‘Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy 2012’ in Dubai Develops Common Stand for Arab Countries Attending Rio+20 Summit in Brazil

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 07 May, 2012 – Two members of the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) program, an outreach initiative of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, highlighted the role of youth groups in managing future economies at the Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy 2012 conference in Dubai.

Organized under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the event was held from 2-3 May in Dubai. Hosted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in cooperation with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DCSE), and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the event served as a preparatory meeting for Arab countries attending the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit) in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in June.

Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy 2012 aimed to address various issues and work toward reaching a common understanding of the need to transition to a green economy and what is needed to make such transition. Policy experts, representatives of global and regional development organizations and various practitioners and relevant stakeholders from across the Arab region attended the event.

The YFEL members’ participation was part of YFEL’s mandate to bring together students and promising young professionals from the UAE and around the world in a series of networking, skill development and idea sharing global forums with international political, business and sustainability leaders.

The two YEFL 2012 members who participated in the session titled ‘Public Engagement & Awareness’ – Who should be aware, of what? by whom? and How?’ included Iman Ustadi and Mohamed Al Sharhan, Research Assistants, Engineering Systems and Management program, Masdar Institute.

Dr Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Masdar Institute, said: “YFEL is one of the most dynamic platforms for youth to engage and interact with international leaders in the energy sector. By highlighting and specifying their role in tomorrow’s green economies at Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy 2012, the YFEL members have demonstrated their capabilities and strengths in preparation to become tomorrow’s leaders in this field. The event proved to be not only an appropriate knowledge-sharing forum for YFEL members, but an occasion to gauge insights from current energy industry leaders. We thank the wise leadership of the UAE for their guidance and support, enabling YFEL to continue being a meaningful and relevant program for the country’s youth.”

The session focused on how to engage stakeholders and reach a buy-in from all segments of societies in the Arab world – from policy makers to market developers and through to the average citizen. During the discussions, the YFEL members analyzed the best role for the youth groups’ engagement to ensure a green economy in which they will have the highest stake, the potential ways to mobilize the energy of the youth and the right combination to effectively use the youthful energy.

Zainab Al Ali, Senior Outreach Officer and Coordinator of the YFEL Program, said: “YFEL members are given opportunities to engage with global industry leaders and gain exposure to the expertise-sharing forums and policy-making processes. Several additional activities and courses have been lined up for the rest of the year for the YFEL members to proactively participate and benefit from these programs.”

The regional dialogue at Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy 2012 helped open the doors for the Arab countries to share experiences, knowledge, and best practices, as well as to reach a common stand, while taking into account the previous work done on this issue. It also helped to promote public and private partnership within the regulatory framework and environmental policies, develop high-level but practical recommendations for policies, regulations, institutions, and practices, as well as develop recommendations for regional cooperation.

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.
 

Ratio of UAE Nationals at Masdar Institute Set to Reach 46% by May-End

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 30 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced 12 UAE national graduates have signed up to become part of the academic institution and contribute to its administrative success.

The appointments are part of Masdar Institute’s commitment to building, retaining and further developing human and organizational capital through Madeem, a sustainable skill-based Emiratization program. Madeem, which means ‘sustain’ in Arabic, is also in line with the UAE leadership’s directive to strengthen indigenous human capital and give priority to qualified Emiratis at al levels.

The graduates signed their employment contracts in the presence of Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, and Hamza Kazim, Vice-President, Operations and Finance, and Dr Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, and other officials and heads of various departments that will absorb the new Emirati employees.

The appointment of the 12 UAE national graduates will take the ratio of Emiratization at Masdar Institute to 43%. This is expected to increase further and reach 46% by the end of May.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh said: “Mandated to develop the human capital base of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, Masdar Institute focuses on Emiratization as directed by the country’s leadership. Our skill-based Emiratization program has proved effective in organizational development and we believe the talented new recruits will rapidly move ahead in their professional lives. We thank the UAE’s leadership for creating the right system that ensures adequate job opportunities to the country’s citizens.”

On their first day at work, Sara Al Muhairi, Human Resources Director, Masdar Institute, explained the newly employed various advantages of working for a prestigious institution like Masdar Institute.

Sara Al Muhairi said: “Masdar Institute identifies talented and qualified UAE nationals and equips them with the right skill sets as part of its Emiratization process. The collaboration with MIT is only a manifestation of our objective to develop and nurture indigenous capabilities, and raise our benchmark for excellence. We are confident the new employees will make use of the available resources at Masdar Institute and chart their professional careers, while contributing to the country’s growth.”

Masdar Institute implements specific strategies to develop and continuously improve the capabilities of every single UAE employee, who is considered a valuable asset within the organization.

The Human Resources Department at Masdar Institute has developed several Emiratization strategies among which is a one-year Fresh Graduate Program that targets students with high GPAs in various disciplines. Such students get an opportunity to develop professional skills and gain valuable work experience at Masdar Institute.

In coordination with local colleges and universities, summer internships are also offered for undergraduate students to develop skills and gain first-hand experience at one of the administrative departments. Additionally, work placement internships are offered in collaboration with local universities to provide hands-on professional experience and help them gain practical insight into the workplace ahead of graduation.

Through various employment initiatives and a commitment to enhance the UAE’s human capital, Masdar Institute plays a vital role in the development of a sustainable knowledge-based economy in the UAE.

Established as an ongoing 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.
 

Dr. Nidal Hilal’s Book Assumes Significance as Global Demand for Membranes Forecast to Increase 9% Per Annum to Reach Over US$19 billion by 2015

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 29 April, 2012 – Membrane separation is extremely important for desalination, production of drinking water and waste water treatment in the UAE and the GCC region. Membrane modification techniques are aimed at increasing the efficiency and performance of membrane separation and making them attractive for specific separations, according to Dr. Nidal Hilal, an international expert in desalination and membrane technology and a Professor in Nano-membranlogy and Water Technologies at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

Membrane separation is a technology which selectively separates (fractionates) materials via pores and/or minute gaps in the molecular arrangement of a continuous structure. Membrane separations are classified by pore size and by the separation driving force. These classifications include Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF), Ion-Exchange (IE), and Reverse Osmosis (RO).

Dr. Nidal Hilal is the co-author of a recently published book by CRC Press titled ‘Membrane Modification: Technology and Applications’. His remarks assume significance following an industry study by the Freedonia Group that reports global demand for membranes is projected to increase a healthy 9% annually to US$19.3 billion by 2015, while demand for water desalination products and services is forecast to increase 9.3% annually to US$13.4 billion by 2015.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. It predicts that rising environmental standards and regulations in many parts of the world, and high population growth, particularly in water-stressed areas, will further drive investment in membrane-based water and wastewater systems. Oil-rich nations are increasingly shifting to more efficient membrane desalination systems (reverse osmosis) and the Middle East and North Africa will account for about two-thirds of global demand for desalination products and services, the study adds and points out that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait are the largest desalination markets in the Middle East.

Dr. Nidal Hilal’s book presents a comprehensive review of the current developments within membrane separation processes with a focus on process optimisation through control of membrane surface properties for key industrial applications.According to him, membrane processes have many other applications apart from desalination.

Dr. Hilal said: “In addition to their use in water treatment and desalination, membrane processes are used in pharmaceutical industries to separate valuable medical products as they are capable to separate solid materials such as powders in the size range between one nanmoeter and 10 microns.”

For example microfiltration membranes [MF] have pores between 0.1 microns and 10 microns, ultrafiltration membranes [UF] have pores between five nanometers and 0.1 microns and nanofiltration membranes [NF] have pores between one nanometer and five nanometers.

He added: “Thus, the importance and versatility of membrane systems could range from industries such as water treatment and desalination to fuel cells to pharmaceutical production and emerging medical technologies such as tissue engineering.”

The book presents a complete range of membrane modification techniques used to increase efficiency of membrane processes. Modification of different materials and geometrics including flat-sheet, hollow-fiber and nano-fiber membranes, reverse osmosis (RO), membrane distillation (MD), gas separation (GS), pervaporation (PV), and membrane fuel cells (MFC), are extremely important for professionals such as analytical scientists, material engineers, and environmental chemists, as well as chemical and environmental engineers.

Dr. Hilal concluded: “Membrane modification techniques will have significant impact on industry as they will lead to an improved efficiency of membrane processes that offer more products at less cost. More specifically, the UAE and the region will benefit from operating better fouling-resistant membranes in RO desalination plants as it will reduce operational fouling problems and therefore reduce cost.”

Holder of a PhD in Chemical Engineering and a DSc in Nanotechnology and membrane separation from the University of Wales in the UK, Dr Nidal Hilal, is additionally entrusted with the responsibility of working with the faculty to establish a Centre of Excellence for Water Technologies at Masdar Institute. Dr. Hilal is also the current Editor-in-Chief of ‘Desalination’, an international journal on the science and technology of desalting and water purification. In 2009, Dr. Hilal co-authored with Dr. W. Richard Bowen a book titled ‘Atomic Force Microscopy in Process Engineering: An Introduction to AFM for Improved Processes and Products’.

Established as an ongoing 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.
 

Consensus at University Leadership Council Media Roundtable on Adequate Capacity Building to Make UAE True Knowledge Economy

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 24 April, 2012 – The right mix of support, investment, policy and incentives can make Abu Dhabi and the UAE a true knowledge economy and an R&D powerhouse, according to experts at a media roundtable in Abu Dhabi.

Organized under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, the media roundtable titled ‘Creating an R&D Culture in the UAE’ was held at Masdar Institute campus. It was attended by University Leadership Council’s Executive Council members, select members of the media and representatives from other universities.

The media roundtable served as an appropriate forum to discuss the white paper titled ‘Establishing a Research and Development Culture to Create a Knowledge Economy’. The paper was developed by the University Leadership Council, a platform for academic leaderships to share creative ideas, foster common interests and spearhead new initiatives for innovation and technology transfer in the region.

Moderated by Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, the panelists included University Leadership Council’s Executive Council members Dr. Peter Heath, Chancellor of American University of Sharjah (AUS), Dr. Tod Laursen, President of Khalifa University, and Dr. Rory Hume, Provost of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).

Panelists agreed that the wise leadership of the UAE with forward-looking and business-friendly policies has deftly steered the country’s economic progress. But they added that the country has now reached a critical stage from where it has to have an even broader perspective towards building knowledge capabilities for stable long-term growth. The University Leadership Council Executive Committee members also announced that a high-level workshop on R&D, innovation, entrepreneurship and intellectual property rights will be held in the near future as a logical course of action to inform stakeholders on the road ahead.

Moderating the discussions, Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh said: “Education, from primary school level to specialized technical and creative disciplines will be the core requirements as they help facilitate in fostering a strong culture of research and development; creativity; and rigorous testing of new ideas. And once we have regulatory a system conducive to the local development of new knowledge industries, the growth in entrepreneurial activity is sure to follow and the UAE leadership deserves to be commended for creating the right environment for long-term social and economic progress.”

Dr. Peter Heath said: “With basic, applied and development research, the right intellectual environment is required to create new ideas that may lead to innovation. The academia has an important role to play and we believe the white paper is one of the instruments that can offer us the roadmap to chart our progress. With these ingredients, the academia can collaborate with industry and the government to make way for a new era and gradually usher in the R&D culture in the UAE.”

Dr. Tod Laursen said: “Part of the entire process also calls for the industry to embrace change, invest in new ideas and build on human capability. This can be achieved by providing funding and engaging academic institutions in areas of interest to specific sectors, which will lead to businesses adapting or providing better and smarter products and services. Funding in my opinion is pivotal to the community adopting the culture of innovation.”

Dr. Rory Hume said: “The government has to remain the leading driver and the primary force behind the creation of the research culture. It can do so through setting up the right regulatory framework and providing incentives. The likelihood of positive and productive outcomes of funded research is much higher when competition for funding is kept open. And because it has the power to streamline and facilitate the market penetration of the results of research, we need the government to be actively involved in this endeavor.”

Representatives from the media agreed that the University Leadership Council’s white paper has correctly pointed out the components required to ensure the UAE remains on the long-term growth path. They also commended the University Leadership Council’s media roundtable initiative as well as the ‘Bridging the Knowledge Economy’ forum that was held in February earlier this year.

The media roundtable and the forum were part of the University Leadership Council’s endeavor to advance research and innovation, while promoting economic development in the UAE.

Acting as a link for faculty and students to interface with both the public and private sectors, the University Leadership Council aims to seek industrial, government, and private individual financial support for the academic and research activities of the universities. It is also mandated to advance the educational goals of the UAE-based universities and align their policies with the government with regard to meeting the requirements of the economy and the industry.
 

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 17 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced it showcased relevant research projects in robotics and electrical power engineering focusing on vocational skills at the Emirates Skills National Competition 2012 in Abu Dhabi.

Organized by Emirates Skills under the patronage of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation and Chairperson of the UAE Women’s Federation, the National Competition was held from 11-12 April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s multifaceted renewable energy company, was the silver sponsor of the event that represents one of the few platforms in the UAE for the Emirati youth to compete in 15 vocational and technical skill categories.

Masdar Institute participated in the event by highlighting its academic offerings and accomplishments in advanced technology and clean energy research. As an institution that has filed more than eight patents and has awarded research projects in excess of 120, Masdar Institute offered a glimpse into the kind of advanced research that could be relevant to students in specific age-groups.

Dr Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Masdar Institute, said: “The Emirates Skills National Competition is a much-needed platform that guides the youth on the kind of technical and vocational skills that they need to develop for their individual growth. We appreciate Her Highness Shaikha Fatima’s support for a timely event that aims to empower the younger Emirati generation. We believe our participation has stoked considerable interest in the research areas of robotics and electrical power engineering. We are grateful to the UAE’s wise leadership for their support, allowing us to create the right competency levels at Masdar Institute to offer such programs.”

Dr. Ken Volk, Head of Outreach, Masdar Institute, offered a presentation on ‘Masdar Institute: Meeting Tomorrow’s Energy Challenges’, that was designed to encourage students from the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT), Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI) and Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) schools to remain proactive through research and higher learning.

Some of the interesting projects that were on display included robotics research undertaken by Dr. Jacob Crandall, Assistant Professor – Computing and Information Science.Dr Crandallwas assisted by two UAE National Foundation students – Fatima Almemari and Abdulla Almehrezi.

Other categories featured at the event included IT-PC Software Applications, Web Design, Graphics Design, AutoCAD, Electric Installation, Mechatronics, CNC Machining and Caring.

Emirates Skills aims to raise awareness of career-based technical and vocational education among young Emiratis by organizing competitions, events, training programs and technical career activities.

Established as an ongoing 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.

Opportunity for Interns to Evaluate Highly Advanced Technology Relevant to Abu Dhabi’s Long-Term Economic Objectives

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 18 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced it will be offering a research project on amine-based solvents for post-combustion carbon capture as part of its six-week summer internship program.

Named “Development of Advanced Amine-Based Solvents for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture,” the program targets UAE national students from Chemical Engineering or Chemistry with some experience or interest in handling chemicals and laboratory equipment.

Scheduled to begin from 1 July, the summer internship program is offered to the UAE nationals who are university seniors and/or those graduating this year with science, engineering or computer science as major subjects. Students will have to submit their applications by 3 May for this internship program that offers a total of 15 project opportunities this summer.

Research activity in the “Development of Advanced Amine-Based Solvents for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture” will be carried out under the supervision of expert faculty while the interns will be mainly focusing on conducting experiments with state-of-art facilities such as multi-reactor solvent screening set up, vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) and titration facilities.

In the first phase, screening of various amine solvents will be carried out for CO2 absorption, while the second phase will evaluate detailed analysis of promising solvents. The evaluation and selection criteria of promising solvents will involve CO2 loading capacity, estimated enthalpy, and reaction kinetics measurements. ‘Enthalpy’ is a thermodynamic function of a system, equivalent to the sum of the internal energy of the system plus the product of its volume multiplied by the pressure exerted on it by its surroundings.

The research project is focused on the development of advanced chemical sorbents for carbon capture and the major tasks including synthesizing, screening, and evaluating new chemical solvents for CO2 separation from flue gas. Conventional solvent-based technology has serious limitations in large-scale implementations, necessitating the development of efficient carbon capture and storage (CCS) advance processes.

Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Masdar Institute, said: “The research category on post-combustion carbon capture offers UAE national undergraduate students an opportunity to conduct experiments and evaluate the relevance of such highly advanced technology for Abu Dhabi’s economic growth. This is an area Masdar Institute is already conducting research in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). We are confident students will find this area of clean technology challenging enough to pursue for their higher studies and we thank the country’s wise leadership for their vision that has ensured such technologies are available to students for research.”

Online applications for the summer internship program can be submitted through the Masdar Institute website which offers adequate details on each project category with a complete description and a list of tasks an intern is expected to do as well as the recommended skills and the formal education required. Only students applying for multiple projects need to submit more than one application. Interns will receive on-campus housing and a stipend, in addition to valuable research and professional experience.

A GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and an IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent) are mandatory for the applicant who also has to submit a letter of recommendation.

Established as an ongoing 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.
 

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 16 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today signed agreements with the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), through the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI), formalizing the funding contributions to the recently announced UAE National Atlas of solar and wind resources.

The announcement was made after a signing ceremony at Masdar Institute that was attended by His Excellency Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, Undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy, Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, Adnan Amin, Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Masdar Institute, CEO of Masdar, and the UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, and Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute.

Nejib Zaafrani, Secretary-General and CEO of DSCE, and Waleed Salman, Chairman of Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence, were also present at the event.

Aimed at investors, policymakers, and researchers, the atlas will offer universal access to resource quality, grid, and land use data, helping to efficiently assess the feasibility of renewable energy projects for planning and investment decisions.

The UAE participates as a partner in the IRENA Global Atlas initiative, which is a project of international dimension. At the same time, the country is also leading the National Atlas of the UAE, which will contribute to the IRENA Global Atlas.

His Excellency Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi said: “Offering and developing resources that facilitate use of clean energy is one of the UAE’s primary objectives in its economic planning and international relations. The Atlas project also reflects the UAE’s commitment to encourage wider adoption of renewable sources of energy, and we are delighted to be part of this venture that brings together national and international partners. We are confident the collaboration efforts will result in projects that optimize benefits for communities across the world.”

Significantly, Masdar Institute will make available its dust and humidity reconciliation tools, which allow researchers for the first time to account for the aerosols’ impacts on solar quality. Traditional assessments of renewable energy resources in countries like the UAE can be inaccurate by more than 25%, creating high financial risk during project siting.

His Excellency Saeed Al Tayer said: “The agreement reflects our shared commitment to implement the UAE’s vision for a green economy under the slogan ‘A green economy for sustainable development’ as outlined by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It also shows continued progress in the implementation of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, developed by the Council, which includes the adoption of solar power in order to diversify energy supply and promote sustainable development. We applaud the national atlas initiative of the Masdar Institute and look forward to working closely with all stakeholders in advancing the renewable and clean energy industry in the UAE.”

The Masdar Institute agreements with DSCE and EAD are part of a broader understanding for joint collaboration. DSCE and EAD will directly contribute to the required collection of ground measurement and land use data, as well as data processing and modeling, in order to accurately estimate renewable energy resource quality across the UAE.

Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak said: “As the agency mandated to protect and manage biodiversity, while providing a clean environment and promoting sustainable development in Abu Dhabi, EAD is honored to support a project that directly enables sustainable energy supply. We believe benefits from the atlas project will impact all corners of the globe as the call for clean energy gains further momentum.”

The UAE National Atlas project aligns with the Global Atlas led by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the 157-member intergovernmental organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi. IRENA earlier this year signed an agreement on atlas collaboration with Masdar Institute.

Adnan Amin said: “The global renewable energy atlas will be one of the foremost decision-making tools for governments and investors in the coming years. MOFA’s, EAD’s, DSCE’s and Masdar Institute’s contribution, and their commitment to publicly accessible data, are a stellar example of the kind of outlook and collaboration that make the UAE such an exciting locus for the renewable energy industry.”

The atlas data will notably assist in the realization of the UAE’s renewable energy targets, including 7% of generation capacity (or 1,500MW) in Abu Dhabi by 2020, and 5% of energy production (or 1,000MW) in Dubai by 2030.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said: “The concept of spatial planning to locate and map renewable energy resources is not new. However, while some areas in the world are covered – others have hardly been investigated – especially in developing countries. “This is our opportunity to ensure that this Atlas becomes a comprehensive, shared, global decision- making instrument that informs and benefits governments, companies, academics and tools of communication. This Atlas will eventually become a global decision-making instrument and enable a sustainable future powered by renewable energy. The UAE’s leadership has to be commended for launching this important National Atlas initiative and for contributing to the IRENA Global Atlas.

“The fact that these stakeholders have come together to sign the agreements reflects their strong commitment to share expertise with each other for the sake of the community. At the same time, I urge the partner organizations to capitalize on the knowledge resources available with Masdar and Masdar Institute in capacity building and human capital development to guide the much-needed R&D along the fast-track in the UAE.”

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh said: “The agreement reflects Masdar Institute’s commitment to knowledge sharing for the benefit of the wider community. As the renewable energy industry gathers momentum, the need for reliable, comprehensive data on primary renewable energy resources will only become increasingly important. We are delighted to enter into this arrangement with DSCE and EAD to provide a world-class tool for both domestic and international audiences.”

The UAE Atlas is led by the Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment at Masdar Institute. Data will be made freely available in early 2013 through IRENA.

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 12 April, 2012: The Advanced Technology Investment Company and the state of Saxony, Germany, today announced the establishment of two research labs working in tandem on areas of interest to the semiconductor industry. The ‘Twin Labs’ project will be backed by the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and Saxony, which have each pledged US$2.4 million towards the plan over two years. Masdar Institute of Science and Technology will host the Abu Dhabi research center, while Technische Universität Dresden will oversee development of the Saxony lab.

Both sites will be of similar size, initially staffed with 10-12 graduate/Ph.D. students. Additional faculty members will be engaged at a later stage after the centers have established initial successes. Research will focus primarily on three-dimensional chip stacking, a potentially faster and more energy efficient semiconductor technology that follows ATIC’s broader emphasis on minimum electronic energy systems, or MEES.

“Dresden, Saxony has become the largest microelectronics hub in Europe, and we are pleased to strengthen our collaboration in driving the semiconductor industry forward,” said Ibrahim Ajami, CEO of ATIC. “This working partnership is particularly significant as we work to establish Abu Dhabi as a global R&D hub. The areas of research Twin Labs will be addressing are promising and timely to the industry, and I am confident the intellectual property generated will be of great value to ATIC, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Abu Dhabi.”

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, said: “The Twin Labs project will provide substantial benefits to Abu Dhabi in terms of human and intellectual capital development. The cooperation between Masdar Institute and TU-Dresden will produce highly educated manpower ready to directly contribute the Abu Dhabi’s growing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) workforce. The cooperation will also provide a strategic connection between Saxony and Abu Dhabi –both regions that have aligned their interests to achieve regional competitive advantage through establishment of robust semiconductor industries.”

The landmark agreement comes on the heels of a 2010 memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Abu Dhabi and Saxony to facilitate a strong working partnership. The Twin Labs concept was conceived by the R&D working group established under the MOU, jointly chaired by Sami Issa, Executive Director leading the Abu Dhabi Technology Ecosystem Unit at ATIC and Prof. Gerhard Fettweis, Professor and Vodafone Chair at TU-Dresden.

Gerhard Fettweis of TU Dresden said: “Microelectronics is the driving force behind a myriad of innovations pushing the economy and society, with 3D integration of chip stacks expected to be the next fundamental innovation push for microelectronics. So, Twin Labs has the chance to heavily impact the local industry and support its sustainable technology leadership in microelectronics.”

On the Abu Dhabi side, the group “Three-Dimensional Integrated Microelectronics for Minimum Energy Design” will be led by Dr. Abe Elfadel, Professor of Microsystems Engineering at Masdar Institute. It will explore and illustrate the minimum-energy/low-power features of 3D-integrated microelectronics in a variety of computing, communication, storage and sensing design contexts.

On the Saxon side, the Twin Labs group led by Professor Gerhard Fettweis will be known as“ESF Young Investigators Group 3D Chip Stack Intra-connects,” nicely complementing the research work being conducted at Masdar Institute. The research will focus on the interconnect aspects of 3D integration, especially the crucial role of TSV in the back-end-of-the-line structure of 3D-stacked chips. The goal is to develop modules (design blocks) for high-rate interfaces between multiple chips in a semiconductor chip-stack.

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 10 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced 3 May will be the last day for submission of applications for the six-week summer internship program this year.

Current trends indicate the UAE national students opting for a cross-section of most of the 15 research projects on highly advanced research areas that are being offered for internship this summer. A panel of experts will vet the applications in line with the stringent Masdar Institute criteria after the 3 May deadline.

All UAE nationals who are university seniors and/or those graduating this year with science, engineering or computer science as major subjects are eligible to submit their intentions for the programs of their choice.

Other eligibility criteria include a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and an IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent). A letter of recommendation is also mandatory for the applicant. Applications can be completed online through the Masdar Institute website, which additionally offers students a special option for obtaining extra information on the programs.

The summer internship program this year also encourages students to take up more than one area for research. However, students interested in joining more than one program may have to submit multiple applications. Details for each project category with a complete description and a list of tasks an intern is expected to do, as well as the recommended skills and the formal education required are available on the Masdar Institute website.

Dr Kenneth Volk, Head of Outreach, Masdar Institute, said: “Going by the number of applications received so far, we have already witnessed a surge of interest in the internship programs. The diversity and scope of the program offerings have attracted a large spectrum of students across the engineering and science streams this year. We are confident more students will make use of this opportunity to do their summer internships in highly focused research areas by submitting their applications before the 3 May deadline and we thank the country’s wise leadership for offering a platform for the students to expand their knowledge horizon.”

The bouquet of internship programs being offered for the UAE national graduates and senior students range from desalination and power grid systems to advanced technology topics such as carbon capture and solvents for post-combustion. Students with keen interest in clean and advanced energy subjects are already signing up in large numbers for the programs this summer.

The 15 research projects offered for summer internships are also expected to provide students with a preview of the post-graduate programs in clean energy and advanced technology that are currently available for Master’s degrees at Masdar Institute. Some of the projects offered for internships this year will include: Development of Advanced Amine-Based Solvents for CO2 Post-Combustion Capture; Solar Cell Technologies and Applications Investigation of Luminescent Solar Concentrators for UAE Conditions + Desalination and Renewable Energy; Developing a Graphical User Interface Design for Health Data; An Economic Analysis on the Optimal Regulatory Scope of CO2 Capture; and Experimental Studies of CO2 Geological Storage.

Established as an ongoing 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.

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 4 April, 2012 – There is no single solution for the CO2 emissions problem, although a portfolio of solutions is available and carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays a major part of the solutions with a clear direct impact, according to Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra, Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

Dr. Abu Zahra was speaking at a lecture titled ‘CO2 Post-Combustion Capture: A Novel Solvent System is a Necessity but What Directions to Go?’ The event held at Masdar Institute gathered several students and faculty members.

Dr. Marwan Khraisheh, Dean of Engineering at Masdar Institute,said: “Hosting lectures on highly specialized subjects such as carbon capture by qualified faculty is part of Masdar Institute’s overall offering as an academic institution. These lectures along with other mode of imparting knowledge are designed to enrich the students with a holistic educational experience. We believe the key issues raised by Dr. Abu Zahra will stimulate Interest by students and faculty to carry on research that leads to new innovative solutions. We thank the UAE’s wise leadership for their support in providing the right knowledge developing tools to equip the future generation.”

Dr. Abu Zahra highlighted the industry’s dilemma in finding the novel solvent system inpost-combustion carbon capture, which involves removing the dilute CO2 from flue gases after hydrocarbon combustion. It can be typically built into existing industrial plants and power stations (known as retro-fitting) without significant modifications to the original plant.

Reiterating his recommendations, Dr Abu Zahra said: “Conventional process optimization has major limitations and will result in limited improvement, while improving the solvent capacity will have the major influence on the solvent behaviour. In this context, mixed solvents seem to have better performance than single solvents and combining tertiary amine solvent, especially with an activator (primary amine) is an area of major interest.

“Developing solvents for carbon capture applications require complete evaluation of the overall parameters and long-term bench-scale testing is a must before going into large scale commercialization.”

Currently, Masdar Institute is implementing a carbon capture solvent development and characterization project in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The two-year project that commenced in September 2011 will aim for the development and characterization of amine-based solvents for short-term post-combustion capture application, as well as developing a carbon-binding organic sorbents for post-combustion carbon capture. The project is led by Dr. Abu Zahra from the Masdar Institute side and by Dr. T. Alan Hatton, Ralph Landau Professor of Chemical Engineering Practice, Department of Chemical Engineering, and Director, David H. Koch School of Chemical Engineering Practice, from the MIT side.

Listing the advantages of the retrofit possibility,Dr Abu Zahra said: “Capture technologies are available and the solvent technologies are proven on a smaller scale. Capture readiness makes the post combustion capture relatively easy to incorporate into power plants. In addition, it has more operational flexibility in switching between capture/no capture mode.” He added that learning by implementing will lead to cost reductions, while ‘learning by exploring’ will lead to better solvents and processes.

Other areas covered by Dr Abu Zahra during the lecture included definition of the conventional solvent-based capture technology; conventional process optimization, challenges and limitations; directions for novel solvents development; global solvent development efforts; and current solvent development research project at Masdar Institute.

Masdar Institute has an existing agreement with Siemens to optimize the technical and economic aspects of environmentally friendly post-combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Established in 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.

Nearly 25 Librarians from Across UAE Attend YBP Library Services Event that Showcases Advantages of GOBI Online Database

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 20 March, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced it hosted an informative workshop on advanced professional services offered by YBP Library Services, the academic division of Baker & Taylor.

The event at Masdar Institute gathered nearly 25 officials, representing research and scholarly libraries from universities and higher academic institutions across the UAE. It included an overview of YBP’s services for academic and research libraries as well as presentations by local libraries that are using YBP’s collection development, acquisitions, and technical services to streamline workflows.

The event commenced with a tour of the campus. The visitors were offered an outline of the various sustainability features, special academic and outreach initiatives, as well as research projects currently being undertaken at Masdar Institute. Joining the guests at the auditorium after the tour, Dr Joe Cecchi, Provost of Masdar Institute, offered them a brief overview of the research-driven institution’s current offerings.
 
Dr. Abdullah Al Hefeiti, Ph.D., Library Director, Masdar Institute, and Chairman of UAE Academic and Research Library consortium, welcomed the gathering, offering an overview of the facilities currently available for students and faculty at the research-driven institution. Masdar Institute already has an existing agreement with YBP for acquiring books and building collections in innovative ways and has acquired the services of the GOBI online database.

Dr. Al Hefeiti said: “Technology has become integral to today’s books publishing industry, necessitating academic and research libraries to remain in the forefront through collaborations. Our agreement with YBP Library Services enables us to offer access to scores of books and journals which contain the most updated and relevant information for our research-oriented students and faculty. We are delighted to host this event that has gathered so many representatives from libraries across the UAE. We thank the UAE’s wise leadership for their support in building our resources that enable us to share knowledge with the community.”

Simon Samoeil, Collection Development Manager – Middle East, and Michael Walmsley, Director of Sales, offered an overview of YBP Services to libraries and strategic initiatives. Henry Owino, Acquisitions Librarian, Petroleum Institute of Abu Dhabi, offered his perspectives during a session titled ‘Using GOBI to Organize Library Workflows – A Customer Experience’. A demonstration of the GOBI system followed and YBP officials underlined their partnership with the leading e-book aggregators and publishers to offer the most comprehensive digital and print discovery and fulfillment services available.

Currently, 33 local libraries in the UAE are using YBP’s collection development, acquisitions, and technical services to streamline workflows. Out of this, 23 are very active with some using technical services and acquisitions.

YBP Library Services is the global leader in meeting the acquisition, collection development and technical service needs of libraries and their consortia. It also provides books and supporting collection management and technical services to academic, research and special libraries around the world. The key highlight of the event was the presentation on Global Online Bibliographic Information (GOBI) – YBP’s most comprehensive acquisition and collection management database.

Utilized by academic, research and special libraries worldwide, GOBI provides a sophisticated acquisitions and collection management support system. It offers ready access to querying, selecting, ordering, reporting, and approval plan profile management functions across a database of more than four million titles, including 500,000 e-book titles from aggregators and publishers.

Established as an ongoing 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.
 

Last Date for Submission of Application 5 April

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 13 March, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced it is organizing a six-week summer internship program for talented UAE national students.

Scheduled to commence from 1 July, the Masdar Institute internship program is offered to the UAE nationals who are university seniors and/or those graduating this year with science, engineering or computer science as major subjects. The last day for submission of application is 5 April.

Prospective students interested to join the internship program for a specific project need to send a single application available on the Masdar Institute website. Multiple applications will be required for more than one project and the website offers adequate details for each project category with a complete description and a list of tasks an intern is expected to do as well as the recommended skills and the formal education required. More than 15 project opportunities are available for student interns this summer.

In addition to valuable research and professional experience interns will also receive on-campus housing and a monthly stipend.
The internship program offers a unique opportunity for those students interested in learning and conducting research in clean and advanced energy, sustainable technologies and environment-related areas. An applicant is required to have a GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). An IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent) is mandatory for the applicant who also has to submit a letter of recommendation.

Dr. Kenneth Volk, Head of Outreach, Masdar Institute, said: “This year, the profile of the Masdar Institute summer internship program has expanded to provide a comprehensive experience to the participants. This is part of our endeavor to optimize the learning environment for the Emirati students.

“We are confident talented UAE national students with a keen interest in subjects that deal with sustainability will take advantage of this opportunity to augment their academic advancement. We thank the UAE’s wise leadership for creating an infrastructure at Masdar Institute that significantly contributes to capacity building and human capital development.”

Some of the projects that will be offered at the summer internship program will include: Detection and Quantification of Emerging Contaminants in Abu Dhabi Recycled Water Using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry; MATLAB Simulation Development for Power Grid Systems; Developing a Graphical User Interface Design for Health Data; Experimental Studies of CO2 Geological Storage; and Cost Comparisons of Renewable and Fossil Fuel Technologies.

Established as an ongoing 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.