Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), has issued a ‘Doctors Tolerance Pledge’ in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance.

His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan’s signing of the Pledge was the highlight of the ministerial visit to MBRU. The Minister toured the educational and research facility, including the recently launched Design Lab, built to be a center for nurturing and fostering innovative healthcare solutions, and met with leading faculty, students from the College of Medicine and the Hamdan bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine.

The Doctors Tolerance Pledge is designed to further promote and enhance cooperation, unity, inclusivity and diversity for students and faculty within MBRU as it strives to advance health in the UAE and beyond and guide physicians of the future.

“This pledge is a further demonstration of the University’s total commitment to supporting the country’s endeavors in establishing the UAE as a global reference for a tolerant culture via policies and practices,” said MBRU Vice Chancellor Dr. Amer Sharif. “The pledge will inform the behavior of the medics of 28 nationalities who study in harmony at MBRU.”

According to the document, signatories acknowledge that every human has “the right to be treated with fairness and dignity”, therefore pledging to “exercise my knowledge and experience gained as a healthcare professional to improve the quality of life and health of my fellow humans”.

Those who sign the Pledge also agree to “Give my best towards creating a tolerant world where my fellow humans can live together in harmony” and “honor and cherish Sheikh Zayed’s values of fostering tolerance and human fraternity.”

The pledge signing is the latest in a series of initiatives undertaken by MBRU in alignment with the UAE’s ‘The Year of Tolerance.’  Throughout the year, the University has engaged in a range of activities including the planting of a Ghaf Tree, a UAE symbol of stability and peace, by the President of the University’s Student Council, Maryam Alabidli and Dr. Sharif.

During His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan’s visit, MBRU’s College of Medicine students briefed him on their research achievements in healthcare and their experiences at pioneering educational facilities overseas, including Mayo Clinic in the U.S. and Queens University Belfast, MBRU’s academic partner; as part of their Summer Scholars Program. His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan also met nine-year-old Reem and six-year-old Bana, the first two children to receive kidney transplants in Dubai as part of MBRU’s Organ Transplant Program in collaboration with the National Transplant Program and Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital.

The ministerial visit to MBRU coincided with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a pioneering academic medical center that is part of Mubadala’s network of healthcare providers.

His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan witnessed the signing of the MOU, which is designed to explore opportunities for MBRU and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to collaborate on research projects that will contribute to the health of the nation and the development of a strong healthcare sector. Potential areas of collaboration include research projects into population health challenges, research groups supporting the introduction of innovative new treatments, and mentoring programs to enable medical students to develop their skill-sets and increase their career opportunities.

“Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is pleased to be working with MBRU on a comprehensive program for research and education. The future success of the nation’s healthcare sector will rely on education and training of world-class physicians and surgeons as well as investigation and innovation to meet the specific healthcare needs of the people of the UAE and wider region.  This MoU is a key step in supporting the next generation of caregivers and fostering research that will enable us to meet the most pressing healthcare challenges,” says Dr. E. Murat Tuzcu, Chief Academic Officer, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

MBRU’s Dean of the College of Medicine, Professor Alawi Alsheikh-Ali stated: “We’re very happy to announce the MBRU-Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi collaboration. We’re always enthusiastic about leveraging partnerships with medical and educational institutions that share our vision for innovation and excellence in medical education and research. We believe that such collaborations foster the development of our future physicians.”