Abu Dhabi, UAE April 3, 2006 – CERT and the UAE University today signed an agreement that marks the beginning of a new era in strategic partnerships between business and education in the UAE. The agreement paves the way for the birth of UAE’s first high-tech company of its kind. The new company named NextGen will develop new technologies that will provide industry leading solutions in areas such as deep computing, Telematics and information security.  NextGen will be equipped with the world’s fastest supercomputer, BlueGene developed by IBM, and will build solutions centered around UAE University and CERT innovations such as the award winning Telematics device, the Smart-Box, as well as their e-learning platform and dynamic portal development technologies.  

The agreement was signed under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al-Nahayan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, by Dr. Hadef Al-Dhaheri, Vice Chancellor of UAE University and Dr. Tayeb Kamali Vice-Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology and Vice-Chairman of CERT. NextGen is the first high-tech company to come

H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al-Nahayan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research,Dr. Tayeb Kamali Vice-Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology and Vice-Chairman of CERT and Dr. Hadef Al-Dhaheri, Vice Chancellor of UAE University

out of a university-industry partnership in the UAE. NextGen will build on the existing IT talent pool in the UAE University’s College of Information Technology which houses over 70 experts in IT.

 “NextGen is the result of a close partnership between sister institutions coming together to harness their combined talents and resources to serve the needs of the UAE,” said Dr. Hadef Al-Dhaheri.

Dr. Tayeb Kamali noted, “This agreement is an active example of CERT’s mandate to ensure technology development, Intellectual property creation and the commercialization of knowledge to serve current and future generations of the UAE.”

“NextGen’s mission is strongly aligned with our vision for a UAE that not only deploys the latest in cutting-edge technologies but also participates in their development,” said Dr. Abdulla Khanbashi, Provost of UAE University. He added that “the UAE University is proud to partner with a successful organization such as CERT and will make a serious investment in NextGen in both human resources and equipment to help ensure its success.”

“In addition to its technology development profile, NextGen will be a great resource for the community, providing practical internship opportunities and training for UAE young men and women on some of the most advanced hardware and software in the world,” said Dr. Kamali.
 
About CERT
CERT (Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training) is the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates and is in the business of developing and providing education, training and applied technology for public and private sector clients.  CERT is involved in strategic alliances with a number of large multinational organizations in developing a diverse range of business and technology solutions.  

The company is estimated to be the largest private education provider in the Middle East and is developing education and knowledge projects throughout the MENA region. 

In 2005 CERT signed the largest Telematics deal in history, with IBM, to develop Telematics technology in the United Arab Emirates. Working with IBM, CERT provides the only super computing center in the South Asia, Middle East, North Africa region. The CERT Blue Gene supercomputer offers teraflop calculating speed to corporate clients for use in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and genetics research as well as oil and gas simulation. CERT Technology Park in the UAE is home to international companies such as Intel, Honeywell and Lucent Technologies

CERT also leads human capital development by offering total education solutions to both corporate and individual customers. Many public and private sector agencies now use CERT as their exclusive training provider ensuring that the quality of programs and teaching meets both national HCT (Higher Colleges of Technology) standards and international quality benchmarks.

CERT holds the MENA training rights for many ‘best in class’ programs such as the American Management Association qualification and the Edward De Bono program in strategic and lateral thinking. CERT is the exclusive health and environment educator for the General Health Authority. The CERT Institute for Languages offers instruction in several languages, and is also the sole provider of linguistic training to the UAE military.

Post-graduate programs offered include the University of Strathclyde MBA and the Deakin University Master of Education. For more information on CERT, visit http://www.certonline.com

About UAE University

UAE University is the premier national university in the UAE. The University has nine world class colleges, from Information Technology to Food Systems, serving the UAE and the region with world-class research and academic programs.  UAE University is dedicated to the continued development of applied research programs that benefit the UAE community and the region. The University plays a significant role in leading cultural, social and economic development in the country.  For more information on the university, visit: http://www.uaeu.ac.ae

The College of Information Technology provides seven degree programs, including computer engineering, computer science, e-commerce, information security, information systems, network engineering, and software engineering. The College has a world-class faculty engaged in cutting-edge research and development. For more information about the College, visit: http://www.cit.uaeu.ac.ae.