American University of Sharjah (AUS) and Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA) signed an agreement today, September 21, 2014, to provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration in areas of mutual interest to the UAE, by conducting joint research and utilizing the expertise and resources of both entities. The agreement was signed by the AUS Chancellor Dr. Björn Kjerfve and Chairman of SEWA Dr. Rashid Al Leem.

"It is always a great pleasure for us to partner with local organizations," said Chancellor Kjerfve. "Together we can help the economic growth of the emirate, find research that is regionally important, and create many opportunities under this umbrella."

"AUS is a highly regarded university and a destination for knowledge sharing and we have had many AUS graduates join SEWA," said Dr. Al Leem. "Through this MoU, we want to bridge the gap between the real world and the theoretical one. The utility business is one of the top sectors and I feel not enough attention is being given to its research at present. By engaging with prominent universities like AUS, we hope to bridge that gap by engaging your students and scholars to work with us."

Based on the MoU, training and professional development programs, workshops and conferences will be organized to enhance skills of AUS students and SEWA staff and to disseminate knowledge and promote collaboration. Research will focus on energy, water and desalination, environmental related issues, engineering management and data mining and statistical data analysis.

The agreement will also support student internships, undergraduate student projects and graduate student theses.