Zayed University initiated a new program, The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (ZU URSP), to support undergraduate students develop their research skills. 18 students from the different colleges in Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and Dubai participated in program.

Dr. Sulaiman Al Jassim, Vice President of Zayed University, said the program introduces new ideas and concepts that help in developing the student's research skills and improve their ability to choose research topics. This will benefit the students when they join the workforce as students will produce better outcomes. Zayed University is keen in developing such programs in collaboration with national and international universities and organizations.

The university cooperates with many corporations to conduct requested research, which resulted in increasing performance and producing better outcomes and facilitating the work between individuals and corporations, added Dr. Al Jassim.

Birgitta Feldges, Post-Award Research Specialist at Zayed University, said the initiative will be ongoing for two years, each year a new cohort being selected to start. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (ZU URSP) will provide ZU students with the research training, scholarly opportunities and experiences to be successful in research careers and future graduate education.

18 students were accepted into the program, 10 from Dubai and 8 from Abu Dhabi. The first phase of ZU-URSP is a two-week summer research institute where students learn about quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, learn how to develop a research proposal, learn about graduate school expectation and  learn about graduate school life and qualify for employment as a Research Assistant for faculty-led research projects.

The students visited the National Center for Documentation & Research and the National Research Foundation. In the second phase of the program, students will have access to a number of activities and mentorship opportunities which will develop their professional research skills, culminating in the development of their own research proposal.

Students will have the opportunity to present their research findings at a national or international level conference and, where appropriate, will be encouraged to publish their work. Students may also be employed as a Research Assistant on a faculty-led research project, added Feldges.