Recipients of Zayed National Museum's Dh1 million research fund named

Ten academics worldwide will receive the grant, which aims to deepen cultural legacy of Founding Father

The group were picked based on how well their projects reflect the mandate of Zayed National Museum, which is expected to open next year. Pawan Singh / The National

The 10 recipients of a Dh1 million fund to bolster research on the UAE's history and culture have been revealed.

The group includes academics and professors from respected institutions in the UAE and around the world.

The Zayed National Museum Research Fund, which also aims to expand the legacy of the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is awarded across categories such as his social, cultural and economic impact on the UAE; the country’s history and archaeology; and its intangible heritage, which spans oral history, customs, stories and music.

It will also focus on how the UAE and its ancestors developed connections with countries across the Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean, dating back thousands of years.

The researchers were picked based on how well their projects reflect the mandate of the country's national museum, which is expected to open next year.

“The selected projects will support the creation of an extensive body of scholarly works on the traditions of the UAE through an international lens with diverse perspectives,” said Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

“Contributing to our intangible culture and unlocking possibilities for upcoming generations, the Research Fund underscores Zayed National Museum’s objectives of advancing knowledge, inclusive public engagement and harnessing the power of research and science to deepen our understanding of the UAE’s layered history.”

A panel of experts from the department and museum picked the recipients from a pool of 77 applicants from 19 countries.

From the UAE, the list includes Mohamed Almarri, an assistant professor at Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences; Maryam Al Shehhi, who is part of the UAE Permanent Mission to the UN; Reynold James, an associate professor at Zayed University; and Ali El Keblawy, a professor at the University of Sharjah.

International recipients include Sumaya Al-Weheibi, an international relations specialist at the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science; Suhaib Alam, a professor at New Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia; Ran Zhang, an assistant at the UK's Durham University; Seth MN Priestman, an honorary research fellow, also from Durham University; Lesley Gregoricka, a professor at the University of South Alabama; and Agnieszka Lic, an assistant professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences.