Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), AUS opened the 10th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA'15) today, Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Organized by the Mechatronics Engineering Program at AUS, ISMA'15 focuses on theoretical and practical aspects of mechatronics, which covers the synergetic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics, intelligent control, and design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes.

Founded by the AUS the Mechatronics Engineering Graduate Program in response to the increasing need for mechatronics in the region, the symposium's objective is to provide a forum for engineers and technical managers from industry and academia to meet and discuss new trends and their effects on the technical development of the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Björn Kjerfve, Chancellor of AUS, said, "The main idea of the symposium is to bring together scientists, scholars, engineers, and students from universities and industries to exchange and promote research in the field of mechatronics, and hence to foster research relations between the universities and the industry in this field. ISMA has become an important tradition at AUS. It was founded by our College of Engineering in response to the increasing need of specialized skills and marks an important step towards the development of mechatronics."

Keynote speakers at the three-day event include Professor I-Ming Chen from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; and Professor Stefano Stramigioli, Professor of Advanced Robotics and Chair Holder of the Robotics and Mechatronics group at the University of Twente, Netherlands. The symposium will see a number of important topics being discussed. These include system integration, robotics, control systems, industrial automation, renewable energy and sustainable systems among others.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Leland Blank, Dean of the College of Engineering (CEN) welcomed the delegates and briefed them about the College of Engineering and its background and future goals. He also thanked the CEN faculty members and staff, volunteers and the sponsors for making the symposium a success.

Yousef Bastaki, Senior Vice President Major Projects, Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) said, "We actively work towards the success of this conference as well as its outcome. The importance of this conference lies in the exchange of technological ideas and their application in the industry."

"I am pleased to say that this symposium has played an important role in the development of mechatronics in the Gulf region," said Dr. Mohammed Amin Jarrah, General Symposium Chair and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at AUS. "It is a forum where scientists and industry experts connect to share their experience and knowledge," he added. The symposium runs until December 10, 2015.