Sharjah: A delegation from the emirate of Sharjah, led by Dr. Khalifa Musabeh Al Tunaiji, Chairman of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, has completed its visit to the University of Bologna. The visit is part of a larger effort to strengthen scientific and research cooperation, as well as to exchange knowledge on sustainable agriculture, livestock health, and honeybee apiaries.
According to Emirates News Agency, the delegation examined pioneering Italian experiences in greenhouses and smart agriculture, aided by new technologies and artificial intelligence. The delegation, led by Dr. Khalifa Musabeh Al Tunaiji, included a number of academics from University of Al Dhaid, including Dr. Rabiha Sebousi, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Prof. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saadi, Professor in the College of Agriculture, as well as a number of agricultural and animal production specialists and honey bee apiaries from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and ‘Ektifa.’
The visit explored several of the University of Bologna’s most prominent colleges and research centres, including the Big Data Innovation and Research Excellence Centre (BI-REX), the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), and the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET). The delegation inspected the most contemporary technologies for tracking food goods, analysing agricultural data using artificial intelligence, and conducting research on agriculture, plant diseases, and their prevention, as well as livestock health.
During the tour, the delegation’s head provided an overview of Sharjah’s projects for sustainable organic food security, as well as an assessment of the research and academic programmes at University of Al Dhaid in agricultural and veterinary medicine. The two sides discussed the possibility of carrying out joint research projects in the fields of honey bee apiaries, agricultural production, wheat strain improvement, and modern agricultural technologies, as well as student and researcher exchanges and joint training programmes.
This visit is considered a strategic step towards establishing scientific and research partnerships between Sharjah and the University of Bologna in particular, and international universities in general, which strengthens the Emirate’s position as a leading regional and global centre in the sustainable agriculture sector, veterinary medicine, and beekeeping, especially since the University of Bologna, Italy, is considered one of the oldest and best universities in the world.