Teaching numeracy and literacy to children with Down's Syndrome
Sue Buckley, Director of the Down's Syndrome Education Trust in the UK, has given a lecture on the Abu Dhabi campus. Entitled "Teaching numeracy and literacy to children with Down's Syndrome", the speech attracted an audience of educators, professionals and parents of children with Down's Syndrome. The event was organized in collaboration with the Future Center.

Research training program for faculty and staff on both campuses
The Office of Research and Outreach, in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Library, and the Research Standing Committee, are offering a research training program for faculty and staff starting 5 February with a session in Abu Dhabi on "Researching effectively and keeping up to date in your field." All sessions will be offered on both campuses. Other workshops planned for early this semester include literature reviews and managing resources and citations using EndNote, the Research Incentive Fund, statistics for research purposes, and SPSS for beginners. More details including locations, abstracts, pre-requisites, and technological requirements can be found on the Research Web site. RSVP for each session to: research@zu.ac.ae

Holiday closure
Zayed University will be closed on Wednesday, 1 February. This day will be taken as a holiday for the occasion of the Hijra New Year. The university will will resume operations on Saturday, 4 February.

Presentation to Readiness students on writing
Mr Peter Neisuler, Public Affairs Officer of the US Consulate General recently visited Zayed University in Dubai. He presented a vibrant talk on concise writing in English in the short stories of Ernest Hemingway and other notable North American authors in order to provide encouragement to students participating in the Extremely Short Story Competition being organized throughout the UAE by the ZU Student Literature Club and British Council. Mr Neisuler’s stimulating talk was clearly explained and well-illustrated providing a useful context for those students interested in literature or contemplating the TOEFL Examination.

ZU Vice President participates in Al-Maktoum Institute workshop
Zayed University Vice President Dr Hanif Hassan attended and participated in the Al-Maktoum Institute Winter Postgraduate Research Workshop recently. At the workshop, which was held at the Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Scotland, he meet and engaged in a discussion with the Institute's Masters and Ph.D. students.

Leadership Conference attracts high profile speakers
Three prominent speakers have been added to the line-up for Zayed University's Women as Global Leaders Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi in March:

• Cherie Booth, Wife of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and a noted attorney and human rights advocate.
• Asha Hagi Elmi, Member of the Transitional Parliament of Somalia, Founder of Save Somali Women and Children, and Chairperson of The Sixth Clan
• Catherine Ferrant, Vice President of Global Diversity and Accountability, Total.

They join an impressive list of speakers including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, UAE Minister of Economy and Planning Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi and the Lord Mayor of the German city of Würzburg, Pia Beckmann. Full details at www.zuglobaleaders.org

ZU reopens
Zayed University has reopened following the sad demise of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Zayed University Vice-President Dr. Hanif Hassan has commented that Sheikh Maktoum was very keen to support and develop the higher education sector especially in associating with internationally renowned academic institutions in the UK and US.

"It is a very sad day for us especially in the education sector. He helped build up this country with the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum," said Dr Hanif.

Delegation from Kyoto University visit ZU
Professors Tanigaki and Messaoudi from the International Innovation Center, Kyoto University were hosted by Zayed University in late December and visited a number of local universities, government agencies and private companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The trip was a follow-up to the visit to Japan by Dr Hanif Hassan, Vice President of ZU, Dr Abdullah Abonamah, Director of the ITI, and Dr David McGlennon, Director of Research and Outreach, in January 2005. The Kyoto University delegation investigated the possibility of establishing a joint venture between their University, Japanese industry, and UAE universities and industry in the area of science and technology research and development.

e-learning Forum
The call for proposals is now open for the Seventh e-learning Forum, which takes place in Sharjah in April. Organized by the the University of Sharjah in sponsorship with the University City Professional Network (UCPN), the forum serves as a focus for facilitating exchanges on the latest technological tools, strategies and best-practices for creating stimulating and effective e-learning experiences in educational settings.

Educational Forum: Youth in the UAE
Drs Alan Russell (pictured left and formerly of ZU, currently Professor at Flinders University, Australia) and Chris Coughlin of the College of Education working with Drs Mona Al Amri and Mohamed El Walily of the Ministry of Education, will present their findings from a study entitled "Youth in the UAE: Future Challenges and Resources for Success" on 4 January at the Ministry of Education in Dubai, starting at 9:30 a.m. The study presents findings from a questionnaire given to 6672 students in grades 10, 11, and 12, surveying perceptions of their future and school success. Faculty and students welcome: RSVP to chris.coughlin@zu.ac.ae