Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), was recently awarded several Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) research grants enabling high-impact, collaborative projects that advance its core national mandate. The five awarded projects will contribute innovative, highly advanced, and intelligent solutions to pressing sustainability challenges facing Qatar, the wider region, and the globe.

In an era of precision medicine, new targeted therapies for cancer provide a promising glimpse of the future of cancer research and give hope to millions. 

The ongoing shift towards more innovation and technology-oriented industrial activities presents huge opportunities for businesses, including manufacturers, to step in and help deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More so in light of data on the economic benefits of pursuing sustainable, inclusive business models including job creation. 

Many community members struggle to successfully grow plants, both indoor and outdoor varieties, because they may lack the knowledge to raise and care for species able to withstand the summer’s severe heat waves or survive in the shade when temperatures are high.

Mohamed Hassouna, a horticultural specialist at the Qur’anic Botanic Garden, provides tips on growing plants in hot climates.

What is it about the program, college, and HBKU that attracted you to join?

HBKU is a prestigious university with top tier professors and an outstanding record of multidisciplinary research. The College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS) offers a unique program, the only established PhD program in the region in the field of genomics and precision medicine. This program will provide me with the opportunity to get a solid background and the knowledge needed to conduct high translational and basic research.

What is conversational AI, and what is its role in understanding and responding to human language?

Conversational AI is a type of AI that allows computers and devices to understand and respond to human language. This type of AI is used in chatbots, digital assistants, and other applications that rely on natural language processing.

Achieving food self-sufficiency requires farming activities to take place all year-round. This is a challenging endeavor in Qatar due to the extreme weather conditions and the scarcity of arable land and water resources. The use of indoor farming practices such as hydroponics can address the lack of arable land and provide one of the most water-efficient solutions for producing crops. However, indoor farming in high temperatures - particularly between April and October - requires extensive use of water for cooling in addition to irrigation.

Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has begun operating a new horizontal single-axis photovoltaic (PV) tracker (HSAT) system capable of providing real-world data to maximizing solar energy generation in order to provide real-world data related to hot desert climates. 

Dr. Anis Ben Brik, Associate Professor and Founding Director of the Program for Social Policy Evaluation and Research (PROSPER) at the College of Public Policy (CPP), participated in the recent Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) Scientific Chair for Sustainable Development Conference.

Agricultural production in desert climates

The development of the agricultural sector is vital for any country for reasons such as food security, reducing urbanization, and environmental protection. It is particularly important for economies dependent on natural resources (such as oil and gas), including Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as they diversify their non-resource sector to maintain long-term sustainable development.