Abu Dhabi, 6 July 2021:  Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, has launched a Clinical Research Certificate Program (KU-CRC) in collaboration with the internationally ranked Khalifa University of Science and Technology.
 
The six-month, internationally competitive training program, tailored towards healthcare practitioners, including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and others, will initially be targeting residents from several institutions and programs. The future of the program is to be offered to all of those health professionals who are interested in clinical research and are eager to substantially improve their skills and knowledge base in this area. 
 
The KU-CRC provides the building blocks for the necessary competencies for clinicians to perform clinical research while leveraging a real institutional research project to provide on-the-job training and build expertise internally. With a mix of in-class seminars at Khalifa University’s main campus along with more than 20 weekly virtual seminars and unlimited expert-level project guidance and consultations, participants are not only being equipped with the essential skills to understand and perform clinical studies but will also be able to successfully publish research activity and academic papers.
 
Dr. Anwar Sallam, Group Chief Medical Officer, SEHA, said: “In response to the vision laid out by the UAE’s leadership, we are embarking on a journey to elevate the nation’s healthcare infrastructure to ensure that the community’s needs continue to be met without the need to travel abroad for expert care. A significant part of our mission is to provide our healthcare professionals with abundant learning and development opportunities that empower them to drive change and have a considerable impact on the healthcare system of the future. By strengthening the backbone of our network – our employees – we are bolstering our capabilities to care for citizens and residents alike, as well as reinforcing the UAE’s position on the global map of healthcare excellence”.
 
“We are honored at the opportunity to partner with Khalifa University to bring the very best training programs to our workforce, with the overarching goal of achieving best-in-class research standards and publications and enhancing the scientific value of research at SEHA and across the nation.”
 
Following the completion of the program, participants will be awarded the CRC DOH-Endorsed Certificate. They will have developed the appropriate skills and competencies to allow them to understand, interpret, discuss, and perform clinical research most used in clinical scientific studies globally. In addition, participants will be able to conduct exploration as lead investigator or co-lead researcher for projects of intermediate to high level of complexity that will shape the future provision of healthcare. 
 
 
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of Khalifa University, said:
“We are delighted to be part of this collaboration with SEHA and SSMC. This program is designed to help residents in acquiring knowledge as part of their commitment to enriching their education and research experience, which will help them contribute to the healthcare sector in the UAE.”
 
Juan Acuna, Course Director at Khalifa University, said:“Healthcare education is an integral part of our strategy as we formulate tomorrow’s medical talent. By working with SEHA’s clinical employees and providing them with expertise in the field of clinical research, we are positioning the network’s experts on an unparalleled level regionally and globally. The course will use a focused, comprehensive, and systematic approach to research and provide the participants with necessary support to both analyze existent clinical studies as well as provide them the opportunity to publish as first authors.”
  
Likewise, Dr. Ghanem Ali Al Hassani, Director of Academic Affairs at Abu Dhabi Health Services Company “SEHA” emphasized on the importance that “SEHA” is paying attention to provide the healthcare professionals with the latest skills and best practices in health care in addition to keep them up-to-date with the latest information in this field in alignment with the rapid global developments and changes in various fields, Clinical, research or academic aspects. Moreover, Dr. Ghanem added that The Medical and Academic Affairs seeks with all interest to achieve these goals by establishing a local and international academic partnerships to implement advanced, diverse and specialized training programs in addition to cooperation in the fields of researches. Therefore, to create a solid base and a strong infrastructure for training qualified and distinguished national professionals in a various specialties, which would improve the health services provided in the health system in United Arab Emirates, especially in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.