Qatar’s Chargé d’Affaires to Australia has become the latest VIP to visit Flinders University’s new $120m Tonsley facility.

His Excellency Mr Mohammed Al-Jabir visited Flinders at Tonsley yesterday (Friday 7 August), where he was taken on a tour of the building by Flinders New Venture Institute’s Business Engagement Manager Dan Smith.

Flinders staff including Medical Device Research Institute (MDRI) Director Professor Karen Reynolds and International Centre Executive Director Sebastian Raneskold joined Mr Al-Jabir as he viewed some of the work being done by the MDRI and by the Hills Innovation Centre at Tonsley.

At the Hills Innovation Centre, he was given a demonstration of 3D printing by Project Coordinator Alison Hill, who also showed him a new, life-saving nurse call device for people with severe disabilities which has been developed at the Centre.

Mr Al-Jabir visited the new Cisco Academy during his visit, where he met its Director, Dr Anna Shillabeer; and also heard about the new MIMP Edge Lab industry partnership that will see $250k of telecommunications equipment made available to Flinders University students.

He was accompanied on his visit by senior members of the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including its Chairman, Soufiane Rboub; its CEO, Suzannah Moss-Wright, and its Executive Officer, Olga Kostic.