Innovations for sustainability

AbdulRahman Bin Mohamed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, has visited the German Pavilion, one of the largest pavilions taking part at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Located at the Sustainability District, the German Pavilion was developed following the idea of Campus Germany, the name under which Germany is presenting itself in Dubai. It highlights the importance of science, knowledge, technological development, research and innovation environment, while focusing on the employment of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on a large scale.

During his visit, the minister reviewed the latest German innovations showcased especially in the field of sustainability, environmental protection and technology, including solar photovoltaic and sustainable food production technologies, as well as ideas related to giant cities of the future.

Al Owais stressed that Expo 2020 Dubai plays a pivotal role in enhancing cooperation, stimulating innovation and enabling civil and human convergence, to build bridges of communication, connect minds and create the future in light of the presence of global powers.

He emphasized that Expo 2020 will reflect positively on the global economy, and will help direct its future plans according to new data, based on the latest innovations in vital areas, including healthcare sector.

Germany is known for its best-in-class technology, and in the Bloomberg Innovation Index 2020, the country was named the most technologically advanced. It only makes sense then that Germany would lead the way towards sustainability and try to find solutions to the problem that the entire world faces. This is what the German pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 focuses on, and it has been all the rage. Everyone who has visited has been all praises for the German display at the Expo 2020, and due to the word of mouth, Financial Express Online also visited the pavilion and the solutions and innovations were par excellence, we believe.

Choose France UAE: Campus France and Institut Français in the UAE organise ‘Choose France UAE’ event at the Expo 2020 France Pavilion.

The French Embassy to the UAE, with its cultural department Institut Français and Campus France, the French public agency in charge of promoting French higher education in the UAE and worldwide, are collaborating in organizing this year’s Choose France UAE, an educational fair held in the country every two years.

Since the first edition in 2021, Choose France UAE has aimed to promote French higher education by offering students the opportunity to study in France, explore undergraduate and graduate programs, scholarship opportunities, and learn about student visa requirements.

The 6th edition of Choose France UAE education fair took place on Dec.9, 2021 at the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and Dec.11th, 2021 at the Alliance Française of Dubai in the presence of a delegation from 14 French higher education institutions specializing in Engineering and Business, based in France and in the UAE, such as Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.

The key highlight of the event included three main sessions that happened on 10th December 2021 at the France Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai. Institutional meetings between French and Emirati higher education institutions were held during the opening session. The delegation of 14 French institutions met with several Emirati institutions (United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic) to develop and implement academic exchange programmes as part of bilateral agreements.

The second session of the event was “Study in France: Learn, Innovate and Build the Future”, a conference that discussed innovation in the educational field. Frédérique Vidal, the French Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation inaugurated the conference via a video display. The conference progressed with a presentation from representatives of French Lab showcasing a sophisticated Chatbot available on Facebook and Messenger designed for linguists interested in learning the French language through an AI tutor. EPF Engineering School discussed the importance of innovation, creativity, and a multidisciplinary approach in engineering educational practices to contribute and achieve a sustainable higher education. The conference carried out until its last part where a sequence was dedicated to high-profile alumni of French higher education where they shared their testimonies, achievements, and experiences studying in France to encourage the public to a beneficial international education journey. An innovation awards ceremony concluded the conference purposely aimed to recognize innovative local projects developed by alumni in the UAE. The award ceremony was presided by Xavier Chatel, Ambassador of France to the UAE, and Thierry Valentin, Deputy Director General of Campus France Paris. The final session of Choose France UAE highlight event was a cocktail reception that allowed attendees to network and share their expertise.

Choose France UAE event is aligned with the concrete objective developed by the government in November 2018 and which aims to welcome 500,000 students from all over the world to France by 2027. France started welcoming more Emirati students, and in just 5 years, the number of Emirati students has increased to 8 per cent, wherein 2020-2021, 208 Emirati students were already studying in France. Agreements, partnerships, and events such as Choose France UAE continuously strengthen the strategic campaign to bring international and Emirati students to study in France.

Earlier the Germany’s Commissioner General at the world’s greatest show said that the Expo 2020 Dubai can serve as a role model for future global events in the new normal, to bring people from all over the world together again.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency, Dietmar Schmitz said that hosting a global event during a worldwide pandemic requires a lot of planning and the implementation of safety measures. “Expo 2020 Dubai has done an amazing job to enable visitors a safe visit to the event,” he added.

Schmitz added that the pavilion is tailored to present a modern, forward-looking image of Germany to people from the region and visitors from across the globe. “Expo 2020 Dubai is a great opportunity for that.”

The experience-driven design of the German Pavilion makes it possible to provide comprehensive information about the country’s technical, industrial and cultural capabilities in an appealing and innovative way and to showcase potential solutions related to the Expo’s theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.

Germany is a world leader in the field of sustainability. “It is the place where sustainability was invented, where the energy revolution known as the ‘Energiewende’ was born, and a place where science, industry and large parts of civil society are actively committed to securing a sustainable future,” Schmitz said.

Sustainability is the subject of analysis, research, practice and development in Germany, which is what the title of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai sets out to convey: Campus Germany.

The campus is a synonym for a place of knowledge, research and interaction - a fitting image for the Expo’s themes and one that visitors from around the globe are able to relate to.

At the pavilion, visitors come across a number of campus-related features. Starting with the “enrolment” process, visitors will queue for an entertaining, surprising, hands-on digital experience at the entrance. After the ‘induction event’ in the Welcome Hall, visitors enter an exhibition space with 100,000 balls that present statistics about Germany - in the form of a huge ball pit.

Then comes the “curriculum”, which is covered in three labs: energy, future cities and biodiversity. In the darkened Energy Lab, “energy cables” pulsate with energy supply solutions for the future. In the Future City Lab, visitors become part of an intricate urban landscape that surrounds them. In the Biodiversity Lab, they experience the beauty and vulnerability of nature beneath a suspended installation of magnificent proportions.