Masdar to help turn students into masters

The course, designed to attract Emiratis and prepare them for masters-level science programmes, will start in the next few weeks.

ABU DHABI // The first students to take part in a new Masdar Institute of Science and Technology foundation programme will start their studies in the next few weeks. The course has been designed to attract Emiratis and prepare them for masters-level science programmes. Emirati students' fees will be subsidised. It is the first such programme in the country. Dr Lamya Fawwaz, the institute's assistant provost for regional affairs, said she hopes it will encourage enrolment by local students who might be intimidated by the leap from undergraduate to post-graduate study.

"I am sure that the introduction of the new foundation programme will be welcomed by many students looking to further their academic careers. For many students the step up to a master's degree can be a daunting prospect and we recognised the specific needs of our key demographic and have responded accordingly. "It is important that as the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology continues to develop into a world-class academic institution, UAE national students are given the right preparation and skills to flourish into critical thinkers in science and technology."

Masdar is developing alternative energy and environmental technologies. The institute offers masters' programmes including materials science and engineering, and water and environmental engineering. Entry requirements include an undergraduate degree relevant to the chosen programme and three letters of recommendation. After completing the foundation programme, which takes a minimum of one academic year, students can, if they meet the criteria, add a summer practical experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the institute's partner in the United States.

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