Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Institute outlines future plans

ABU DHABI // Increasing enrolment, new academic deparments and collaborations are among the future plans unveiled by the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

The graduate institute, which focuses on sustainable technology and is attached to Masdar City, is pioneering in fields such as biofuel and renewable energy.

The announcement was made at the annual meeting of the board of trustees this week.

“Masdar Institute has grown tremendously over the past year and has achieved several milestones, including the establishment of various research partnerships with the public and private sector,” said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief executive of Masdar.

This year’s commencement ceremonies involved the highest number of graduates since the institute’s first class in 2011, with nearly 90 students earning master’s degrees.

This term, new student enrolment increased to 203, taking the number of students to 417, representing 58 countries.

The number of Emiratis has increased by more than 15 per cent from last year.

In his annual report to the board, Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, head of the institute, said: “The year marked a strong impetus towards our transition to the next stage.

“Every academic institution reaches a threshold from where it has to elevate its projections, raise excellence standards and widen its academic offerings.

“During 2013 we have begun the process and as guided and supported by the UAE’s leadership and the board of trustees we are firmly progressing on our way forward.

“We hope to achieve more milestones in the coming years.”

This year, the institute announced a breakthrough in energy-efficient desalination, one of the primary contributors to the UAE's carbon footprint.

Two of its academics developed a membrane that can operate in an in-situ cleaning system for desalination. A patent application has been filed.

There are 20 other patents pending, and one approved. Masdar academics have published in 375 peer-reviewed journals, 196 conference proceedings, 19 book chapters, two books and one trade publication.

Masdar Institute has been collaborating locally and regionally with companies to share knowledge, expertise and technology, and develop local talent.

Young Emiratis are going through development programmes, such as the Young Future Energy Leaders, in an effort to Emiratise the sector.

This year the institute received accreditation for its PhD research programme from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Emirati Reem Al Junaibi is one of the first doctoral candidates.

“I wanted to do my PhD where my research will be used in the real world, not just published and sitting on a shelf somewhere,” she said. “Masdar is not just about the physical technologies it’s developing, but it’s building a knowledge-based society and developing the human capital.”

She said the local collaborations were keeping the institution at such an advantage as a pioneer in its field.

“There’s a lot of collaboration between industry, government and academia and that’s where we can make a bigger impact,” she said.

“We aren’t always going to rely on oil and must diversify our economy and that’s what Masdar is doing.”

Environmental conferences, which feature Abu Dhabi as a “clean energy hub” are influencing the region, Ms Al Junaibi said.

"The UAE has created a sort of ripple effect. In the Middle East, more governments are looking at renewable energy and sustainable technologies now."