January 2021 The Sharjah Astronomical Observatory at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) of the University of Sharjah monitored and analyzed the exoplanet (HAT-P-9b) during the month of January. This as part of its periodic observations of the exoplanets that began in 2018. The results of these observations are published periodically on global websites specialized in this field of astronomical research. Researcher Mohammed Fadil Talafha, an astronomer who specializes in observing the exoplanets, added that the observed exoplanet is similar to Jupiter. It has a mass of 78% of the mass of Jupiter, but it is on the other hand larger, equivalent to 140% of the size of Jupiter, and this means that it is less dense. Due to its size being close to the size of Jupiter, it is included in the series of exoplanets called Hot Jupiters, as it is very close to its host star. Despite its large size compared to the planets of our solar system, which is characterized by the distance between its planets and from the Sun as well, this planet is very close to its sun – the distance between it and its star does not exceed 8 million kilometers. If we compare it to Earth, whose distance from the Sun reaches 150 million kilometers, then it is considered very close to the host star. The temperature of this type of exoplanets reaches one thousand kelvin, hence the name Hot Jupiters. This planet orbits its star very quickly, as it ends its year in less than four days.

January 2021 Professor Nabil Sulaiman, Chair of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Sharjah received a research grant from Al Jalila Foundation for his Diabetes Research study to fight the disease. He is leading a pioneering local research study ‘All new diabetics in Sharjah & Ajman [ANDISA]: An epidemiological and genetic study toward individualized medicine (phase II)’ to find answers. This study aims to enroll new diabetic patients aged 13 to 65 years in Sharjah and Ajman to collect basic, clinical, genetic and immunological data from a newly diagnosed population of diabetics to improve diagnostic categorization rates and develop personalized treatment.

January 2021 The Sharjah Astronomical Observatory, at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology (SAASST) of the University of Sharjah, discovered two new asteroids within 11 observed in the Asteroid Belt. This in collaboration with the Pan-Starrs Telescope in the United States of America that is specialized in searching for and discovering asteroids and comets. Announcing this was His Excellency Prof. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, SAASST General Director, and President of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. His Excellency added that Mr. Mohammed Talafha, Observer at SAASST's Sharjah Astronomical Observatory, discovered the two asteroids while participating in the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) to analyze hundreds of astronomical images and data the IASC supplies to scientists around the world.

23 January 2021 Dr. Zafar Said and his colleagues from the Department of Sustainable and Environmental Engineering published a research paper titled: “Recent advances on nanofluids for low to medium temperature solar collectors: energy, exergy, economic analysis and environmental impact” in a journal with impact factor of 28.938 coming second in ranking after Nature.

29 December 2020 The WIT Winter Webinar on "Architecture and Urban Planning for Eco-Sustainable Cities," broadcasted on December 16th 2020, presented the top four papers at the Wessex Institute Conference. Dr. Iman Ibrahim, Assistant Professor of Interior Design, presented her research titled “Sustainable Cities Indices in Modern Architecture: A Comparative Study.” The presentation reviewed the ongoing efforts to adopt sustainable practices in Arab cities. Dr. Ibrahim applied the UN principles on Sustainable Cities focusing on the UAE. Two projects were considered: Sharjah Sustainable City (SSC) and Dubai Sustainable City (DSS).