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Masdar Institute to Showcase Academic and Research Offerings to Students in France

September 21, 2018

Event on 16 February in Paris to Highlight Advantages of Pursuing Graduate Studies in Abu Dhabi’s Research-Based Institution

Paris/Abu Dhabi: 15 February, 2013 – A team of faculty and students from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, will participate in Spring 2013 QS World Grad School Tour Fair & Seminars on 16 February in Paris to highlight the advantages of pursuing graduate studies at the Abu Dhabi-based institution.

A large number of students from across universities in France are expected to attend the event from 2.00pm-5.00pm at Hotel Concorde la Fayette, on Place du Général Koenig in Paris. Pre-fair presentations and panels are scheduled from 1.00pm-2.00pm. Dr. Taha B.M.J. Ouarda, Professor – Water and Environmental Engineering, with student Farah Ahmed and other representatives from the research-based Abu Dhabi institution, will showcase his project on ‘Predicting rainfall and floods for better water security’ and present information about the ‘Solar and the Wind atlases’ part of Global Atlas, an online resource-mapping tool on solar and wind potential developed in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and other stakeholders.

Developed in cooperation with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute’s graduate programs integrate education, research and scholarly activities. With admission criteria similar to MIT, Masdar Institute helps students to become innovators, creative scientists, researchers and critical thinkers in technology development, systems integration and policy.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “Since inception, we have achieved breakthroughs in research and innovation, contributing to developing the region’s human capital and R&D infrastructure. Our patents, research accomplishments and academic success serve as an inspiration for graduate students seeking to enroll and acquire clean energy knowledge. This roadshow offers us an opportunity to interact with students across Europe and apprise them of the learning options at the sustainable campus. We welcome them to take advantage of our educational and research offerings.”

Dr. Taha Ouarda said that his research represents a critical piece of the water puzzle and can contribute to resolving the water crisis in the MENA region. He added it will help create a comprehensive supply/demand-led, people-centered approach for water management in a way that balances social and economic needs, while ensuring the protection of ecosystems for future generations.

Masdar Institute provides such niche research options to participate in the creation of intellectual property rights and patents as well as job placements opportunities in local and internationally-recognized organizations.

Masdar Institute has one patent already issued and 16 active patent applications pending at present. With publications of papers in 311 peer-reviewed journals, 330 conference papers, two full books and 38 invention disclosures, it has already notched up success in academic and research fields. With 73 faculty members from 32 countries, students are benefited from a unique range of insights and experiences.

In addition to providing full scholarship to qualified applicants, Masdar Institute has collaboration agreements with several organizations including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) for up to 20 scholarships, and Toyota Motor Corporation for one student every year to work in sustainable transportation.

For the September 2012 intake, the total number of enrolled students across the eight academic programs reached 336. The student body is expected to grow to 600-800 over the next few years. Two batches of Master’s students have already graduated from Masdar Institute.

Admissions for Fall 2013 are now open. Online application forms can be accessed from www.masdar.ac.ae/Admission.html. A minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 and a minimum GRE Quantitative scope of 700 (or 155 on the new scale) are mandatory for applicants. Talented applicants, who may not meet the GRE and TOEFL/IELTS requirements but are otherwise qualified to enroll, may be admitted. They will, however, be required to pass two placement exams or complete additional technical and math coursework.

Dr. Taha B.M.J. Ouarda specializes in hydrometeorology, environmental and public health modeling, and risk analysis.  Earlier, Dr. Ouarda was Chairman of the Canada Research Chair on the Estimation of Hydro-meteorological Variables, and Chairman of the Industrial Chair in Statistical Hydrology, where his research team represented one of the largest Canadian teams in hydrology. He has also served as President of the National Canadian Committee on Statistical Hydrology.

Dr. Ouarda holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University. He has developed several approaches for the estimation of extreme hydro-meteorological events on local and regional scales, developed several methodologies for the modeling of hydro-meteorological variables under changing environments, and developed many softwares that deal with a range of problems in water resources and environmental engineering.

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 (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.