Dh48m poured into Middle East research



Abu Dhabi // The Government has donated more than £9.2 million (Dh48m) to the London School of Economics (LSE) in a bid to boost research on the UAE and the region. The donation, coinciding with yesterday's launch of the British institution's Middle East Centre, is being provided by the Abu Dhabi Government and the Aman Trust through the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy. The centre will co-operate with UAE and other Middle Eastern universities, scholars, civil society and policy-makers, focusing on issues pertinent to the region's cultures, societies, economies and international relations.

"We are delighted that the new centre will solidify the LSE's academic relations with leading Middle Eastern universities, including those in the UAE," said Abdulrahman al Owais, the managing director of the Emirates Foundation. "Our foundation supports knowledge creation through research and high-level training for young professionals, which are key objectives of the new Middle East Centre." The foundation hopes that the centre will "train a new generation of specialists drawn from within the region and from the rest of the world" and draw attention to the "region's strengths and challenges".

Mr al Owais added: "The centre will also help to train a new generation of specialists drawn from within the region and from the rest of the world." @Email:hhassan@thenational.ae