British Council, British Embassy and Bahrain HEC join forces

The programme will provide 125 Bahraini university students with a five-day training course.

It will enhance students’ research skills as well as help further national education strategies and UK-Bahrain education partnerships.

 

The Research Communications programme, which starts this week, aims to embed research communication skills in the Higher Education’s curriculum to enhance the national education strategies and university research capacity.

The programme will also look to enhance future collaboration in research and mutual prosperity between the UK and Bahrain.

Through the training programme, undergraduate students in Bahrain will learn skills and tools to effectively communicate on their research findings.

The students, of which 50% will be female, will join the training, which will be led by Dr Kate Walker from The University of Sheffield.

 

Throughout the training, students will work on a research topic and outline that they would have identified prior to joining, which will be peer reviewed by the end of the five-days by their respective tutors. In early 2022, graduates will have a chance to present their papers at the Second National Research Competition, organised by Higher Education Council, the 10 best written research papers will receive an award.

 

British Council Bahrain, Country Director, Richard Rooze said: “Education is key to building up Bahrain’s knowledge economy and I am therefore delighted to work together with the Bahrain Higher Education Council (HEC) on the Research Communication programme. Alongside building the capacity, skills, and knowledge of young Bahraini undergraduates, the programme will help strengthen national educational strategies and enhance the opportunities for UK-Bahrain research collaborations.”

 

Roderick Drummond, the British Ambassador to Bahrain said: “I am delighted that this Research Communications project is moving ahead. Increasing activity and knowledge in this area is vital as the world builds back better post-Covid and addresses the scientific challenges of Climate Change.”

Dr Shaikha Rana Bint Isa Bint Duaij Al Khalifa expressed her sincere thanks to the British Embassy and the British Council for implementing distinguished training programmes that contribute to achieving the objectives of the National Research Strategy through strengthen the research skills of the students.

 

Such programmes have a great positive impact on the research outputs, where our students will work on various topics that would develop various sectors in our beloved kingdom. She thanked all the higher education institutions, who participated in this project wishing success to all participants and looking for executing more fruitful projects with our partners.

 

This Research Communications programme is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and builds on the success of the Gulf Science Innovation Knowledge Economy, which was delivered in the Gulf from 2015 to 2019 and witnessed the successful partnerships between University of Bahrain and Loughborough University, Aston University and University of Oxford.