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Masdar Institute to Drive Debate at European Future Energy Forum 2011 in Geneva

September 21, 2018

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh to Lead Opening Plenary Session and Dr Steven Griffiths to Speak On Renewable Energy Mix

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 09 October, 2011 – Two top officials from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technology, will be proactively driving international debate on renewable energy issues at the European Future Energy Forum (EFEF) 2011 in Geneva.

Organized in association with Masdar, the third edition of the European Future Energy Forum themed ‘Making Innovation Happen for a Sustainable World’ will be held from 10-12 October at the Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland. The event will gather international businesses, industry stakeholders, NGOs, government leaders, investors, solution providers and the academia to discuss key issues related to renewable energy.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber will deliver his keynote address at the official opening of the forum that will also witness dignitaries including Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation, Pierre-François Unger, State Councilor for Economy and Health, Vice-President of the State Council of Geneva, and Fabricio Hernández Pampaloni, Secretary of State for Energy, Spain.

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, will moderate the Opening Plenary session, while Dr Steven Griffiths, Executive Director, Office of Initiatives, Masdar Institute, will be one of the panelists in a session titled ‘The landscape of renewable energies: Future Energy Mix – A recipe for success’ and the Closing Plenary. They will join officials from other Masdar units to share their expert insights at the forum’s various sessions.

With his extensive insights in renewable energy and sustainable technologies, Dr Moavenzadeh will drive the debate on ‘Inspiration – building the vision: Opening Plenary… Setting the stage’ at the session that will include top decision makers and thought leaders.
Dr Moavenzadeh said: “The opening plenary will set the tone for the four-day event with each panelist elaborating on the new energy sources and the development of existing ones. Energy mix will be one of the key topics that will receive special emphasis during this session. We are confident the distinctive observations by panel members will encourage a lively and open debate at EFEF 2011, covering the entire renewable energy and sustainable technology spectrum.”

With a long and distinguished career at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, Dr. Moavenzadeh is widely recognized for his innovative role in building global institutions and developing new models of teaching and research through international initiatives in education, science and technology. He received his PhD from Purdue University. Dr. Moavenzadeh was named the President of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in July 2010.

Dr. Lamya N. Fawwaz, Executive Director of Public Affairs at Masdar Institute, will be heading a delegation of Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL), a Masdar Institute Outreach Program, to EFEF 2011.
Dr. Fawwaz said: “Members of the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) will interact with top government officials and industry leaders at the event. The select members will attend the plenary sessions and other workshops. We hope attending the event will widen their knowledge horizons and pave the way to making them energy leaders of tomorrow.”

Dr Steven Griffiths said: “It is important to create and offer forums for exchange of ideas for facilitating the R&D and policy development activities required for clean technology deployment. Such dialogues are critical for aligning key stakeholders with plans that are action-oriented and correctly targeted.”

Dr. Griffiths, Director of Institute Initiatives- Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT and his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Earlier, he was the Executive Director of the MIT Technology and Development Program’s MIT/Abu Dhabi Program and the founding Executive Vice-President of Light Pharma Inc. In these roles, he worked in the US, India and the Middle East, leading the development and implementation of technical and strategic relationships.

Located at the heart of the home-grown research and development community at Masdar City, Masdar Institute aims to eventually host 600 Master’s and PhD students and 200 faculty over the next five years. Its fellowship partners include Imperial College London (UK), RWTH Aachen University (Germany), Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan), University of Waterloo (Canada) and the University of Central Florida (US).