The 15th International Workshop on Advanced Materials (IWAM), organised by the Ras Al Khaimah Centre for Advanced Materials (RAKCAM), kicked off today at the Mövenpick Resort Hotel on Al Marjan Island.

The 15th IWAM Workshop will bring together more than 200 eminent scientists, professionals, researchers and students from globally recognised academic institutions, as well as more than 100 representatives from UAE universities, to discuss the role of advanced materials in shaping the future. The event is once again being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, who will participate in an informal discussion on the importance of advanced materials in addressing the world's critical challenges.

Advanced materials find applications in mobile phones, electronics and energy systems. They include metals, ceramics and polymers (both new substances and improved versions of existing compounds). Innovation in these advanced materials has the potential to revolutionise a range of economic sectors including aerospace, transport, construction and healthcare, reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption in these industries.

IWAM guests include renowned materials scientists from Cambridge University, Oxford University, the University of New South Wales and the Max Planck Institute, as well as Nobel Laureate Professor Andre Geim from the University of Manchester.

As part of IWAM's programme to engage young people in science, more than 500 school and university students from Ras Al Khaimah took part in the Innovation and Sustainable Development competition, designed to inspire innovative solutions to global challenges. The winners of this competition and the recipients of the annual prestigious Sheikh Saud International Materials Science Prize (with a $100,000 reward) will be announced later this week.

Sir Anthony Cheetham, chairman of the Centre for Advanced Materials in Ras Al Khaimah, said: "His Highness Sheikh Saud is committed to harnessing the potential of education and science to drive innovation for human progress and is devoting much energy to the advancement of materials science. IWAM plays a critical role in realizing this vision by encouraging young people to participate in building a sustainable future for Ras Al Khaimah and the community at large, and in laying a solid foundation for generations to come."

Source: https://www.interfax.ru/pressreleases/947080