AL AIN // Emirati students are being encouraged to pursue a career in conservation as Al Ain Zoo and United Arab Emirates University offer new scholarships in the protection of wildlife and their habitats.
The zoo and university have launched an introductory course in zoo-based conservation and the scholarships will be available to Master of Science students at UAEU.
The course, developed by Al Ain Zoo’s conservation department, is in four parts and will look at subjects such as endangered species of plants and animals.
Students studying for Bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry can also take part. They will be introduced to a number of the zoo’s species which have become endangered due to over-hunting, habitat loss and persecution, and will be given an overview of the challenges faced when reintroducing such species into their natural habitats.
They will also be given an overview of animal management and veterinary programmes, and how to sow seeds of native plants.
Al Ain Zoo Conservation Scholarship will fund the tuition for the students.
In return, students will carry out a project that contributes to the zoo's conservation objectives.
Muna Al Dhaheri, chief conservation and education officer at Al Ain Zoo, said: “This initiative affirms and recognises the importance that conservation plays in the UAE’s future, as it prepares tomorrow’s generation to build on everything we have achieved thus far, in line with the vision of the Founding President, Sheikh Zayed.”
Dr Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, UAEU’s vice chancellor, said: “UAEU is continuously evolving and adapting its educational programmes to empower future generations and to equip them with the required skills necessary to best serve the UAE’s diversification. Al Ain Zoo is one of the UAE’s prominent tourist hot spots and an elite and professional organisation.
“Our partnership shows that not only are the UAE’s leadership and governing bodies committed to environmental sustainability, but that tomorrow’s leaders are too.”
These initiatives follow collaboration between Al Ain Zoo and UAEU last year, where the university contributed to research for the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, which helps chart a sustainable future for desert living.
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