Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and United Arab Emirates’ Khalifa University of Science and Technology opened the KAIST-KU Joint Research Center in Abu Dhabi, as part of their efforts to enhance cooperation in the wake of “Industry 4.0,” KAIST said Tuesday.

The two universities plan to actively pursue joint research projects in sectors such as smart health care and smart transportation platforms to better prepare for the challenges of the era of artificial intelligence.

“We plan to solidify our cooperation in terms of education and research in nuclear and energy sectors,” said Yim Man-Sung, dean of the KUSTAR-KAIST Institute of Education, at the opening ceremony of the research center.

“We will play a bridge role in achieving sustainable development of Korea and the UAE by strengthening cooperation in the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ to foster future growth engines.”

KAIST President Shin Sung-chul and Sarah al-Amiri, minister of state for advanced sciences in the UAE cabinet, agreed to expand cooperation in the fourth industrial revolution at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in February last year. A month later, the two universities signed a memorandum of understanding on industrial technology development.

KAIST and KU have carried out some 200 joint projects across various fields, including nuclear energy and electrical and mechanical engineering since 2011. KAIST assisted KU in developing a course on nuclear engineering after a Korean group won a landmark deal to build and operate four nuclear reactors in the UAE.

Established in 2007, KU is a science-focused, research-intensive university located in Abu Dhabi, with 3,500 undergraduate students, 900 graduate students and 500 faculty members as of April this year.

(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)