Sharjah24: According to one of the studies recently published in the global magazine "Globalization and Health", which classifies universities and countries according to COVID-19 research, the University of Sharjah ranked first in the United Arab Emirates, and eighth at the level of Arab universities. The University also ranked 44th in the world for the number of publications on the COVID-19 pandemic.

His Excellency Prof. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, announced this confirming the prestigious position that the University reached thanks to the guidance and unlimited support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah. 

He added that the scientific research system at the University is working to support and motivate researchers and specialists and since the beginning of the pandemic, the University has been working on many related research projects at the Research Institute for Medicine and Health Sciences. Those include a research project that works on the use of bioinformatics and engineering mathematics with biological verification in vitro and in vivo to decipher the code and partial mechanism of this pandemic infection in the respiratory system; a project to develop a new biosensor to detect the SARS-Covid-5 protein; and a project to develop new treatments for this pandemic by targeting the SARS protein as well as developing new methods for diagnosing this virus through saliva and other means. This research comes in cooperation with many universities, hospitals and international institutions to develop it into future treatments.

The University Chancellor emphasised that the scientific research system at the University is actively working in all disciplines through three strong research institutes and centers of excellence. It is home to 62 research groups that focus on multidisciplinary and applied research that work to serve the community.
 
For his part, Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, explained that the output of scientific research in the Arab countries amounted to more than 6000 papers, representing 4.26% of the output of scientific research at the global level in relation to COVID-19.  He added that the University of Sharjah is focusing on meaningful research cooperation with local and Arab universities with the aim of reaching distinguished research results related to COVID-19.

He emphasised that a large number of the University of Sharjah's research projects related to COVID-19 have been implemented in cooperation with several different hospitals and research centers in the field of the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients, diabetes, geriatric diseases, and the mental health of families and children in schools.