QEERI and Japanese institute sign memorandum of understanding for scientific and research collaboration

June 17, 2019 – 8:03 am

Officials from QEERi and the Japanese institute during the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

Doha: The Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute (QEERI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and the Institute’s International Center for Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) National Institute of Materials Sciences (NIMS), Japan, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen and promote scientific cooperation and research collaboration between the two institutions.

The agreement, signed at MANA’s Tsukuba, Japan, office by Dr Marc Vermeersch, Executive Director of QEERI, and Dr Takayoshi Sasaki, Director of MANA, will enable researchers in QEERI’s Disruptive Technologies program, which is part of the QEERI Energy Center, to conduct joint research on the development of various nano-electronic devices, including sensors and quantum electronics. Such devices offer several advantages over conventional silicon-based technologies and have great potential for building the next generation of computers and sensors.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Dr Veronica Bermudez, Senior Research Director at the QEERI Energy Center, and Dr Hicham Hamoudi, who heads the Disruptive Technologies program at the Energy Center of the QEERI. Other NIMS representatives at the signing ceremony included Dr Yutaka Wakayama, Group Leader, Quantum Device Engineering Group, MANA, and Dr Ryoma Hayakawa, Principal Investigator, Quantum Device Engineering Group, MANA.

Speaking on the importance of the agreement, Dr Vermeersch said: “QEERI is committed to developing partnerships and collaborations that can help Qatar achieve its research, technology and development goals. This MoU with a prestigious institute such as MANA at NIMS will help QEERI improve our research capabilities and allow us to learn and empower our researchers. We look forward to working closely with qualified scientists, engineers and researchers at NIMS. ”

Dr Sasaki, Director of MANA, said: “At MANA, one of our core values is to encourage proactive research in science and nanotechnology with a team of excellent researchers, and this MoU with
QEERI will support us in realizing our vision of pioneering a new paradigm in the development of materials based on “nanoarchitectonics”.

Dr Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President of Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI) and Vice President of Research at HBKU, said: “With this MoU, we are delighted to pave the way for strategic cooperation in joint scientific research. initiatives between QEERI and MANA. Harnessing MANA’s wealth of expertise and advanced capabilities in nano-electrical devices, as well as the exchange of long-term know-how between our researchers and technologists, will significantly contribute to strengthening the Qatar’s research and innovation ecosystem.