Award for young scientists in green chemistry and circular economy launched at COP28

Dubai: Yousif bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group (YSLIG) and the Association of Arab Universities announced the launch of the ‘Yousif bin Saeed Lootah Award for Young Scientists’ for students pursuing green chemistry and circular economy.

The award was established to support and encourage youth in the early stage of their careers while promoting research, education and cooperation in green chemistry and circular economy in order to enhance their contributions in scientific fields that promote sustainable economic and social development.

The ‘Yousif Bin Saeed Lootah Award for Young Scientists’ aims to stimulate research, knowledge development and international cooperation in the fields of green chemistry circular economy, recognise the achievements of young scientists and how their research, ideas and innovations impact social and economic transformation and sustainable development, encourage and support young scientists and researchers, and increase their interest in green chemistry and circular economy.

The award, supervised by the Association of Arab Universities, will be granted once every two years to five winners studying at member institutes of the Association of Arab Universities.  The award categories, whose total value is AED 250,000, include circular economy, green chemistry and renewable energy.

Yousif bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group operates in various sectors such as industrial, agriculture, energy, education and trading. It includes under its umbrella several leading companies, such as Lootah Biofuels, a pioneer in the circular economy that produces biofuels from used cooking oils, and the Institute of Applied Experience (IAExperience), which specialises in training young people at leading organisations to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and labour market requirements.

The Association of Arab Universities, which was established at the initiative of the Cultural Administration of the League of Arab States, supports and coordinates the efforts of Arab universities to prepare people capable of serving their nation and develop human resources in order to achieve their aspirations through the Association’s multiple projects. These include supporting joint scientific research, exchanging its findings, focusing on its implementation research, and coordinating the efforts of Arab universities among themselves and with relevant regional and international universities and institutions to keep pace with evolving educational techniques and models.

His Excellency Professor Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary General of the Association of Arab Universities, said: “This initiative by Yousif bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group reflects the sense of social responsibility and cooperation between different institutions in Arab countries, underlining the importance of cooperation between distinguished economic, academic and scientific institutions in order to achieve excellence.”

He expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Yousif Bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group and its role in encouraging young scientists, which contributes to stepping up development, progress and growth, hoping that it will set an example for all businesses and companies in supporting research and development in order to enhance the process of sustainable economic and social development. He also expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Education in the UAE for supporting the award.

Mr. Yousif bin Saeed Lootah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yousif bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group, said: “We are proud to launch this award to support youngsters pursuing circular economy and green chemistry, as it constitutes the best way to stimulate sustainable development and achieve our aspirations for a better future for everyone.”

This award comes as an extension of the values established by the Late Hajj Saeed bin Ahmed Lootah, who was considered one of the pioneering business figures and was keen on supporting educational projects and qualifying talents. The Saeed bin Ahmed Lootah Charitable Foundation continued to contribute towards the educational sector with the establishment of an institution for orphans in 1982, the Islamic Educational Foundation in 1983, Dubai Medical College for Girls in 1986 and Dubai College of Pharmacy in 1992, in addition to supporting several other research and education projects and other community initiatives.”

Mr. Yousif bin Saeed Lootah stressed that the group is keen to develop youth skills in research, contributing to enhancing the transition towards renewable energy and the circular economy sectors. Pointing to the role of the IAExperience and Lootah Biofuels, he said, “We provide many training and qualification opportunities for young people and researchers to contribute to the development of sustainable and innovative solutions to meet future energy requirements and the use of clean alternatives in line with the UAE goals for sustainability, energy diversification, and climate neutrality through circular economy.”