/
and
https://hct.ac.ae/en/applied-research/projects/
Moreover, HCT has faculty members who are members of the UAE’s Climate Change & Environment Research Network.
https://hct.ac.ae/en/faculty-staff/faculty_highlights/hct-cis-faculty-member-appointed-to-uaes-climate-change-environment-research-network/
Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
Referring to LP265 Faculty Ranking and Promotion Policy V1.2, Faculty rank structure, appointment, and promotion are essential elements of the strategic vision of the institution that supports excellence in teaching quality in Higher Education and developing a scholarly approach to teaching, academic administration, and research. Promotion is based on the following criteria:
1. Academic credentials and Higher Education experience which describes the normal minimum credentials and time-in-rank necessary for promotion consideration.
2. Academic performance and service refer to the record of actual performance and the faculty member's achievement in academic and service areas, as defined by the faculty handbook.
3. The criteria for assessing the quality of scholarship, teaching, and service shall be clearly specified in the procedures of this Policy in addition to any specific additional disciplinary or professional requirements that may be demanded by a given Academic Division and/or program.
4. All of the HCT academic community will have the opportunity to participate in the establishment, development, and revision of the promotion criteria.
5. The scholarship of faculty members may extend beyond established disciplinary boundaries including interdisciplinary initiatives.
6. Criteria shall apply to all faculty fairly and equally without any discrimination.
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
Implementation of advanced technologies that enable students, faculty, and staff to have secure access to HCT Library e-resources, virtually any place, any time, was the first step in the broader move towards the Library as a service rather than a destination. The HCT Library is committed to further pursuing strategies that support the evolving online experience needs of the HCT community, strategies that enhance discovery, and support learning and applied research.
The library provides two kinds of sessions to support the HCT community. The first one is the information literacy sessions. The second one is the weekly library session. These sessions are to raise the research quality of the HCT community. We can assess our efforts through the student's feedback, as attached, their grades, and the participation of the students in any research competitions and awards.
In addition, HCT Library has the following support for sustainability research on its premises:
1. Research Guides: The library has a libguide to support Sustainability topics and raise awareness and knowledge. https://libguides.hct.ac.ae/aamc/earth, and Libguide of General studies with a course focus on Sustainability.
https://libguides.hct.ac.ae/c.php?g=836948&p=5977522
2. Materials selection policies and practices: https://pms.hct.ac.ae/pages/LP400.aspx
3. curriculum development efforts: Liaison Librarian in contact with the program chair and faculty to get approval on the suggested titles. Then to be purchased from the vendor and added to the library collection.
4. sustainability literacy promotion: The librarian continuously provides information literacy sessions to the students.
5. Collection to support sustainability: The library has a wide range of collections to support the topic. https://hct.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,sustainability&tab=Everything&search_scope=Print_online&vid=971HCT_INST:971HCT_VU1&mode=basic
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.