Curtin University Dubai to Host 2nd ICISAS Conference in February 2025

Building on the remarkable success of its inaugural event in 2023, Curtin University Dubai is excited to announce the 2nd International Conference on Innovation, Sustainability, and Applied Sciences (ICISAS 2025), set to take place on February 22nd and 23rd, 2025, at the Dubai Police Academy.

The first ICISAS, held on December 9th and 10th, 2023, set a high standard for academic excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration. The event brought together esteemed scholars and experts from 17 countries across five continents, providing a unique platform for the exchange of innovative ideas aligned with the themes of COP28. This alignment underscores Curtin University’s commitment to addressing critical global sustainability challenges.

Curtin University has recently ascended into the Top 100 of the QS World University Sustainability Ranking and holds the 174th position in the QS World University Rankings 2025. These accolades reflect the university’s firm commitment to global challenges, integrating these values into its research, educational programs, and campus operations across its six international campuses: Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Mauritius and Colombo. Many faculty members from the different branch campuses participated in various capacities, such as presenters, reviewers, and advisors, which emphasises our 'One Curtin' approach. The prestigious Global Curtin Award, presented to the ICISAS 2023 initiative, emphasizes this dedication to fostering impactful and sustainable change. 

The ICISAS 2023 conference featured 160 research papers presented across 18 parallel sessions, covering a broad range of topics such as sustainable development, advanced manufacturing, management, finance, education, information technology, computing, psychology, humanities, optimization techniques, material engineering, sustainable materials, and electrical and electronic engineering. These sessions showcased the conference's comprehensive approach to tackling various aspects of innovation and sustainability. With over 250 submissions received, each undergoing a rigorous double-blind review, the acceptance rate was approximately 64%. The selected papers were published in collaboration with renowned publishers, including Springer.

The inaugural ceremony of the ICISAS 2023 conference was graced by distinguished guests, including a special address from the Honorable Minister Reece Whitby, Western Australian Minister for Environment and Climate Action. Dr Juma Madani, Chairman and CEO of the Al Matiya Group and Yaqoob Al Ali, Executive Director & Private Advisor in the Office of Shaikh Juma Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, were the esteemed guests of honor at the ceremony. 

The ICISAS 2023 conference featured insightful keynotes from esteemed speakers: Andrew Stotter-Brooks, Vice President of Learning and Development at the Etihad Aviation Group; Dr Arshi Ayub Mohamed Zaveri, CEO of the Trust with Trade Group and Senior Advisor to the Royal Family Offices in the UAE; and Dr Vedrana Mladina, Associate Director of Counseling at NYU Abu Dhabi and UAE Country Chapter Director of the Middle East Psychological Association. Their presentations added significant depth and perspective to the conference's themes.  Ghanim Al Falasi, Senior Vice President - Technology and Entrepreneurship at Dubai Silicon Oasis graciously awarded the best presenter awards during the valedictory ceremony. 

A notable highlight of ICISAS 2023 was the Research-Pitch competition for senior school students in the UAE, designed to promote innovation and sustainability among young minds. The top three winning teams received awards and further mentoring from Curtin Dubai’s Incubation Center to develop their ideas. Maryam Khan and Pujan Barot from JSS Private School presented the winning idea of Intelligent Bacterial Cellulose Wound Patches/Cellosolve. 

Looking forward, ICISAS 2025 aims to build on the solid foundation established by its predecessor, advancing even greater collaboration and innovation. The forthcoming conference is expected to attract a diverse range of participants, continuing to address critical issues in sustainability and applied sciences.

We are excited to announce that Shaikh Abdul-Aziz Bin Ali Bin Rashid AlNuaimi, a member of the Ajman Royal Family and Environmental Adviser to the Government of Ajman, along with Dr. Mohammed Bin Fahad, Chairman of the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment, will attend the inaugural ceremony of ICISAS 2025. Their participation highlights the UAE's ongoing dedication to sustainability and emphasizes the importance of global collaboration in addressing environmental challenges. Additionally, ICISAS 2025 is proud to welcome Professor Melinda Fitzgerald, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research (DVCR) at Curtin University, and other distinguished researchers from Curtin University, Australia. They will share their expertise as keynote speakers, further enhancing the academic prestige and depth of the conference.

The 2025 edition of ICISAS will maintain its strong collaboration with prominent academic publishers such as Taylor & Francis, Atlantis Press, Springer Nature, MDPI, and Inderscience. This partnership guarantees that groundbreaking research in innovation and sustainability will be accessible to global audiences, driving progress in the field and encouraging meaningful academic dialogue. Over 375 research papers from across the globe have been submitted and are currently under review, demonstrating the widespread interest and importance of the conference's themes.