Event on 23 February to Highlight Advantages of Pursuing Graduate Studies in Abu Dhabi’s Research-Based Institution
Istanbul/Abu Dhabi: 20 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 be will be participating in the Spring 2013 QS World Grad School Tour Fair & Seminars on 23 February in Istanbul to highlight the advantages of pursuing graduate studies at the Abu Dhabi-based institution.
A large number of students from across universities in Turkey are expected to gather for the event from 2.00pm-5.00pm at Grand Hyatt Istanbul, Taskisla Caddesi, Taksim, in Istanbul. Pre-fair presentations and panels are scheduled from 1.00pm-2.00pm. Dr. Marcus Dahlem, Assistant Professor – Microsystems Engineering, with student Abdulla Kaya and other Masdar Institute representatives, will showcase a research project on ‘Design of novel photonic crystal structures for solar PV applications’. The research project focuses on understanding and designing novel photonic crystal structures that can be used for increasing the performance of existing solar photovoltaic cells. Dr. Dahlem will additionally present details of the state-of-the-art micro-fabrication cleanroom and microscopy facilities at Masdar Institute.
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 be innovators, creative scientists, researchers and critical thinkers in technology development, systems integration and policy.
At present, Masdar Institute has research collaboration with National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) at Bilkent University in Ankara for knowledge exchange.
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.”
Masdar Institute’s research themes include ‘water, environment and health’, ‘energy systems’, and ‘microsystem and advanced technology’. The niche research project options provide potential students opportunities to participate in the creation of intellectual property rights and patents.
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.
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 – the first in June 2011 and the second in May 2012.
Masdar Institute currently has 73 faculty members from 32 countries, enabling students to benefit from a unique range of insights and experiences.
Admissions for Fall 2013 are now open. 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. Marcus Dahlem received his Licenciatura degree (BS + Masters) in Applied Physics (Optoelectronics and Lasers) from the University of Porto, Portugal, in 2000. He earned his MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2005 and 2011 respectively.
From 1999 to 2002, he worked as a laboratory instructor in the Physics Department at the University of Porto, and at the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering of Porto (INESC Porto). In 2003 and 2005 he served as a teaching assistant in EECS at MIT, and between 2003 and 2011 he worked as a research assistant at the MIT RLE. During the summer and fall of 2008, he worked at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, in the Exploratory Photonics group.
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.
