ABU DHABI, 23rd July, 2026 (WAM) — TRENDS Barometer and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen partnerships and foster collaboration in research, analysis, and foresight, in the presence of a select group of academics and researchers from both sides.
Following the signing ceremony, a dialogue session was held during which the TRENDS Barometer, along with an academic delegation from the university, reviewed future cooperation opportunities, with a focus on employing data and AI in monitoring, analysing, and forecasting indicator trends, thereby enhancing the understanding of global transformations and supporting knowledge creation.
Fahad Al Mehri, Principal Researcher and General Manager of TRENDS Barometer, said that cooperation with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi represents an important step toward developing more advanced analytical tools based on AI and big data, contributing to greater foresight accuracy and supporting joint scientific research.
He pointed out that this partnership comes within the framework of the centre’s commitment to building distinguished academic alliances that keep pace with the demands of the digital age.
Dr. Cleo Chavennac, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the SAFIR Institute at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, explained that this collaboration opens broad horizons for applied scientific research, particularly in the fields of social data analysis and understanding contemporary global transformations.
She underscored the importance of integrating academic institutions and think tanks to produce sound knowledge that helps shape the future.
Dr. Renaud Debaille, Professor of Philosophy and Sociology at the university, also pointed out that integrating philosophical and sociological approaches with AI tools enables a deeper reading of complex phenomena and contributes to the production of more comprehensive and accurate knowledge.
He affirmed that such partnerships represent a pioneering model in the collaboration between the humanities and modern technologies.
The session concluded with an emphasis on the importance of building sustainable knowledge bridges using modern technologies to enhance academic and research cooperation between the two parties, thereby strengthening academic research and knowledge innovation at both the regional and international levels.
Source: Emirates News Agency
