UOB, Oxford to team up for seawater research in Bahrain

The University of Bahrain (UOB) is just about to start on a long-term research project this month with Oxford University. This week Oxford was rated number one university in the world by the prestigious Times university ranking. UOB is collaborating with Oxford university on a four year project that focuses on one of the critical concerns for the region, that of water security.

Desalination is the process of removing all of the salt in seawater. Seawater contains marine organisms and other materials that reduce the purity of the water. These impurities must be extracted to make it drinkable and useful to agriculture. The projects aims are to developing solutions to producing water cost-effectively and sustainably in the future.

“Sustainable water engineering is a way of thinking about a resource in terms of how we use it, store it, consume it, and recycle it. Future research into sustainability is key to the future of our planet and the pressing needs of the region,” said Prof Riyad Hamzah president of UOB.

UOB is also creating a pipeline for future research with record numbers of students applying and registering for postgraduate programmes.

So far, UOB has seen a 300 per cent increase in postgraduate students enrolling for the new academic year as the university launches 10 new masters’ programmes this month.

Popular choices include cyber security, sustainable development in partnership with the Prince Charles Trust and the new MBA from the College of Business. Many of the applications are from working professionals who wish to further their career with a new academic qualification and see UOB as a natural place to study.

“The fact that we have received record number of applications for postgraduate programmes reflects our shift to programmes that are relevant to Bahrain and the region. These include technology, security, renewable energy, biomedical engineering, material science, urban sustainability, SMART cities and health. UOB must respond to these challenges and opportunities to create the best possible human capital for the future growth of Bahrain,” said Prof Hamzah.