Rewarding Experience, Says First Toyota Scholar Ayoola Brimmo; Second Scholar Edgar E. Samano Baca to Complete Program in 2014
Abu Dhabi-UAE: 04 June, 2013 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, and Toyota Motor Corporation, one of the largest automotive manufacturers, leaders in sustainable technologies and winner of the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2010, today jointly announced the inaugural Masdar Institute-Toyota scholar will successfully complete his two-year program in June 2013.
Ayoola Brimmo, Master’s student in the Mechanical Engineering program and the inaugural Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholar, was chosen for the first Toyota Motor Corporation scholarship through a competition held in October 2011. A total of 34 students submitted essay applications and Brimmo was unanimously chosen by a three-member committee.
Each year, a two-year Masdar Institute-Toyota Scholarship is awarded to a first-year student in any one of the eight Master’s programs. Toyota established the scholarship for Masdar Institute students as a generous response to winning the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The scholarship is designed to promote opportunities for students to work on projects in the area of technologies for sustainable development.
In October 2012, Edgar E. Samano Baca from the Engineering Systems and Management program was announced as the second Toyota Scholar. Baca will complete two years of his studies at Masdar Institute under the Toyota scholarship program in May 2014.
In addition to the standard Masdar Institute benefits, the scholarship recipients are provided with a special two-week ‘Japan Experience’ arranged by Toyota. Each scholar spends two weeks at Toyota Motor Corporation and other sites in Japan. For this year, the ‘Japan Experience’ will include observation tours as well as in-class lectures which involve industry activities.”
Nobuyuki Negishi, Chief Representative of Middle East & North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “We offer our congratulations to Ayoola Brimmo, the first scholar to complete this program and believe his visit to Japan offered him fruitful findings. Our emphasis on sustainable technologies stems from our conviction that green principles alone will chart the planet’s future and we hope the first scholar will continue his work in this area after graduation. This is a proud moment for us as we share common goals with Masdar, which has consistently demonstrated its commitment to achieving targets in the sustainability fields.”
Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “We are privileged to have talented students such as Ayoola Brimmo who additionally has the distinction of being the first Toyota scholar. We congratulate him for his accomplishments in research which will contribute to finding new technologies for sustainable development. With the support of the UAE’s leadership, Masdar Institute is progressing, as mandated, in developing and nurturing innovators and critical thinkers for the future energy industry.”
Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of Sustainability, Masdar, and Director of Zayed Future Energy Prize, said: “We are proud to congratulate Ayoola Brimmo, the first Toyota scholar, and feel honored by the role of the Prize in the establishment of the scholarship. Through this graduating scholar, the Zayed Future Energy Prize is delighted to contribute to the creation of talented youth, destined to become future energy leaders. We will continue our contribution through acknowledging and rewarding innovation in renewable energy and sustainability.”
Ayoola Brimmo said: “I have been involved in research aimed at the conversion of biomass products into hydrogen through the gasiï¬cation reaction. By vying for a replacement for hydrocarbon-based fuels, this research directly contributes to the implementation of sustainable transport systems. Other works that indirectly falls into this category which I was involved in include studies aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the aluminum smelting industry and research on the potential of biomass energy conversion techniques.”
Each student with the scholarship will have a supervisor at Masdar Institute who will closely monitor and support the student’s studies and Master’s thesis work.
The Zayed Future Energy Prize, managed by Masdar, seeks to recognize, reward and catalyze innovation in renewable energy and sustainability.
Serving as a key pillar of innovation and human capital, Masdar Institute remains fundamental to Masdar’s core objectives of developing Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy and finding solutions to humanity’s toughest challenges such as climate change.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
