The University of Haifa campus. Photo: Zvi Roger – Haifa Municipality/Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel’s University of Haifa and Zayed University of the United Arab Emirates have signed an academic cooperation agreement emphasizing environmental issues and encouraging joint research between faculty and students.

“In the wake of many common challenges facing humanity as we grapple with the climate crisis, this kind of academic cooperation is a way to preserve what all of us call home — the planet,” said University of Haifa President Ron Robin, according to a press statement.

Professor Robin signed the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday with the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Youth Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi.

The MoU will encourage joint research projects across a number of disciplines, including marine sciences and natural resource management. The universities will also conduct exchange programs for student and faculty for seminars, conferences and workshops.

Al Kaabi said the partnership “will create cross-border opportunities for students, faculty and the region as a whole. Together, we can lead innovation with regards to food and water security, marine sciences and environmental sustainability.”

Also present at the signing were Israel’s Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek and the UAE’s Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Mahmoud Al Khaja, along with other university and government officials.

Professor Robin, the release noted, was responsible for establishing New York University’s international campus in Abu Dhabi in 2010.