Khalifa University Dominates Four Categories – Digital Transformation, Energy and Climate, Healthcare, and Advanced Materials
His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, honored the winners of RAK Excellence Awards 2026, including Waheed Adeosun, a Spring 2026 Khalifa University Chemistry PhD graduate, who won First Prize under the theme ‘Clean Energy and Climate Technologies for a Low-Carbon Future’.
Khalifa University dominated four categories – digital transformation, energy and climate, healthcare, and advanced materials, at the RAK Excellence Awards 2026, a flagship national initiative in the UAE that aims to advance research and innovation as key drivers of economic, technological, and societal development.
Adeosun’s project was selected out of a total of 94 projects from 12 leading universities shortlisted for final evaluation for the RAK Excellence Awards 2026 that had attracted 189 submissions from 20 universities across the UAE.
The winning research, focusing on the development of weatherproof electrolyte technology for advanced energy storage, was funded under the Virtual Research Institute project in the Resource Management and Sustainability Institute, headed by Professor Samuel Mao, Senior Director, Resource Management and Sustainability Institute, Co-Chair, UAE Universities Climate Network (UCN), and Professor of Practice, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Khalifa University.
Dr. Ahsan Ul Haq Qurashi. Associate Professor, Chemistry, is Adeosun’s main supervisor, with co-supervisors being Prof. Samuel Mao, Dr. Mohammed Infas Haja Mohideen, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, and Post-Doc Dr. Bilal Pirzada. Adeosun’s research was facilitated by the Core Lab Facilities, and the Center of Catalysis and Separation (CeCaS).
“We focus on the development of sustainable and weatherproof electrolytes for high-performance energy storage systems that can operate reliably under diverse climatic conditions with enhanced safety,” said Dr. Ahsan Qurashi, the project lead, who was also recognized for his excellence in mentorship.
Prof. Samuel Mao said: “Waheed Adeosun’s achievement is a testament to Khalifa University’s commitment to advancing impactful, solutions-driven research. His work on weatherproof electrolyte technology addresses a critical challenge in energy storage, particularly in harsh environmental conditions, and contributes meaningfully to the UAE’s clean energy and climate goals. We are proud to see our students translating innovative ideas into technologies that support a low-carbon and sustainable future.”
