By Joseph Varghese

Staff Reporter

The Annual Research Conference (ARC ’13) organised by Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D), will get underway at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) tomorrow.

Organised under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson, Qatar Foundation, the conference will recognise the research progress being made by national stakeholders, international partners and multinational companies in Qatar.

The two-day forum will focus on Qatar’s core research disciplines of health and biomedicine, energy and environment, computing and information technology, arts, behavioural and social sciences, humanities and Islamic studies.

Held under the theme “Qatar’s Cross-cutting Research Grand Challenges,” ARC ’13 will bring together renowned researchers, experts from the public and private sectors, academia and budding scientists with the aim of finding solutions to the challenges outlined in the Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS).

The conference comes at an appropriate time when Qatar has set an ambitious research agenda to attract world-class researchers to Qatar and make it a hub of research in the region and beyond. During the conference last year, Qatar had launched the QNRS which was discussed in detail at a subsequent forum in early this year. The deliberations identified several grand challenges of the country and the region which needed to be tackled urgently.

The conference will discuss the research strategy of the country and will explore the possibilities for facing the challenges. During the opening ceremony, QF R&D president Faisal Alsuwaidi will give a presentation on QF R&D activities.

“ARC ‘13 will offer insight into the five priority themes outlined in the Qatar National Research Strategy, and identify the most innovative research to help tackle pressing national challenges,” Alsuwaidi said in a message.

The opening ceremony will also have a panel discussion on the topic “Facing the challenges - International Experiences and Qatar’s Opportunities which will be moderated by Dona Crawford from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory USA.

Many global scientists such as Prof Shinya Yamanaka, from Centre for IPS Cell Research and Application Kyoto University, Japan; Prof Asit Biswas, Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico; Lee Kuan Yew, School for Public Policy Singapore; Prof Anthony Cheetam, University of Cambridge, UK; and Dr Thomas Zacharia, executive vice president of research and development, Qatar Foundation, will take part in the discussion.

Other research grand challenges faced by Qatar that will be discussed during the conference are water and energy security, advancements in diabetes and cancer research, preservation of Arabic culture, art, language and heritage, as well as ensuring sustainable food supply.

There will be abstracts and poster presentations by students during the conference. Nearly 1,170 abstracts have been submitted and a total of 517 accepted. Of these, 125 abstracts will be presented by students at ARC ’13.