Interns Gain Knowledge in New Technology Systems for Implementation in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 29 August, 2012 – Two students from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology preferred to do their internship at the Kobe facility of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), a global leader in the design and supply of energy, aerospace, machinery, transportation, as well as environmental systems and equipment.

Their objective was to assess the new intelligent transportation technologies that could be implemented in Abu Dhabi.

During their internship in Japan, they focused on ‘Simulation of the electrification of transportation in Abu Dhabi’ and the ‘Clean mobility simulator’ – areas that concur with Abu Dhabi’s long-term plans on intelligent transportation through the use of clean energy. The two students – Reem Al Junaibi and Mohamed Al Hadhrami – were part of a group of five UAE national graduates selected from the Foundation program and First Year M.Sc. for summer internship at four Japanese corporations.

Working in the transportation systems and advanced technology division at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has helped Al Junaibi gain a comprehensive understanding of the various technologies that have the potential to reduce carbon footprint. She gained adequate exposure to some of the most advanced and efficient technologies covering railways, trains, traffic control systems, intelligent transportation systems, and other types of research-related traffic simulators.

A student in Engineering Systems Management, Al Junaibi was trained on how to use the various functionalities in the clean mobility simulator, which is an important part of her thesis. She says: “The clean mobility is the tool I will use to calculate the charging requirements of various hypothetical scenarios in the introduction of electric vehicles in Abu Dhabi. The results of the simulator will be further studied to understand the potential and challenges in charging these vehicles on Abu Dhabi’s electric grid.”

Al Junaibi’s internship and research have become even more relevant in Abu Dhabi, where the government recently installed the Middle East’s first rapid charging station that can reduce the time taken to recharge electric cars by over 90%. Additionally, Masdar City, where Masdar Institute is located, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are testing the feasibility of EV technology as a point-to-point transportation solution, and in particular, testing and validating the performance of EVs and various charging solutions given the region’s climate and usage patterns.

At the same time, Mohamed Al Hadhrami, another Engineering Systems and Management student, also interned at the Kobe facility on ‘simulation of the electrification of transportation in Abu Dhabi’.

Al Hadhrami’s internship was closely related to his thesis at Masdar Institute – ‘Feasibility assessment of low-carbon vehicles in Abu Dhabi’. He says: “I focused on studying the effects of the simulation of the dedicated EV-lane. However, we got a chance to learn about MHI’s various products related to the field and visited some factories too.”

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries sent the two students to various facilities including the Mihara factory in Hiroshima, the Yokohama factory, and the shipyard in Kobe. These site visits were related to transportation and power systems, where advanced technologies were highlighted. The students also gained an insight on the supply chain management of each factory.

Moreover, a number of workshops were organized in conjunction with Yokohama National University, Tokyo University, Centralized Traffic Control (CTC), Interaction Technology Laboratory (ITL), which is dedicated to the development of innovative systems and artefacts related to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The events further helped expand the students understanding of intelligent transportation.

One of the key elements that amazed the students during the internship was the office culture, which brings out the dedication, persistence, and competitiveness among the Japanese workforce. Al Junaibi says: “I believe these factors remain the cornerstone of Japan’s economic success. The whole system is perfectly aligned and integrated, leading to an efficient and well established business processes.”

For Al Hadhrami, in addition to simulation, the two-month internship helped him learn about the Japanese way of work. He says: “In Japan, work comes first and they are highly dedicated to what they are doing. I also noticed that meetings form an important aspect of the Japanese work culture and there are some wonderful lessons to be learnt.”

Technology apart, both students learnt about the process of development of technologies and bringing technologies from R&D to the mass market. They were also inspired by the attention to detail, precision engineering and the quality of technology that comes from the design stages to assembly lines.

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.
 

UAE National Students Gain Valuable Research Experience from Six-Week Summer Internship Program

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 16 August, 2012 – Student participants in the recently concluded summer internship program have commended the approachable faculty, high-technology laboratory facilities and the right ambience at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology for encouraging research outcomes in clean energy and advanced sustainable technologies.

A total of 16 UAE national interns spent six weeks conducting research in projects relevant to the region including desalination, recycled water and power grid systems. At a much deeper level, they also covered advanced technology topics including carbon capture and solvents for post-combustion.

Dr Ken Volk, Head of Outreach, Masdar Institute said: “Masdar Institute’s summer internship program provided students with a preview of the post-graduate programs that are currently offered. The internship also provided a unique opportunity for students interested in learning and conducting research in clean and advanced energy, sustainable technologies and environment-related areas. The program was also ideal for UAE national students to understand the significance of this emerging renewable and sustainable energy industry that the UAE is seeking to develop with the support of the country’s leadership.”

During the internship, Mooza Saeed Abdulla Bin Yeem worked on implementation strategies for renewable energy, learnt new practical skills, such as conducting data analysis and preparing materials for project.

She was impressed with the welcoming atmosphere of the Institute. She said: “My professor has supported me and treated me like a Masdar institute member. He used to ask me to join some presentations, where I can learn more about the renewable energy projects. The marvelous labs that are characterized with clinical-precision and organization encouraged me to work in the perfect environment. Most importantly, I learnt about the renewable energy policies in the UAE and the contribution of our leadership in building this industry in the UAE.”

In addition to the laboratory facilities, highly focused program streams were equally appealing to the interns.

Mariam Mohamed Al Kaabi, worked on a research project titled ‘Phylogenetic for Mixed Microbial Cultures’. She gained new techniques on how to work in a research lab. She believes that this summer internship has helped clear the confusion about her future plan – which was combining work and study at the same time. And she found this at Masdar Institute.

Al Kaabi said: “This summer internship was an interesting experience, where I worked and interacted with highly experienced and qualified professors in fully equipped and advanced labs. Living in this fascinating sustainable design of the Masdar Institute campus and dorms are themselves a source of inspiration for students. This internship has inspired me to pursue my graduate studies at Masdar Institute. I would seriously consider joining the Water and Environmental Engineering program that will help me utilize my knowledge in biotechnology and seek solutions for the environmental challenges in the UAE.”

Zayed Al Mansouri, who worked on the desalination and renewable energy project, believes that the internship exposed him to the research world and invaluable hands-on experience. He said: “My experience at Masdar Institute was incredible. The institute is defined with its very friendly and helpful environment, which qualifies the learning atmosphere for students.” Al Mansouri is keen to join the Mechanical Engineering program.

Reflecting its inherent strength in developing new skills, the summer internship program additionally guided some students to be creative in obtaining new solutions.

Alaa Noman Hail Saif worked on the optical filters for beam splitting system, in which he would like to pursue his graduate studies. During the six-week program, Alaa understood solar cell structure and its operation mechanism, the optical filter types and structure, and designed a whole program in MATLAB for simulation optical filters. He said, “This internship was very generous in providing us with all the knowledge, equipment, activities, and data that we need to work on our projects.”

Among the internship programs, ‘MATLAB Simulation Development for Power Grid Systems Development’ project led by Dr Amro Farid, Assistant Professor – Engineering Systems and Management program, and the ‘Detection and Quantification of Emerging Contaminants in Abu Dhabi Recycled Water Using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)’ project led by Dr Farrukh Ahmad, Associate Professor – Water and Environmental Engineering program, have attracted a sizeable number of students.

Part of Masdar Institute’s outreach initiative, the summer internship program aims to instill a keen sense of awareness among Emirati university students on the environmental, energy and sustainability issues that impact their everyday lives, in addition to focusing on critical research areas of relevance.  Undergraduate students, however, need to possess the right academic skills, talents and dispositions necessary to obtain graduate education and eventual employment in these challenging areas.

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.
 

First Time Distinction for Scientific Papers on Desalination from UAE Reiterates Masdar Institute’s Pioneering Contribution to Innovation

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 8 August, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced two papers co-authored by faculty members have become the most downloaded articles in the last three months from SciVerse ScienceDirect, a leading full-text scientific database.

This is the first time scientific papers on desalination submitted from the UAE have earned this distinction, further reiterating the pioneering contribution by Masdar Institute towards innovation of new technologies. ScienceDirect offers journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and over 11,000 books. The two papers have become the most downloaded among the papers published by leading publisher Elsevier in all scientific fields.

Both the papers were published in the international journal Desalination. The paper titled ‘Membrane distillation: A comprehensive review’ was co-authored by Dr Nidal Hilal, and Abdullah Alkhudhiri, a Ph D student working under the supervision of Dr Hilal, and Dr. Naif Darwish, was published in Desalination, Volume 287, 15 February 2012, (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.08.027)

The paper titled ‘Techno-economic assessment and environmental impacts of desalination technologies’ was co-authored by Dr. Toufic Mezher, Dr Hassan Fath, Zeina Abbas, and Arslan Khaled, appeared in Desalination, Volume 266, Issues 1–3, 31 January 2011, (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2010.08.035)

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “The remarkable achievement reflects the extent of our faculty’s contribution towards leading the development of new technologies. The two papers have become the most downloaded in the most recent 90 days, a feat that is unsurpassed by any other paper submitted from the UAE. The faculty members deserve our commendation and we are confident these achievements will continue to keep Masdar Institute in the forefront of scientific innovations.”

Dr. Nidal Hilal, is a Professor in Nano-membranology and Water Technologies at Masdar Institute and the Editor-in Chief of Desalination, the international journal on the science and technology of desalting and water purification. Dr. Toufic Mezher is Professor and Head of Engineering Systems and Management program at Masdar Institute. His research interests include sustainable development, renewable energy policy, building knowledge-based economies and innovation systems, as well as knowledge management.

Dr. Hilal said: “The interest in desalination technologies is growing due to the fact that there is insufficient fresh water to meet the daily drinking and sanitation needs of all the earth’s inhabitants. Worldwide desalinated water supply must triple by 2020 to meet the demands of a growing human population. It is a fact now that desalination is a technology of choice, as the global water desalination market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% over the next 10 years.

“We are delighted to know that our work is cited and downloaded by other researchers and industrialists in the desalination community. This truly reflects Masdar Institute’s internationally leading research in water and desalination technologies. We hope our findings play significant role in providing clean water to humanity as 780 million – approximately one in nine on the planet – lack access to an improved water source.”

Dr. Toufic Mezher said: “The papers downloaded on an international level by academics, researchers, industrialists and students reflect the importance of the research and the findings for other researchers and industrialists, and therefore their significance to scientific and industrial communities. The most downloaded status also demonstrates that desalination is generating substantial interest among the scientific and industrial communities and the public, strongly indicating that it could be a viable option to the world that is severely suffering from lack of fresh water.”

The paper on ‘Membrane distillation: A comprehensive review’ addresses membrane characteristics, membrane-related heat and mass transfer concepts, fouling and the effects of operating condition. Membrane Distillation (MD) process has various applications, such as desalination, wastewater treatment and in the food industry.

The paper on ‘Techno-economic assessment and environmental impacts of desalination technologies’ presents a comprehensive review and assessment of desalination technologies such as thermal which includes multi-stage flash (MSF) and multiple effect distillation (MED), membrane reverse osmosis (RO), and hybrid (MSF/MED-RO). It also includes global desalination policies for the major user countries such as Saudi Arabia, the US, Spain, China and Kuwait, as well as more detailed analysis of desalination, cogeneration, and water situation in the UAE with recommendations on future policy.

SciVerse ScienceDirect database is the measure of papers’ importance, with statistics on papers and how many times they are cited or downloaded by academics, researchers and industrialists across the world. The database also has full information about the authors in terms of their research fields and how many times their work is cited, to grade them accordingly in the H-index. Each academic and researcher around the world has a H-index number; the highest the H-index number, the more cited the work of the researcher.

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.

Saudi National Samar Alqatari Says Masdar Institute Provides Stimulating Environment for Research and Innovation

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 5 August, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced a student from Stanford University in the US conducted advanced research in solar technology under a six-week internship program.

A Saudi national, Samar Alqatari is an Engineering Physics student with a focus on Renewable Energy at Stanford. As a research assistant, Alqatari has spent the summer in the Nano Electronics and Photonics Lab (NEP) of Dr Ammar Nayfeh and at the lab of Dr Matteo Chiesa.  She has been conducting nanomaterial research on Zinc Oxide (ZnO) using the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Dr. Nayfeh is the Assistant Professor, Microsystems Engineering, while Dr Chiesa, is the Associate Professor – Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering, at Masdar Institute.

Samar’s research focuses on the characterization of ZnO using AFM which has the ability to analyze the surface and electric (as well as other) properties of nanomaterials, to look at the topography and conductivity properties of a ZnO thin film coating on a Silicon wafer. The results have many applications in electric devices, flexible electronics, and most importantly solar cells. The technique could benefit the researchers to study materials and deduce their properties, and industries can benefit from the application of the ZnO thin film to improve their products.

Alqatari got the opportunity to work as a research assistant in summer at Masdar Institute when she interacted with Dr. Ammar Nayfeh during his visit to Stanford University recently.

Dr. Nayef said: “The Nano Electronics and Photonics Lab at Masdar Institute is the perfect location for promising students such as Samar Alqatari to conduct advanced research. Her research has already produced significant results, which we hope will benefit the academia and the solar energy industry. Samar has the passion and the potential to make a change and her presence at Masdar Institute bears testimony to the Abu Dhabi-based institution’s appeal to students from across the region as a place that encourages innovation.”

Samar Alqatari received her scholarship from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia to study at Stanford University.

Alqatari said: “The research I conducted at Masdar Institute has many applications in renewable energy, specifically solar power. I have also learned a lot of physics that I typically wouldn’t learn otherwise until my junior or senior years in college. In fact, my research with the materials science group here at Masdar Institute has made me shift my Master’s degree major to Materials Science, quite different from my initial plans.”

Since reading about Masdar Institute in a Newsweek article when she was in her high school, Samar found the idea of a completely sustainable, self-sufficient city in the Gulf absolutely intriguing. That was the when she decided to visit and be affiliated with Masdar Institute.

Alqatari added: “My experience has been amazing. I met a diverse, awesome group of people, and the materials science group I have been working with is incredible. The lab environment is very relaxed but at the same time our work on cutting-edge projects remains productive. The professors and colleagues come up with innovative research ideas and publish papers. I have enjoyed being part of this stimulating environment and learned a lot, from operating advanced lab equipment to solid state physics. Masdar Institute also helped me decide on pursuing a career in academia with a focus on solar energy.”

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.
 

By Dr Nidal Hilal

AL AIN // Two universities are setting up water institutes in an attempt to tackle the UAE’s growing water scarcity.

In the autumn, Dr Nidal Hillal will be launching the Masdar Institute’s dedicated centre which will focus on the development of clean water technology, desalination technology, waste water and water treatment technology and water reuse.

“In Abu Dhabi, water consumption has always been among the highest in the world but now we know it’s more than 24 times its natural recharge capacity,” he said. “It’s frightening in a way and this issue is key for the UAE’s economy and security.

“The UAE is one of the world’s most water-scarce nations.”

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, president of the Masdar Institute, said other areas such as conservation and policy will also top the agenda.

“We have had several discussions with the likes of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority,” he said. “We know punitive measures don’t work here, like telling people you only have so much water to use per day will not work here. We’re looking at developing more incentive-based policy to encourage people not to use so much.”

United Arab Emirates University’s water institute was given the seal of approval last month and will launch in October.

Dr Moavenzadeh said the two centres’ goals will vary slightly, with the institutions trying to complement each other’s work as opposed to competing. Both, however, have expressed the necessity of running short courses and workshops for local government and industry professionals, as well as more water-focused graduate programmes.

Dr Peter Werner, dean of the college of science at UAEU in Al Ain, will head up the centre, which will be a dedicated applied research centre, conducting projects for government entities such as local municipalities and water authorities, and private companies. Despite the challenges of garnering research funding for universities, he said this focus will ensure funding, secured through contracts targeting industry needs such as waste water management.

The university has given seed money of between Dh2 million and Dh5m to the centre, but industry contracts will be a primary source of funding, Dr Werner said. He added that mobile laboratories, to be used to go into the field and take water samples, are among the equipment needed.

“We have to reduce water consumption,” he said.

“The UAE has the highest water consumption in the world. It is 10 times more than Europe and 20 times more than Germany per capita.”

Issues to be tackled will include desalination, corrosion in the drinking water system and treatment of sewage and waste water.

In Al Ain, the municipality wants to address overflowing groundwater, which Dr Werner said will have many implications, not least, cracking the roads.

The centre will initially be staffed by academics from the colleges of health science, agriculture, science and engineering. Dr Werner will make additional hires as the agenda becomes clearer.

Professor Mohamed Baniyas, provost of UAEU, said there is much expertise at the university to man the centre even before any new staff are hired.

“The purpose of this centre is to bring all this expertise together. We found that engineering had good expertise in the areas such as desalination, science had people with good experience with natural water resources and their preservation and in medicine we found there was the expertise on contamination and extracting materials from water.”

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/two-uae-universities-to-start-water-institutes

 

Wail Farouq Almaeeni Hopes to Facilitate GCC’s First-Ever Tutorial for ‘Associate Systems Engineering Profession Certification’ Course

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 8 July, 2012 – A member of the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) program, an outreach initiative of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, has begun initiating measures that will facilitate the opening of the UAE Chapter of International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and eventually establish its student’s division at Masdar Institute.

Wail Farouq Almaeeni from the Engineering Systems and Management program at Masdar Institute is currently selected to participate in the 22nd international INCOSE symposium, which is being held from 7-13 July in Rome, Italy. The symposium will host market leaders in Systems Engineering along with researchers, academicians and representatives from INCOSE.

The Masdar Institute student aims to actively engage stakeholders at the event that will include seminars and lectures on systems thinking, system design, and modeling systems – areas that may help him with his thesis. More specifically, Almaeeni will explore the opportunities to learn about the latest developments in tools, methodologies and approaches in systems engineering.

Dr. Toufic Mezher, Professor, Engineering Systems and Management, Masdar Institute, said: “Such students bring a totally different perspective to the academic and learning experience in Masdar Institute. We are proud to have students such as Wail Farouq Almaeeni, whose purview of interests expand far beyond his own benefits. Students like him represent the stature of any academic institution and we believe his efforts will bear fruits and bring long-term benefits to Masdar Institute, the local community and the UAE, as directed by the country’s leadership.”

A total of 116 papers, all related to the ESM program, will be published at the INCOSE symposium in Rome. Almaeeni is looking forward to attending seminars and lectures at the event in addition to meeting industry leaders in Systems Engineering.

Almaeeni said: “My objective is to open a student division of INCOSE at Masdar Institute and in order to do that we should have an INCOSE Chapter in the UAE. My main purpose of attending the event in Rome is to gather information about the organization that will help me achieve this goal. As an ESM student, I will have the chance to attend Associate Systems Engineering Profession (ASEP) certification preparation tutorial, which I have been trying to obtain for the past two years. This tutorial is not yet offered in the region.

“Once a student division is established, the INCOSE journal, international symposium and other events would become platforms for Masdar Institute students to publish their papers. Students in the UAE would also have the chance to access the INCOSE database. Moreover, Masdar Institute will be listed on the INCOSE website as an institute that offers Engineering Systems and Management program.”

Wail Farouq Almaeeni is also keen to visit the Laboratory for Nuclear Physics in Rome with a group of professionals, part of the INCOSE symposium agenda. Almaeeni added that with the UAE entering the nuclear era, some of the students are eagerly waiting for the introduction of a Master’s program in Nuclear Engineering at Masdar Institute.

He added: “The Rome INCOSE symposium will be an opportunity to promote YFEL and Masdar Institute. I plan to wear the Masdar insignia and YFEL logos and talk about Masdar Institute. I strongly believe this would one day result in rewarding deals such as sharing experiences and MOUs with Masdar Institute or the UAE’s Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC).”

YFEL offers participants exceptional and unmatched access to top global leaders, senior business executives and academics engaged in alternative energy and sustainability through events such as World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi and other major events held globally. It is mandated to educate, inspire and empower students and young professionals to become future leaders capable of solving the world’s most pressing challenges in advanced energy and sustainability.

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 05 July, 2012 – The students from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology are experiencing the rich learning environment at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, acquiring fresh insights in the technology of future energy through the Practical Experience at MIT program.

Organized by the MIT Energy Initiative, the 11-day program is led by MIT faculty and offers a multidisciplinary, hands-on experience in scientific, technical, and societal themes in energy innovation. This is the second successive year students from Masdar Institute are participating in the program.

Students continue with their exploration and experimentation of the technologies at the laboratories of MIT, while leaving the campus for occasional field strips and short excursions to nearby areas at Boston, Massachusetts. The theory lessons complemented by practical field trips that include industrial sites continue to enhance the students’ overall knowledge experience at MIT.

Sara Al Muhairi, Director, Human Resources, Masdar Institute, led the group of students to the US for the summer program.

Majed Al Marzouqi, Research Assistant, academically and personally equipped himself before the program. Majed’s thesis focuses on capturing the CO2 using chemical looping combustion (CLC) technologies and he has interacted with the Carbon Capture projects team at MIT. He said: “The CLC technologies are discovered theoretically only because MIT has a prototype of this module that could run the simulation experimentally. This gives me the advantage of thinking about the process in real.”

Muna Al Ateibi, Graduate Student and Research Assistant with the Engineering Systems and Management Program, has participated in the field trip and visits to industrial sites. She said: “We have gained insights into the industrial sector, government initiatives, and projects as well as research and development in the area of sustainability across different fields such as energy, agriculture, technology, construction, and other engineering and technology areas.”

Al Ateibi has also acquired knowledge in the integration of various elements including the technology, workforce, production line, processes, strategies, and policies that help drive learning in clean energy. She added: “The renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change are complex subjects that require a comprehensive multidisciplinary and inter-industrial effort to tackle the challenges. The program has considerably expanded my understanding in these areas.”

Huda Al Saadi, Research Assistant, equipped herself for the MIT experience through interactions with last year’s participants from Masdar Institute and has gained an overview of the program. Al Saadi said: “I think each field trip offered me a different experience and helped in my pursuits in renewable energy. Moreover, the site visits have helped me understand the concept behind the technology that is in operation.”

The commitment and enthusiasm of the Masdar Institute students characterize their willingness to go the extra mile to achieve their academic and knowledge building objectives.

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.
 

Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced the beginning of the six-week summer internship program.

A total of 16 UAE national university seniors and/or those graduating this year with science, engineering or computer science as major subjects are participating in the program. They have been chosen after a high-level selection committee vetted the applications and allocated projects based on the students’ academic and overall capabilities.

Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, Dr Lamya Nawaf Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, and other leading faculty members were present at the inauguration ceremony that was organized to mark the beginning of the summer internship program. They welcomed the students and asked them to utilize the top-of-the-range facilities at Masdar Institute for their academic pursuit.

The students have begun working as full-time assistants and are being given responsibilities accordingly by the faculty, who is coordinating the research project. More than 15 research project opportunities are offered for internship this summer. The programs focus on advanced technology and sustainability, covering areas such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), water recycling, solar energy, applications for healthcare data and power grid systems simulations.

Dr Ken Volk, Head of Outreach, Masdar Institute, said: “The Masdar Institute summer internship program serves as one of the most effective platforms for Emirati university students to participate in clean energy and advanced technology research. In line with the directives from the country’s leadership, the programs are suitably designed to raise the students’ sense of awareness on environmental, energy and sustainability issues. We are confident the internship projects will strengthen the knowledge base of the students and contribute to sustainably leading the community in general.”

Though each program stipulates specific requirement criteria, a GPA of not less than 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and an IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent) were the common conditions. The students were also required to have a penchant for renewable energy and sustainable technology subjects. The eligibility standards have ensured only those students with adequate qualification and interests have been given the option to join the internship program.

Among the internship programs, ‘MATLAB Simulation Development for Power Grid Systems Development’ project led by Dr Amro Farid, Assistant Professor – Engineering Systems and Management program, and the ‘Detection and Quantification of Emerging Contaminants in Abu Dhabi Recycled Water Using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)’ project led by Dr Farrukh Ahmad, Associate Professor – Water and Environmental Engineering program, have attracted a sizeable number of students.

At the end of the six-week program, the research outcome will be displayed and the best project will be recognized during an award ceremony. Specially invited guests and families of students will attend the ceremony in which Masdar Institute officials and faculty will also participate.

The summer internship program aims to equip the UAE national graduates and university seniors with special skills that will guide them in their academic pursuit and later their professional career lives. The program is also part of Masdar Institute’s contribution to developing the country’s human capital in specialized areas such as clean energy and advanced technology.

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.

Mankind likes to change the world around him. He has altered the course of rivers, built islands, planted artificial forests and dried out wetlands.

Topic Science Masdar Institute of Science and Technology

But nowhere is the impact of humanity more apparent than in our urban centres – the sprawling, dense, heavily engineered towns and cities where we group ourselves together.

And while the environmental effects of developments like dam building or deforestation are fairly obvious, the effect that urban development has on the environment and climate is not as well documented, especially in arid and desert climates like ours.

Until now.

A project at the Earth Observation and Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory at the Masdar Institute has, for the first time, begun mapping the climate of parts of Abu Dhabi to see how various types of developments affect its microclimates.

We are exploring the urban heat-island effect – the tendency of metropolitan areas to be significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.

In cities in the West, downtown areas have been found to be 5°C to 10°C higher than the outskirts of a city. That difference can carry considerable cooling costs.

Looking at 25 years of Nasa satellite data on Abu Dhabi, we have found some surprising results.

Our initial research suggests the microclimate trends seen in the West – hotter downtown areas and cooler suburban areas – are reversed in Abu Dhabi, where the suburbs were warmer than the city centre. This turns the conventional understanding of urban microclimate on its head.

The causes are several. The moisture in vegetation reduces surface air temperature, while wind-conscious layout of buildings can create "urban canyons" that channel the wind and reduce the "feels-like" temperature. The presence of tall buildings also increases the total shaded areas from direct solar radiation, which also contribute in reducing downtown temperatures.

Additionally, certain building materials, like marble and stone, are more reflective than others like red brick and asphalt, meaning they trap less heat. These factors combine to reduce the inner-city temperature by about 4°C to 6°C.

By the same token, Abu Dhabi’s suburban areas tend to have less vegetation and low-rise buildings. They often have wider roads, and therefore more heat-trapping asphalt. All of these combine to raise the temperature.

Of all the areas we assessed, the coolest were mangrove forests, which had average summer temperatures 5°C cooler than that of the built-up areas. The obtained results have shown that the close presence of mangroves to urban areas contributes to the reduced overall temperature in downtown Abu Dhabi.

This further strengthens the value and importance of mangroves, which also are the nurseries for fish and a haven for migrating birds. Appreciating the roles that construction, landscaping, road networks, and urban planning can play in a neighbourhood’s microclimate should help Abu Dhabi make its future development more energy efficient and climate savvy. The study, which will run for another one year, can feed into guidelines for urban planning, legislation for construction material, and strengthen the case for more green areas.

Future urban developments made with these parameters in mind could bring significant energy savings by cutting the need to cool buildings. That alone could cut the city’s electricity use by 5 to 10 per cent – saving a huge amount of money, not to mention reducing its ecological footprint. Projects like this one are a first step towards local climate-specific improved urban planning, and we are glad to be a part of that.

Dr Hosni Ghedira is the director of the Earth Observation and Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory at Masdar Institute

The Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) program, an outreach initiative of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced it organized a technical course on solar energy technology for its members.

Held recently at the Masdar Institute campus, the three-module course titled ‘Fabrication and Characterization of Solar Cell Devices’ focused on three topics.

YFEL members learnt about solar cell technology and the fabrication processes for various types of solar cell technology. They also participated in a hands-on lab-based session together with a field visit to the 10MW photovoltaic power plant and the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) testing facility at Masdar Institute.

A member of the Steering Committee of Masdar PV and a co-owner of IP rights, Dr. Mahieddine Emziane, Associate Professor of Solar Energy Materials & Devices Laboratory at Masdar Institute, conducted the course. The first day addressed the three modules, while YFEL members enhanced their experience through conducting experiments at Masdar Institute Laboratory, the next day. Later, and they visited the 10MW plant, as well as the testing facility at Masdar Institute.

Dr. Lamya Nawaf Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Masdar Institute, said: “The YFEL program aims to educate members on advanced energy and sustainability through short courses, workshops and seminars. Endorsed by the country’s leadership, Masdar Institute focuses on nurturing the leaders of tomorrow and contributes to achieving the long-term objectives of Abu Dhabi. We are confident the YFEL course on solar energy technology will help the youth to learn in depth about solar cells and enhance their knowledge of this key component of renewable energy.”

First author of over 60 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports, Dr. Emziane is also a member of the scientific committees of a number of international conferences. In addition, he is a member of international professional organizations such as International Organization of Palaeobotany (IoP), Market Research Society (MRS) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Dr. Emziane, a Chartered Scientist (CSci.), spent the past 17 years working in the area of semiconductor materials and devices especially PV, Thermal Photovoltaic (TPV), Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) and tandem solar cells. Among the founding faculty, he joined Masdar Institute in 2007 from Oxford University (UK), following which he spent one year as a Visiting Scholar at MIT (USA). He holds all his degrees in Applied Physics and Materials from France.

Zainab Ali Al Ali, Senior Outreach Officer and Coordinator of YFEL Program, said: “The three-module course aimed to hone the skills of YFEL members in solar energy-related technologies and offered them an opportunity to conduct experiments at the Masdar Institute laboratories. The program included lectures and practical experiments including a visit to the 10MW PV plant and Dr. Emziane’s field testing facility. This course offered those YFEL members an opportunity to widen their knowledge base in solar energy technology.”

The YFEL program opens doors for its members to acquire maximum knowledge, skills, experience, and network. The course on solar energy technology is part of YFEL annual course programs and offers members the opportunity to share their innovative ideas in advanced energy and sustainability with their peers as well as industry and academic leaders.

YFEL offers participants exceptional and unmatched access to top global leaders, senior business executives and academics engaged in alternative energy and sustainability through events such as World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi and other major events held globally. It is mandated to educate, inspire and empower students and young professionals to become future leaders capable of solving the world’s most pressing challenges in advanced energy and sustainability.