ABU DHABI, tenth February, 2026 (WAM) — Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the Institute of Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ) have hosted the 2026 UAE-Japan Industry-Academia Collaboration Steering Board assembly in Abu Dhabi, reinforcing the rising strategic partnership between the UAE and Japan in science, expertise, and innovation.
Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, welcomed the Japanese delegation that included Dr. Tatsuya Terazawa, Chairman and CEO of IEEJ; Tokuya Kanamori, Managing Director of Japan International Cooperation Centre (JICE) in Abu Dhabi; Dr. Atsushi Yamashita, Professor on the Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, University of Tokyo; Dr. Shinya Ohtsuka, Professor on the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology; and Shiro Murakawa, Senior Director, Civil Engineering Group, Nikken Sekkei Ltd. and Executive Officer, Marine Inverse Dam Association.
The assembly was co-chaired by Professor Samuel Mao, Director of the ASPIRE Research Institute of Sustainability at Khalifa University, and Dr. Yukari Yamashita, Managing Director of IEEJ. Dr. Ashraf Al Najdawi, Vice-President for External Relations and Chief of Staff at Khalifa University, together with a number of college members, additionally attended the assembly.
“Our partnership with Japan reflects Khalifa University’s commitment to driving high-impact research that supports the UAE’s long-term innovation agenda. By bringing together leading researchers, industry partners, and policymakers from both countries, we are strengthening a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates scientific discovery and delivers real-world solutions,” Professor Al Hajri stated.
The Board agreed to organise a bilateral analysis workshop and provoke a scholar alternate programme for 2026.
Research groups from Khalifa University and companion establishments from Japan offered vital progress in strategic areas. These included joint updates in robotics in addition to collaborative achievements in energy engineering.
The discussions additionally lined increasing high-impact interdisciplinary analysis, rising joint grant proposals, enhancing researcher and scholar mobility, in addition to strengthening mechanisms for sustained information alternate.
The Steering Board assembly highlighted the deepening cooperation below the Japan-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative (CSPI), increasing joint analysis programmes, professional exchanges, and information sharing actions aligned with nationwide priorities in each nations.