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Qatar Tribune
13-05-2025
- Science
- Qatar Tribune
QRDI Council, SNSF sign agreement for collaboration
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance scientific collaboration and innovation between Qatar and Switzerland. The signing ceremony, which took place in Doha, was attended by a distinguished Swiss delegation led by Martina Hirayama, state secretary for education, research and innovation of the Swiss Confederation. The MoU establishes a framework for future cooperation across various research domains, opening avenues for joint research initiatives between Qatari and Swiss scientists. Eng Omar Al Ansari, secretary general at QRDI Council, said, 'This partnership with the Swiss National Science Foundation represents a strategic milestone in advancing QRDI Council's mission to drive impactful research, development and innovation. By enabling collaboration, knowledge exchange, and talent mobility, it supports the growth of innovation capacity and fosters enduring links between our scientific communities—contributing to both national progress and global engagement.' Torsten Schwede, president of the SNSF Research Council, said: 'This MoU will enable us to kick-start cooperation between the SNSF and QRDI, to the benefit of both our research communities. The first step will be to encourage the mobility of our researchers and could lead to the establishment of a joint research program in areas of strategic importance to both countries. We want the processes to be as simple as possible and look forward to co-creating these partnerships with our QRDI colleagues.' The collaboration will be actively advanced through four key areas of cooperation designed to encourage research engagement and promote meaningful scientific exchange between Qatar and Switzerland. A coordinated communications campaign will raise awareness across both communities, while a jointly hosted webinar will introduce the Scientific Exchanges instrument to researchers in both countries. As a pilot initiative, the collaboration will be evaluated based on initial interest and outcomes, guiding future phases of development. To further support engagement, QRDI Council supported by the Leading House MENA, will facilitate networking opportunities to help researchers identify suitable collaborators, with the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) amplifying these efforts through its own communication channels.


Shafaq News
01-03-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iran's video flex: Ship seizure revealed
Shafaq News/ Nearly a year after seizing an Israeli-linked container ship in Gulf waters, Iran has released new footage of the vessel's capture. On April 13 last year, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Special Force (SNSF) conducted a heliborne operation to seize the MSC Aries near the Strait of Hormuz. SNSF commandos rappelled onto the ship's deck from a helicopter, landing on a stack of containers before taking control of the vessel. The ship, sailing under the Portuguese flag, was operated by Zodiac Maritime, a company owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. At the time of the seizure, the IRGC released a video showing the operation. 'This was a precise and carefully executed mission in response to hostile actions against Iran,' an IRGC official confirmed. Notably, the capture came just days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, which killed seven senior Quds Force officers.