Khalifa University’s Flagship Outreach Initiative Empowers Dozens of YFEL Members Through Virtual Workshops Led by Faculty and Industry Experts
Multiple online summer workshops were organized for the members of the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) program to keep them engaged with interesting topics related to sustainability and renewable energy.
The YFEL program is an initiative led by Khalifa University to inspire, engage, and empower the youth to be tomorrow’s leaders in alternative energy and sustainability. The program brings together promising students and young professionals from the UAE and around the world to learn, exchange ideas, and become future energy industry leaders.
Satellite Development
The first workshop was about the “Life Cycle of Satellite Development” conducted by Dr. Prashanth Marpu, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Manager of the YahSat Space Lab at Khalifa University. Dr. Marpu talked about the basics of satellite design and the various steps in the life cycle of satellite development. He also discussed his satellite development experience working on the MYSat-1 and MYSat-2 satellites.
Waste Management
The second workshop was titled “Waste Management and Waste to Energy,” which was conducted by Dr. C. Srinivasakannan, Professor of Chemical Engineering. The course provided an overview of the growing waste problem in developing societies and the role of waste management in minimizing negative impacts.
Robotics
Dr. Hamad Karki, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, presented the third workshop on the “Applications of Robotics in the Oil and Gas Industry.” In this workshop, the students were introduced on how robotics is used in the oil and gas industry, and how robotics and AI are integrated in the manufacturing process.
The Role of Policy
At the fourth workshop, Dr. Toufic Mezher, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, talked about “The Role of Policy in the Renewable Energy Industry”. Dr. Mezher discussed strategic frameworks for managing high-technology businesses. The workshop highlighted the importance of acquiring powerful analytical tools that are critical for the development of a technology strategy as an integral part of business strategy.
Design Thinking for Sustainability
The last of the summer workshops was on “Design Thinking for Sustainability” conducted by BASF Executive Dr. Udo Huenger, Vice President, Middle East and other BASF trainers. BASF is a multinational chemical company and the largest chemical producer globally. During the workshop, the YFEL members learned about the basics of design thinking and how it can be applied to real-life sustainability challenges. The workshop also talked about how it helps to be inspired and create new ideas and solutions by combining feasibility, viability, and desirability.
YFEL members from all over the world participated in the online workshops.
“The program proves the commitment of the leadership at Khalifa University to prepare and equip young talent with the necessary tools for a more sustainable world. This has been done using a diverse selection of workshops as well as the irreplaceable experience of participating in World Future Energy Summit – Abu Dhabi 2020.” – Khalifa Sameh Khalaf Mohamed Aldhaen
“Personally, I really enjoyed learning about satellite development, because of my previous interest in aerospace engineering. It was also nice to know more about the role UAE is playing in this field. On the other hand, the practical experience with logic programming given by the robotics workshop was very interesting too. And finally, the leadership workshop gave me some fruitful insights on my leadership profile by learning about different types of leadership and example cases.” – Laura Suárez
“The workshops planned for YFEL were very diverse and interesting. It helped me gain knowledge about environmental topics and also exposed me to robotics and coding in an easy and enjoyable manner, thanks to Dr. Hamad Karki, since I thought such topics were difficult and perplexing. From these seminars, I gained new insights of different existing sectors and projects in the UAE, as well as enhanced my skills in leadership, projecting my ideas, and public speaking with the help of Mr. Kevin Garvey’s enthusiastic lectures.” – Maithaa Almazrouei
Ara Cruz
Creative Writer
29 September 2020
