(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Total has announced its sponsorship of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CFE) at Qatar University (QU) during its recently held Innovation Day, which gathered more than 50 QU students and faculty.
The event aims to stimulate students' creativity and innovation, and was highlighted by a presentation of cutting-edge technologies being used in Qatar.
The main sponsorship marked Total's support to promote innovation in Qatar through a special presentation of Total's research and innovation activities dedicated to the country's oil and gas sector, according to a statement.
QU College of Business and Economics dean Dr Nitham Hindi underscored the importance of innovation in developing a knowledge-based economy, which is QU's contribution to economic development, an important objective of Qatar National
Development Strategy 2011-2016.
Dr Philippe Julien, director of Total Research Centre - Qatar (TRC-Q), explained the vital role played by innovation in the energy industry in
preparation for the future.
He said, "New technologies are needed to produce more barrels of oil and gas, and to provide solutions to our technical and environmental challenges. Innovation does not only come from our expertise.
"Once we have defined our specific needs, innovation often comes from solutions derived in other scientific and technical domains, such as robotics, nanotechnologies, bio-technologies, medical imaging or even the space industry."
Yousef al-Jaber, Total's head of CSR and institutional relations, also launched a contest for the students, which required their problem-solving skills, creativity and critical thinking. "We believe it is vital to present innovation to the youth and get them involved at the university level. The necessary infrastructure to nurture and encourage innovation among the leaders of the future exists inside universities."
CFE director Dr Mahmoud Abdellatif added, "The centre is committed to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship activities and promoting such a culture among students.
"I would like to acknowledge the role of Total in the success of the QU Innovation Day through their sponsorship and for delivering the main lecture."
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