Press Release
Qatar University and QSTP Launch Wireless Research Center
Doha, 26 November 2008: 4G and WiMax broadband are among the research subjects of the new Qatar University Wireless Center that will be established at Qatar Science & Technology Park. The center was announced by Dr. Sheikha Al Misnad, President of Qatar University, and Dr. Tidu Maini, Executive Chairman of QSTP in a signing ceremony at the science park today.
The center will carry out applied research, provide consulting services, and promote education and training in wireless communications. It also aims to develop new wireless applications for specific Qatar industries such as oil and gas, healthcare and transportation.
The QUWC will be run by Qatar University's College of Engineering, with QSTP providing funding support and an attractive location for collaborative research. It is expected that the center will open in the first half of 2009.
The research focus of the QUWC will be in four areas:
- New wireless applications for targeted local industries
- Applications and multimedia services for mobile devices
- Broadband wireless technologies such as 3G evolution, 4G, WiMax and satellite
- Radio-frequency radiation studies.
Qatar University sees the center as an "enabler" for R&D by diverse Qatar institutes and companies as wireless communications appear in evermore products, services and industries. The QUWC also aims to support other companies at QSTP to use wireless technology in innovative ways.
Qatar University President Dr. Sheikha Al Misnad said "This signals the beginning of a strong partnership between two leading national institutions in Qatar that will accelerate the realization of both institutions' visions. The initiative demonstrates the focus of Qatar University on applied research and technology development activities that will result in new innovations and services. It also creates a platform that will leverage human assets and expertise available in Qatar."
Dr. Tidu Maini, Executive Chairman of QSTP, said "Communications technology is so important because it accelerates many cutting-edge areas of innovation - medicine, energy and transport for example. QSTP is building multi-disciplinary research in all these areas, so the QUWC is both timely and vital to Qatar's technology development."
Dr. Adnan Abu Dayya, Executive Director of QUWC, said "Through its focus on applied research and technology development activities, the Qatar University Wireless Center will help position Qatar as a regional leader in wireless/telecom research and development. It will also focus on finding ways to use wireless/telecom technologies to solve the needs of major industry segments as vast as oil and gas, healthcare, mobile government services, security applications, intelligent systems and environment monitoring. Through its diverse projects and activities, QUWC will create high value employment opportunities for graduates of universities in Qatar."