Gulf – UK Research Networks Call for participation from UK universities – water and diabetes research symposia

Universities are invited to nominate delegates to be considered for selection to attend each of two research symposia.  These symposia, which follow on highly successful interactions with Gulf State universities, funding agencies and Ministers held in February 2010, form part of the British Council’s new International Higher Education programme Global Partnerships for the Knowledge Economy.  The symposia are:

Water security, to be held in Muscat, Oman, 19-21 March 2011, jointly funded with the Oman Research Council;

Diabetes, provisionally to be held in Kuwait City in May 2011.

They aim to:

1. review recent advances, challenges and issues in these fields as the basis for agreeing a research agenda to which universities in the UK and Gulf countries would add value by collaborating; and
2. enable the formation of (Gulf-UK) research networks, with a view to collaborating universities applying for British Council support to develop multi-lateral partnerships.

Background

Global partnerships for the Knowledge Economy represents a step-change in British Council engagement.  Support for partnerships is currently dispersed across a range of mainly bi-lateral relationships reflecting the interests of individual members of staff.  The new programme aims to increase leverage and scale by addressing global challenges, either through research and innovation or through collaborative teaching programmes.  Effective and sustainable partnerships of three or more universities with a business link will be supported by the British Council and national governments to build capacity and to mobilise knowledge for social and economic gain.

These partnerships will be initiated and sustained by regional Middle East-UK Policy Dialogues, which will provide over-arching strategic frameworks for the partnerships. The initial dialogues will focus on creating the basis for collaboration, developing agreed agendas and laying the foundations for high impact partnerships. It is intended dialogues will mature and focus with key stakeholders on knowledge sharing, skills transfer, best practice work, publication and knowledge generation. The Council’s aim through this process is to move from passive partnership brokerage to active knowledge engagement.

A  Policy Dialogue was held in Al Ain in February 2010 involving senior research managers from universities in the six states and Yemen, and from 10 UK universities, along with heads of research councils and foundations in the region and UK research funders.  Delegates concluded that the most effective way to build regional research capacity, a necessary condition for significant knowledge transfer, is by supporting multi-lateral partnerships involving a UK university and at least two universities in different countries in the region (in order to stimulate intra-regional collaboration which is almost non-existent at present).

The British Council will support the initial stages of partnership development through such activities as:

• short-term staff placements and/or staff exchanges;
• sharing of resources when appropriate;
• arrangements for the training of doctoral students;
• knowledge transfer, exchange and commercialisation; and
• regional seminars / workshops to discuss and diffuse learning points.

While the immediate ambition of this initiative is to develop research links between universities in the UK and the region, thereby increasing research capacity in the Gulf and increasing the competitive success of its researchers, collaborative research projects will not be directly supported by the British Council.  It is expected that these will be considered favourably by research councils and foundations in the region.  RCUK is currently supporting the initiative in an advisory capacity.  A longer term ambition will be successful joint funding of research between UK and Gulf States through standard competitive processes operated by the relevant research councils in the UK.

Strategic research areas

The strong emphasis on, and associated funding of, research is a relatively recent policy departure in countries in the region, and there are no quick fixes to enhance its quality.  It is recognised that in the present competitive environment, UK research teams will need to see specific advantages in partnership working with universities in the Gulf, which needs to be on a ‘win-win’ basis.  For this reason, support will focus on four strategic science and technology research areas for which the Gulf States offer important research opportunities.  These are water security; diabetes, which represents the major health challenge in the Middle East region; carbon capture, storage and management; and renewable energy.  The symposia on carbon capture and storage and renewable energy will be held later in 2011.  It is intended that the review of each subject area will also include social, economic, environmental and management perspectives to encourage inter-disciplinary collaboration.

Symposium 1 – Water Security

The Water Security symposium will be facilitated by Professor Tony Allan of King’s College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies.  The symposium will consider both basic and applied research on:

• water concerns in the Gulf States and Yemen;
• water science, water technologies including irrigation and agronomy;
• water economics, regulation and governance;

as a prelude to discussing potential research collaborations to address and remedy water security challenges.  A more detailed list of the topics on which papers would be welcomed is annexed.  

Symposium 2 – Diabetes

The Diabetes symposium will be facilitated by Professor David Matthews of the University of Oxford.   The symposium will address five themes:

1.    Epidemiology of the disease at world and regional levels

2.    Genetic basis of type-2 diabetes

3.    Complicating medical conditions

a.Cardio-vascular

b.Stroke

c.Renal, and

d.Neuropathy

4.    Delivery of health services when demand exceeds supply

5.    Community interventions for health.

Nomination and selection of delegates

A maximum of 30 delegates will be invited to attend each event, of which some two-thirds will be from the Gulf States.  UK universities that are interested in developing collaborative UK – Gulf research as a component of their internationalisation strategy are invited to nominate one or more established faculty members with a proven track-record in relevant research to attend.  To maximise the opportunities for fruitful partnerships to develop as a result of the symposia, only one nominee will be accepted from each institution, although it is expected that any subsequent research collaboration would involve a team.  The choice between multiple nominees will be made on how their specific area of expertise helps balance the UK delegation. The British Council and Oman Research Council will meet all the reasonable expenses of UK delegates.

Nominees for each symposium should be prepared to present a paper addressing one of its themes.  The research which it reports need not necessarily relate to the Gulf region, but should have relevance to it.  While the majority of participants will be selected by application, a small number of leading researchers may be also invited whose attendance will add value to the event.  While these participants may not be looking to work with the region, they - along with individuals from government and business - might be key players in facilitating and supporting collaborative research.

Application should be made by letter, one for each symposium, signed by the head of institution or by a Pro-VC or equivalent.  It should address the following:

1. How a research partnership in the relevant topic would fit in with, and advance, the institution’s research and international strategies;
2. A summary of the institution’s current teaching and research links with the Gulf States;
3. The potential within the institution for a multi-disciplinary approach to the topic;
4. The relevant research experience of the nominee(s), including current links with the region, along with that of colleagues who may be subsequently involved in a collaborative project.  Copies of short CVs (maximum two sides) and recent publications may be appended;
5. A statement explaining why the researcher / research team is looking to develop a collaborative research project with a university in the Gulf States.

Evaluation of the applications will be based on the relevance of the topic to the institution’s research and international strategies, the potential for cross-disciplinary working, and on the experience and motivation of the researcher / research team.  Institutions which do not currently have research links with the region will not be disadvantaged.  The delegates will be selected by the director of the symposium and a nominee of the co-sponsors to represent the region.

The closing date for applications for the Water Security Symposium will be Monday, 24 January 2011.  The closing date for applications for the Diabetes Symposium will be 21 February 2011.  We expect to advise you of the precise dates of the latter event before the end of January.

Applications (in Word) should be submitted by e-mail to the PMI2 Connect team at pmi2.connect@britishcouncil.org by 17:30 (UK time) on relevant closing date.

Following the electronic submission, a signed hardcopy, must be received by the British Council within a week of the relevant closing date and should be sent to the following address:

PMI2 Connect

British Council,

Bridgewater House

58, Whitworth Street

Manchester

M1 6BB

Please note applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

If you have any questions please contact pmi2.connect@britishcouncil.org.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Annex: Potential topics to be considered by Water Security Symposium

Understanding Water Concerns in the Gulf States and Yemen

a.Water resources

i.Groundwater

ii.Surface Water

iii.Desalinated Water

iv.Treated Waste Water

b.Sectoral Demand

i.Domestic & Industrial Use

ii.Landscaping & Urban amenities

iii.Irrigated Agriculture

iv.Environment

c.Water & Food Security

i.Ensuring partial food sovereignty

ii.Water embedded in food imports - Virtual Water

Facing the Technological Challenges

d.Domestic & Industrial sector

i.Improving efficiency of desalination plants, minimizing energy requirements, brine disposal,  

ii.Operation & Maintenance of Water distribution grid,

iii.Sewage treatment & economic reuse, minimizing disposal of treated water to oceans, minimizing storage requirements of treated waste water

iv.Contingency plans to management of flash floods

v.Strategic reserves – Gonu, red tide

e.Agricultural & Rural sector

i.Water use in excess of supply

ii.Agriculture as a business to generate adequate income

iii.Reliance of population in agriculture

iv.Environmental costs of agricultural water use – seawater intrusion

Facing the Social Challenges

f.Water Resources Institutions

i.Drivers of policy developments & implementation

ii.Integrated Water Resources Management

•Integration of Water Institutions – National Water Commission of Australia

•Integrating different sources of water & reallocation – Basin Planning – e.g. Murray Darling Basin Plan

•Integrating knowledge form sectors & disciplines

•Integration of IWRM with rural development

iii.Water-energy nexus in Agriculture – greenhouses, groundwater pumping

iv.Water pricing to recover partial costs    

v.Groundwater protection zones for domestic  use in emergencies

g.Adoption of available technology

i.Improving agricultural water use efficiency – pressurized irrigation methods, optimizing greenhouse designs

ii.Matching agricultural land use to water supply

iii.Simultaneously maximizing land and water productivity

iv.Monitoring water resources – SCADA

v.Water harvesting – recharge dams

h.Development of appropriate technology - policies

i.Minimizing energy needs for desalination

ii.Diversifying income base in rural areas

iii.Minimizing population relying on agriculture to generate income