The Central Laboratories Directorate (CLD) was established in 1997, the same year the University of Sharjah was inaugurated. Since then, it has grown to its current size of more than 111 teaching labs, 49 research labs, and 15 labs that serve teaching and research. The labs are conveniently located across the campus in M12, W12, M2, W8, M23, M27, M28, M31, M32 and Sharjah Academy for Astronomy Space Sciences & Technology (SAASST). Every semester more than 450 lab sessions are held in the main campus.
The responsibilities of the CLD include but are not limited to managing and facilitating efficient lab space usage, providing technical support with laboratory equipment and consumables in coordination with the needs and requirements of the different colleges, research institutes, and Procurement Department, maintaining lab equipment and the central lab service systems, keeping lab inventories, instituting safety measures, managing central lab stores, and participating in the planning of continuous improvement activities. The CLD manages the teaching labs in the colleges of sciences, engineering, health sciences, pharmacy, dentistry and medicine. In addition, the CLD manages all research labs in the Research Institute for Science and Engineering (RISE) and the Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS).
The Laboratories hold more than 12,500 items which meet contemporary international standards and specifications to support program outcomes and advance the University of Sharjah's research goals. The University takes great interest in the laboratory experience and devotes an annual budget to the CLD to maintain its technological assets and meet the educational and research needs of faculty and students.
The CLD has undergone enormous developments in its operations to better serve students, staff and faculty. It has developed an on-line safety inspection system that keeps track of all inspection and corrective actions. The CLD has also developed an on-line system to manage all the equipment maintenance operations and asset control. Recent developments include the activation and use of an online lab safety training portal and online chemical inventory management system.
The vast expansion and upgrading of the CLD are fully consistent with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah to turn the University of Sharjah into a leading institution of higher education offering modern research and educational facilities in the region and around the world. The continued support and trust of Prof. Hamid Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, and, Dr. Hussein Elmehdi, Dean of Academic Support Services, help make the central labs a prominent, vibrant and extremely effective unit in supporting teaching, learning and research at the University of Sharjah.
Mahmoud Abu Shammeh
Director of Central Laboratories Directorate
