The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) TRENDS research institute signed an agreement for academic cooperation with the University of Haifa at an online ceremony which was held last week, a spokesperson for the University announced.
The agreement came to fruition following an international symposium, which was held in early December and led by the Ezri Center of Maritime Policy and Strategy at the University of Haifa. Researchers from the TRENDS Institute in Abu Dhabi were invited to the symposium, which dealt with the topic of "Gulf states - from the periphery to the center," and following its success, the parties agreed to expand their cooperation and anchor it in an official agreement.
The agreement was signed by TRENDS Institute Director-General Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Al-Ali, Haifa University President Prof. Ron Robin, Haifa University Rector Prof. Gustavo Mash and the head of the Ezri Center, Prof. Shaul Chorev.
Robin, who has lived in Abu Dhabi for more than 8 years by virtue of his other position as Vice President (Provost) of New York University (NYU) and as one of the founders of the NYU campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, said that "The signing of this agreement reflects the importance that the State of Israel in general, and the Israeli academy in particular, sees in strengthening the academic ties between the countries, alongside the political agreements signed about two months ago.
"In the past, I have been exposed to the academic excellence of the UAE: their curiosity, the ways in which they strive for, and encourage, significant research and development. I am confident that the cooperation between us and the TRENDS Institute will be very beneficial to both countries, in a wide range of parameters."
Chorev of Haifa University's Ezri Center for Maritime Policy and Strategy Research said that "The joint issues which are behind the cooperation between the Ezri Center and the TRENDS Institute make it a strategic collaboration of paramount importance to the two countries, not only academically but also at the security and geopolitical levels."
"We are proud to sign this agreement and are confident that it will lead to important agreements with other research institutes," Chorev added.The agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding that the TRENDS Institute signed with Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies (MDC) in October.