Sharjah24: Stemming from the University of Sharjah (UoS) great societal role in focusing on scientific research and linking the outputs with the UAE community, the UoS through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies has launched “Emirati Youth Research Fellowship Program” which is the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates and the Arab world, aiming to educate youth and improve their research skills that enable them to perform their roles as future leaders and community professionals by harnessing the UoS’s capabilities to qualify young Emirati researchers.

The program aims to hone research skills of Emirati youths who are over 20 years old in various research fields , and aid them to positively invest their time during their academic or occupational vacation,  as well as enable them to benefit from the local and international relations of UoS’s research institutions, allowing the youth to be involved with distinguished professors and researchers to intensify their ability to conduct researches and enhance the communities, through joining the fellowship program in one of the University’s research institutions based on their specialization which are Research Institute of Humanities & Social Sciences (RIHSS), Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences (RIMHS) and Research Institute of Sciences & Engineering (RISE). 

In addition, the program strives to attract students with diploma, bachelor, master or doctorate’s degree, who work in research departments in ministries, governmental or private institutions and bodies, job seekers and Emirati students enrolled in local and international universities.   

It is noteworthy that the program works to improve and develop youth productivity in research field, through four paths that allow them to gain research experience through multiple projects and fields or work with research teams, and it will continue to accept enrollment requests throughout the academic year through the University’s website. The duration of the program varies from one month to 12 months based on participant’s choice. The program will allow participants to join activities that focus on research skills, field visits, university’s laboratories training, and interact with international speakers, scholars and postgraduate researchers in various forums and activities of the University. At the end of the program, the participants are awarded a certificate of completion of the research fellowship from the UoS, and the graduates of the program are added to the list of the Emirati youth research fellowship at the specialized research institute to which each graduate has joined.