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Masdar Institute’s Sustainable Campus Welcomes 30 Master’s Students from Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi

September 21, 2018

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 11 December, 2011 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced 30 Master’s students from world-class Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi visited its sustainable campus.

Accompanied by two faculty members and three officials, the students were received by Mohammed Al Awaghani, Visitor Center Manager, and Dr Ken Volk, Outreach Manager, at the Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) station after a comfortable ride on the driverless PRT pod cars that reflect the campus’s remarkable sustainable transportation system. The visit was the students’ first-ever to a sustainable destination, showcases the importance of coordinating sustainable development studies policies studied at Sorbonne-Abu Dhabi with research centers such as Masdar Institute.

The International Law, Diplomacy and International Relations Master’s program offered at Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi covers environment, resources management, biodiversity and sustainable development. At the same time, students are required to cover areas including urbanism and transport with an emphasis on trade aspects, energy, power and climate change. In addition, they will have the option to pursue their program on ‘Sustainable Development Law’ in the second year of their Master’s program, or as a separate university diploma.

At the futuristic Knowledge Centre, Mohammed Al Awaghani offered a presentation on the various sustainable elements of the campus including the modern re-interpretation of the region’s traditional Wind Tower, Courtyard, the buildings’ design orientation and architecture, as well as other sustainability-focused amenities. They were then taken on a tour of the campus.

Hamza Kazim, Vice President for Operations/Finance, Masdar Institute, said: “Recognized worldwide as an example of sustainable development, the Masdar Institute campus offers an opportunity to understand how effectively Masdar implements sustainability through an integrated approach. The various features at the Masdar Institute campus are areas of significant interest to not only students but all categories of visitors. We believe the visit would expand the horizons of knowledge in advanced energy and clean technology for the students of Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi. We specially thank the UAE leadership for their vision in creating Masdar Institute with such capabilities that benefit the community.”

Prof. Dr. Jean Yves de Cara, Executive Director of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said: “Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi is committed to fostering the knowledge in sustainable development; we believe learning through a concrete approach with concrete examples, about sustainable development such as Masdar Institute initiative, is a must for our students.”

“The visit to Masdar Institute helped our high-caliber students to better understand the pioneering role of Masdar within the framework of Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030. Sorbonne Abu Dhabi is also integral to this vision to create a knowledge-based economy,” he added.

Majed Al Khemeiri, a Sorbonne Abu Dhabi student, said: “We are grateful to Masdar Institute for welcoming us and offering access to obtain an overall view of the role sustainability plays in everyday life, giving us another angle to the Sustainable Development specialization we have in Sorbonne Abu Dhabi.”

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, Masdar Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change.