Polar Seminar at Khalifa University (SAN Campus)
January 15, 2025
Khalifa University Faculty Members Share Research Perspectives on Ways to Preserve Polar Region
In collaboration with the Emirates Polar Program and the Arctic Circle, Khalifa University hosted global stakeholders, leading polar scientists, and policymakers for a Polar Seminar at the Sas Al Nakhl (SAN) Campus as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2025.
Joined by the Chairman of Arctic Circle, H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, and the Chair of the Polar Dialogue and previous Prime Minister of Iceland, H.E. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the guests toured Khalifa University’s cutting-edge research facilities. The group visited the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (ENGEOS) Lab, the world’s first atmospheric water generation system (AWG) that operates entirely on solar energy and electrical thermal energy storage, the region’s only permanent Body Museum, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), the Advanced Research and Innovation Center (ARIC) focusing on aerospace, and the Marine Studies and Research Lab – the region’s first-ever advanced research facility equipped with wave and stream generation facilities.
Faculty members from Khalifa University representing Earth Science, Aerospace Engineering, as well as Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering and Civil & Environmental Engineering, shared their perspectives on research and science, recommending various avenues for collaborations to mitigate the threats of melting glaciers and water insecurity, aggravated by climate change.
Other delegates included members of the Emirates Polar Program Steering Committee, Gitte Adler Reimer, Rector, University of Greenland; Izabella Koziell, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD – International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Dr. Peter Griffith, Director, Cycle & Ecosystems Office, Science Systems & Applications, Inc. (SSAI), Sudan Bikash Maharjan, Cryosphere Scientist, ICIMOD, Dr. Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson, Glaciologist, Icelandic Meteorological Office, and Prof. Alexander Haumann, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.
Announced in November 2024 by H.E. Mariam Almheiri, Head of the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court, and Chair of the EPP Steering Committee, the Emirates Polar Program aims to equip Emirati scientists for participation in international polar missions. The Polar Research Center at Khalifa University was only an initial step, which also includes building strategic international partnerships, signing relevant treaties, and joining international polar missions. The Center aims to be a key contributor in filling the knowledge gaps in polar sciences by studying the cryosphere, oceans, and landscape, aligning with global initiatives like the 5th International Polar Year (IPY) 2032-33.he Arctic Circle Polar Dialogue initiative unites global experts and policymakers to drive forward the global conversation on responsible polar research and foster scientific collaboration on the Arctic, Antarctic and the Himalaya – Third Pole regions.
